Aeronautical Vehicle Patents (Class 701/3)
  • Patent number: 12081364
    Abstract: An avionics network comprises at least one data bus system, a multiplicity of network subscribers connected to one or more of the data bus systems via network interfaces, a central configuration server configured to configure each of the multiplicity of network subscribers individually according to a predefined functionality, and a synchronization note configured to stipulate a work-cycle for the multiplicity of network subscribers via the at least one data bus system according to a stipulated synchronization protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Stéphane Poulain, Hartmut Hintze
  • Patent number: 12079009
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle riding route processing method, apparatus and device, and a readable storage medium, the method includes: determining candidate ride vehicles according to an autonomous flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle from a flight start point to a flight destination; determining a riding flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to current locations of the candidate ride vehicles; and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to ride at least one of the candidate ride vehicles to travel from the flight start point to the flight end point according to the riding flight route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: BEIJING JINGDONG SHANGKE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BEIJING JINGDONG CENTURY TRADING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kaibin Wang
  • Patent number: 12077281
    Abstract: A system for flight control for managing actuators for an electric aircraft is provided. The system includes a controller, wherein the controller is designed and configured to receive a sensor datum from at least a sensor, generate an actuator performance model as a function of the sensor datum, identify a defunct actuator of the electric aircraft as a function of the sensor datum and the actuator performance model, generate an actuator allocation command datum as a function of at least the actuator performance model and at least the identification of the defunct actuator, and perform a torque allocation as a function of the actuator allocation command datum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: BETA AIR LLC
    Inventor: Herman Wiegman
  • Patent number: 12073730
    Abstract: A method is provided for supporting taxi operation of an aircraft. The method includes accessing information that describes a taxi operation of the aircraft at an airport, for a flight of the aircraft. The method includes determining a recommendation for reduced-engine taxi operation of the aircraft based on the information. The recommendation divides the reduced-engine taxi operation into steps including reduced-engine and all-engines steps. A route for the taxi operation is plotted on a diagram of the airport, the route is annotated with an indication of the recommendation for the taxi operation, and a graphical user interface (GUI) is generated that includes the diagram with the route and the indication of the recommendation. The indication of the recommendation includes indications of the steps into which the reduced-engine taxi operation is divided, and the route is annotated to indicate segments of the route over which the steps are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Martin Baudin, Marco Gaertner
  • Patent number: 12072191
    Abstract: A box regularized particle filtering method implements a binary representation of numbers. This implementation can be used to determine a box division coordinate and/or to modify state intervals according to a fixed probability kernel, for example according to an Epanechnikov kernel. The method can be executed autonomously within a navigation system using measurement correlation, in particular on board an aircraft such as an airplane, a flying drone or any self-propelled airborne vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: OFFICE NATIONAL D'ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AÉROSPATIALES
    Inventors: Nicolas Merlinge, Clément Audebert, Karim Dahia, Bruno Herisse, Jean-Michel Allard
  • Patent number: 12073732
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to action control device and an action control method and a program that enable more appropriate action control to be achieved. An EKF processing unit selects a self-position estimation unit used to estimate a position of a drone from a plurality of the self-position estimation units which is different in estimation accuracy on the basis of waypoints that are indexes when the drone acts, and obtains a state of the drone. Then, a navigator controls an action of the drone according to an action plan created in advance on the basis of the state of the drone. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a mission flight control device that controls a mission flight of a drone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichiro Oi, Masaki Handa, Takuto Motoyama, Shun Lee, Masahiko Toyoshi
  • Patent number: 12067888
    Abstract: A system for providing a flight planning tool is disclosed. The system may include at least one memory device for storing flight information and one or more hardware processors. The one or more hardware processors may be configured to provide an Application Program Interface (API) for facilitating communication between the system and at least one of a client device and one or more third-party devices, receive, via the API, a request including first information related to a flight, collect, via the API and based on the first information, second information from one or more third-party devices, generate flight trip data based on the first and second information, wherein the flight trip data includes information and graphics associated with the flight, and provide, via the API, one or more user interfaces to the client device for communicating the flight trip data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
    Inventors: Douglas Nolen Shorter, Jr., John Dennis Hamilton, Kimberly Lynn Ocasek, Eric John Rush, Brian Michael Tenberg, John Vance Whitehouse, Sergey Krilov
  • Patent number: 12066838
    Abstract: Obtaining location data in a novel way is considered to be a part of this invention. An exemplary method for doing so includes identifying first positioning information for a data delivery vehicle based at least in part on a plurality of positioning signals received at the data delivery vehicle from a set of satellites of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). The example method comprises obtaining relative position information associated with a position vector from the data delivery vehicle to a remote vehicle, the remote vehicle being unable to receive the plurality of positioning signals from the set of satellites. The example method comprises determining second positioning information for the remote vehicle based at least in part on the first positioning information and the relative position information. The example method comprises transmitting the second positioning information to the remote vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Chioccoli LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Daniel Chiocco, Michael Brogioli
  • Patent number: 12066839
    Abstract: Provide is an agricultural chemical spraying drone with improved safety. An acceleration sensor and a contact detection sensor are combined to detect contact of a drone with an obstacle. In a case where the contact is detected, a retreat action such as hovering is taken. In addition, a message may be displayed on a control terminal, a warning sound may be generated, and a warning light may be turned on. Further, a structure capable of minimizing finger insertion accidents and minimizing interference with a rotor even in collision is adopted as a propeller guard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: NILEWORKS INC.
    Inventors: Chihiro Wake, Hiroshi Yanagishita
  • Patent number: 12060151
    Abstract: A system for performing work on electrical power lines and/or splices on electrical power lines comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a power line tool adapted to perch on an electrical power line and/or a splice on an electrical power line, a support frame selectively releasably attached to the UAV, and a plurality of flexible dielectric support lines attaching the power line tool to the support frame. Each of the support lines are attached to a corresponding attachment point on the support frame and a corresponding attachment point on the power line tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: BEIROBOTICS LLC
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Beiro, Alvin Leroy Corbin, III, Chase Hamilton Coble, David Carson Schul
  • Patent number: 12062107
    Abstract: The embodiments disclose a method including providing an aerial drone coupled wirelessly to a social distancing application on a user digital device, wherein the drone is coupled to solar cell panels for recharging its batteries, providing a strobe light coupled to the drone for signaling an S.O.S.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Inventors: William Hart, Edmond A. DeFrank, Antonio DeFrank, Nicolas DeFrank, Allen Mark Jones
  • Patent number: 12056637
    Abstract: A system and method for receiving data associated with a plurality of travel legs; identifying a resources delay relating to a delay necessary to provide a travel leg from the plurality of travel legs with resources required for the departure of the travel leg, and an existing delay associated with the travel leg; determining a projected arrival delay and a projected departure delay based on the resources delay and the existing delay; outputting parameters relating to the projected arrival delay and the projected departure delay; receiving operation parameters; and generating a proposed operation plan using the projected arrival delay, the projected departure delay, and the operation parameters. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the travel legs is an airline flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: American Airlines, Inc.
    Inventors: Remi Salam, Timothy Jon Niznik, Deepak Warrier
  • Patent number: 12050475
    Abstract: A method includes navigating, by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), to a first altitude above a first delivery point at a delivery location. The method further includes determining, by the UAV, a second delivery point at the delivery location. The method includes navigating, by the UAV, through a descending trajectory to move the UAV from the first altitude above the first delivery point to a second altitude above the second delivery point at the delivery location. The second altitude is lower than the first altitude. The method additionally includes delivering, by the UAV, a payload to the second delivery point at the delivery location. The method includes after delivering the payload, navigating, by the UAV, through an ascending trajectory to move the UAV from a third altitude above the second delivery point to a fourth altitude above the first delivery point. The fourth altitude is higher than the third altitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC
    Inventors: Ali Shoeb, Marcus Hammond, Christopher Cobar, Kyle Krafka, Kyle Julian, Kevin Jenkins
  • Patent number: 12043370
    Abstract: There is disclosed in one example a flight control computer for a rotary aircraft, including: a first interface to communicatively couple to a flight control input; a second interface to communicatively couple to flight geometry actuators; a data source; a multi-dimensional lookup table including a data structure to correlate flight control inputs to flight geometry actuator outputs according to a third-factor; and circuitry and logic instructions to: receive an input via the first interface; query the data source for the third-factor; query the multi-dimensional lookup table for a control input modifier according to the flight control input and the third-factor; and compute and send via a third interface a flight geometry output according to the control input modifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Cody Fegely, Kenneth Stephen Wittmer
  • Patent number: 12043398
    Abstract: A system can include a flight controller for an aircraft that includes an electric motor that drives blades with a variable pitch, where the flight controller receives a command to change a flight characteristic of the aircraft and creates a torque command and a revolutions per minute (RPM) command. The system can also include a propulsion assembly, where the propulsion assembly creates a current command based at least in part on the torque command and the RPM command, creates a blade pitch command based at least in part on the torque command and the RPM command, communicates the current command to the electric motor to change a mechanical output of the electric motor, and communicates the blade pitch command to blade actuators to control the pitch of the blades. The current command and the blade pitch command cause the blades of the aircraft to rotate at a predetermined RPM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Kip Gregory Campbell, Kristen Stuart, Steven G. Hagerott
  • Patent number: 12039872
    Abstract: A HAPS platform may execute a neural network (a “HAPSNN”) as it monitors air traffic; the neural network enables it to classify, predict, and resolve events in its airspace of coverage in real time as well as learn from new events that have never before been seen or detected. The HAPSNN-equipped HAPS platform may provide surveillance of nearly 100% of air traffic in its airspace of coverage, and the HAPSNN may process data received from a drone to facilitate safe and efficient drone operation within an airspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Drobotics, LLC
    Inventor: Eyal Stein
  • Patent number: 12039877
    Abstract: Controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle to traverse a portion of an operational environment of the unmanned aerial vehicle may include obtaining an object detection type, obtaining object detection input data, obtaining relative object orientation data based on the object detection type and the object detection input data, and performing an object avoidance operation based on the relative object orientation data. The object detection type may be monocular object detection, which may include obtaining the relative object orientation data by obtaining motion data indicating a change of spatial location for the unmanned aerial vehicle between obtaining the first image and obtaining the second image based on searching along epipolar lines to obtain optical flow data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
    Inventors: Sammy Omari, Pascal Gohl, Andreas Jäger, Joseph A. Enke, Simon Doessegger, Tim Oberhauser
  • Patent number: 12039846
    Abstract: Provided is a method of protecting private information from illegal photography by an unmanned aerial vehicle, which includes receiving information about an area to capture, from the unmanned aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle pilot, in advance, by wired or wireless communication, transmitting the information about an area to capture, to a private information protection subject who wants to protect private information about the area to capture, by wired or wireless communication, receiving information about a first action to protect private information accompanying image capturing, from the private information protection subject, by wired or wireless communication, and transmitting the information about a first action to protect private information, the information being received from the private information protection subject, to the unmanned aerial vehicle or the unmanned aerial vehicle pilot who is going to capture an image, by wired or wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: 4DREAM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won-Kug Kim, Jin-Kyo Shin
  • Patent number: 12033517
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing off-board recharge station information for an urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle flying on an intended trip. The method includes displaying a map showing the UAM vehicle at a current location, the intended trip, and an endurance line that represents an extent of the available UAM charge. The method retrieves recharge station information including a station name, location, number of recharge ports at the station, and a compatibility type for each of the recharge ports. The method identifies recharge stations that are compatible with the UAM vehicle and can be reached from the intended trip with the UAM available charge, and also updates information associated with the identified recharge stations responsive to a received real-time status update. The method visually depicts the identified recharge stations and visually distinguishes an identified recharge station having a shortest path deviation from the intended trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jayasenthilnathan B, Saravanakumar Gurusamy, Madhava Gadicherla
  • Patent number: 12033515
    Abstract: A system and method of transmitting an aircraft report (AIREP) from a first aircraft having an enabled aircraft autoland system includes retrieving, via a first processing system, standard AIREP data from one or more avionic systems within the first aircraft, the standard AIREP data including standard AIREP reporting information. The first processing system retrieves autoland enablement data that indicates whether the autoland system was manually or automatically enabled, and also retrieves autoland information data from the one or more avionics systems, where the autoland information data includes current aircraft state data and current flight plan data and is different from the standard AIREP data. The autoland information data is appended to the standard AIREP data to generate an AIREP-autoland message and the AIREP-autoland message is transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Prem Kumar T, Karthic V, Kalaiarasu Velappan, Gireesh Kumar R N, Mohammed Ibrahim Mohideen, Janakiram Thiyagarajan
  • Patent number: 12030527
    Abstract: A method of controlling an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) 110, comprising the steps of: detecting a fault in a first AV 110-1; in response to detecting said fault, transmitting a communication for alerting an AV of the fault, wherein said communication is a device-to-device wireless communication; receiving said communication at a second AV 110-2; identifying the second AV as being capable of retrieving at least part of the first AV and delivering said at least part to an intended destination; and instructing the second AV to perform the retrieving and delivering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS public limited company
    Inventors: Jonathan Hart, Ruth Brown, Maria Cuevas Ramirez
  • Patent number: 12031800
    Abstract: A method of controlling a self-propelled flying device that seeks a target. A desired time to reach the target is obtained. The position of the target is acquired. A bias value is calculated, and the flight of the device towards the target is adjusted for a period of time using the bias value. The bias value is calculated so that the device reaches the target at the desired time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: MBDA UK LIMITED
    Inventor: Sean O' Sullivan
  • Patent number: 12033520
    Abstract: To provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and storage medium that realize assessment of an airspace. An information processing device for assessing an airspace includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires a status of an airspace; and an assessment unit that assesses at least one of values and risks of the airspace according to the status of the airspace acquired by the first acquisition unit by referring to information which is for assessing at least one of values and risks of an airspace and associated with a status of the airspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: TRUEBIZON, LTD.
    Inventors: Mamoru Masumoto, Kazuki Tomita
  • Patent number: 12025456
    Abstract: A system may include a display and a processor. The processor may be configured to: output a view of an airport moving map (AMM), the AMM depicting a location of an aircraft on an airport surface; receive aircraft state data and airport surface data, wherein the airport surface data includes information of the airport surface, wherein the aircraft state data includes a current position of the aircraft; generate taxi routing guidance content, wherein the taxi route data includes information of a taxi route for the aircraft on the airport surface, wherein the taxi routing guidance content includes graphical and/or audio content to be presented to a flight crew to guide the aircraft along the taxi route, wherein the taxi routing guidance content further includes an approaching runway annunciation, wherein the approaching runway annunciation indicates that the aircraft is approaching a runway; and output the taxi routing guidance content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Davis, Marcin Kolesinski
  • Patent number: 12024281
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for autonomous vehicle operation for collision avoidance. One method involves identifying an autonomous operating mode and one or more settings associated with the autonomous operating mode prior to entering an autonomous collision avoidance mode in response to an output from a collision avoidance system, and after entering the autonomous collision avoidance mode, automatically restoring autonomous operation upon deactivation of the autonomous collision avoidance mode. For example, the autonomous operating mode may be automatically reinitiated based on the current vehicle status using the one or more settings in response to deactivation of the autonomous collision avoidance mode when it is determined that the autonomous operating mode is viable based on a relationship between a current vehicle status and the one or more settings associated with the autonomous operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Zdenek Padera, Jan Frank, Luis Melendez
  • Patent number: 12025995
    Abstract: A drone and an operating method for assisting player training are disclosed. The method for operating the drone for training sports events according to the technical idea of the present disclosure may include receiving a speed profile, starting acceleration based on a start signal, and controlling speed based on the speed profile, wherein the speed profile includes information on speed by time as a feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Inventor: Joseph Lim
  • Patent number: 12014641
    Abstract: A drone (an aerial vehicle), able to maintain improved safety for operation by non-specialists, is provided. A farm field data stored in a cloud at take-off is compared to an environment data read by a sensor, and a control to prohibit take-off is performed if any danger is considered. In particular, it is desirable to prohibit if there is a traffic, where people and cars may pass, between the farm field and a current location, and if a direction of the drone, installed, does not point to a direction of an intrusion pathway to the target farm field. Furthermore, it is desirable to prohibit take-off if a predetermined maintenance is not performed by referring to a maintenance history.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: NILEWORKS INC.
    Inventors: Chihiro Wake, Hiroshi Yanagishita
  • Patent number: 12007794
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus for tracking a moving target and an unmanned aerial vehicle. The method includes: identifying and locking a moving target; and adjusting a moving state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and/or parameters of the photographing device according to a moving state of the moving target, so that the moving target is always located on a display screen of a control terminal. A method and an apparatus for tracking a moving target and an unmanned aerial vehicle provided in the disclosure can adjust the moving state of the unmanned aerial vehicle and/or the parameters of the photographing device in real time according to the moving state of the moving target and can ensure that the moving target in a preset size is always located on the display screen of the control terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xin Huang, Yuanyuan Du
  • Patent number: 12007788
    Abstract: An UAV 1 performs a detachment control to detach a cargo supported by a support portion 117 or connected a connecting portion 118, and thereafter, performs a load detection process of detecting a mechanical load applied to the support portion 117 or the connecting portion 118. And then An UAV 1 performs different control according to the mechanical load, with respect to a movement of the UAV 1 after the detection of the mechanical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Tazume
  • Patent number: 11999467
    Abstract: A system of fall back flight control configured for use in aircraft includes an input control configured to receive a pilot input and generate a control datum. System includes a flight controller communicatively coupled to the input control and configured to receive the control datum and generate an output datum. The system includes the actuator having a primary mode in which the actuator is configured to move the at least a portion of the aircraft as a function of the output datum and a fall back mode in which the actuator is configured to move the at least a portion of the aircraft as a function of the control datum. The actuator configured to receive the control datum, receive the output datum, detect a loss of communication with the flight controller, and select the fall back mode as a function of the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: BETA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Gerard Richter, Andrew Giroux, Joseph Trovato, Chris Townsend
  • Patent number: 11995996
    Abstract: A drone for delivering plural repeaters in a hostile environment and method of delivering plural repeaters from the drone. The drone is controllable from a remote base station and carries a payload of repeaters on a round tray. The tray has a dispensing hole, complementary to the geometry of the repeater for dispensing the repeaters as needed. Repeaters are consecutively dispensed at stations as determined by an operator. A central radial arm sweeps each repeater around the tray, in turn, until the hole is encountered and the repeater gravity drops to a surface below. The drone may have two or more vertically stacked trays to increase payload without increasing footprint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Joseph Puglisi, Nicholas Black, Mary Hood, Michael Anderson, Joseph Anderson
  • Patent number: 11993396
    Abstract: A package delivery drone comprises at least one propeller for generating lift and an article containment area for containing an article to be carried by the drone. The floor of the article containment area comprises a dynamic support surface for supporting the article and allowing the article to move into, out of and through the article containment area. The package delivery drone interfaces with a docking station having a shelf for exchanging packages with the drone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Laitram, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Bryant G. Ragan, Mark Costanzo, Matthew A. Lignieres
  • Patent number: 11993393
    Abstract: A flight guidance panel for an aircraft includes a subpanel display, a joystick, rotary encoders, a deflection sensor, and a processor. The subpanel display indicates autopilot modes and flight value goals and has a top-level state and a subpanel control state. The joystick is for user interaction with the subpanel display. The rotary encoder is coupled with the joystick to receive rotation inputs from a user of the joystick. The deflection sensor is coupled with the joystick to detect a deflection input from the user of the joystick. The processor is programmed to: change a state of the subpanel display to the subpanel control state corresponding to a selected subpanel in response to receiving the deflection input while the subpanel display is in the top-level state; and change the flight value goals in response to receiving the rotation inputs while the subpanel display is in the subpanel control state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffrey Hausmann, Kristin Medin, Jim Jordan, Scott Bohanan
  • Patent number: 11990049
    Abstract: A projected recovery trajectory for an aircraft autopilot system is precomputed by providing a stored set of predefined recovery mode segments, including: a mode 1 segment that models the aircraft coasting; a mode 2 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose high recovery; a mode 3 segment that models the aircraft executing a nose low recovery; a mode 4 segment that models the aircraft executing a throttle only recovery; and a mode 5 segment that models the aircraft executing a terrain avoidance recovery. A processor generates at least one projected recovery trajectory based on a current state of the aircraft, where the processor selectively concatenates selected ones of the predefined recovery mode segments into a sequence and uses that sequence to generate the projected trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Prosser, Thomas Landers, Abhishek Vaidya, Blake Finlayson, Alborz Sakhaei
  • Patent number: 11987357
    Abstract: A gaseous matter capture system and method comprising an aerial unit configured to capture gaseous matter directly from the atmosphere and further comprising storage means configured to transfer said gaseous matter for further processing in a non-aerial unit for the purposes of climate change mitigation and further use of captured gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: HIGH HOPES LABS LTD.
    Inventor: Eran Oren
  • Patent number: 11989039
    Abstract: A control system includes at least one memory storing program code and at least one processor. The program code is configured to cause the at least one processor to estimate size of a short visibility airspace, based on a location of a first point at which an aircraft detects the short visibility airspace, a location of a second point at which the aircraft determines that the aircraft has entered the short visibility airspace, and sensing information acquired at the first point. The program code also causes the at least one processor to perform control to cause the aircraft to move to a safe airspace that is set based on the estimated size of the short visibility airspace when it is determined that flight continuation along a route passing through the short visibility airspace is impracticable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshiaki Tazume
  • Patent number: 11989035
    Abstract: Systems and methods to control gain of an electric aircraft are provided in this disclosure. The system may include gain scheduling to provide stability of the electric aircraft at various dynamic states of operation. The system may include a sensor to obtain measurement datum of an operating state. The system may further include a controller that adjusts a control gain of the electric aircraft as a function of the measurement datum. The gain control may be determined by a gain schedule generated by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventors: Jordan Potvin, Jacob Nealy
  • Patent number: 11987375
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating an aircraft having two or more engines are described. The method comprises receiving an engine availability confirmation when a set of engine parameters meet engine operating conditions for an asymmetric operating regime, receiving an aircraft availability confirmation when a set of aircraft parameters meet aircraft operating conditions for the asymmetric operating regime, outputting an availability message to a cockpit of the aircraft in response to receiving the engine availability confirmation and the aircraft availability confirmation, receiving a pilot-initiated request to operate the engine in the asymmetric operating regime, and commanding the engines to operate in the asymmetric operating regime in response to the pilot-initiated request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Patrick Manoukian, Keith Morgan
  • Patent number: 11984038
    Abstract: Examples relate to a method for generating an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) controller model for controlling an UAV, a system including an UAV, a wind generator, a motion-tracking system and a control module, and to an UAV. The method for training the UAV controller model includes providing a wind generator control signal to a wind generator, to cause the wind generator to emit a wind current towards the UAV. The method includes operating the UAV using the UAV controller model. A flight of the UAV is influenced by the wind generated by the wind generator. The method includes monitoring the flight of the UAV using a motion-tracking system to determine motion-tracking data. The method includes training the UAV controller model using a machine-learning algorithm based on the motion-tracking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Peter Dürr
  • Patent number: 11976633
    Abstract: A control system for limiting power turbine torque (QPT) of a gas turbine engine includes a controller including a processor and memory configured to control the gas turbine engine, the controller including an engine control module that provides an effector command signal to a gas generator of the gas turbine engine; a power turbine governor module that outputs a preliminary torque request (QPT_req_pre); and a power turbine torque (QPT) optimal limiter module that outputs a maximum torque topper (QPT_max) to limit a power turbine speed overshoot of the gas turbine engine; wherein the controller outputs a minimum value between the preliminary torque request (QPT_req_pre) and the maximum torque topper (QPT_max) to the engine control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chaohong Cai, Timothy J Crowley, David Lei Ma, Richard P Meisner
  • Patent number: 11978351
    Abstract: A beacon unit (2) configured to generate a virtual point (TP) which is moveable along a virtual trajectory (TR), from one or more data item(s) of a kinematics of the aircraft (AC). The device includes a control unit (4) configured to generate an order to move the aircraft towards a dynamic point (TP) and thus along the target trajectory (TR).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS (SAS)
    Inventors: Francois Courbun, Mario Cassaro
  • Patent number: 11975823
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for maneuvering and aligning aircraft equipped and driven during ramp ground travel with landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems that have deviated from taxi line travel paths and for maneuvering the electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft to park accurately to align with locations of parking stops when the aircraft nose landing gear wheels stop beyond or short of a parking stop. The aircraft pilot can, without waiting for a tug or starting aircraft engines, precisely maneuver the aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems while viewing the taxi line and parking stop location in real time with an optional camera and sensor system while maneuvering the aircraft in forward or reverse and lateral directions to align the aircraft nose wheels with the taxi line path and to accurately position the nose landing gear wheels at the parking stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Borealis Technical Limited
    Inventor: Nechama Cox
  • Patent number: 11978346
    Abstract: A system includes a radio configured to transmit and receive voice transmissions to and from air traffic control (ATC), the radio installed onboard an aircraft. The system includes a processor communicatively coupled to the radio and installed onboard the aircraft. The processor is configured to: receive an ATC voice command via the radio; transcribe the ATC voice command into an ATC command; and when the ATC command includes an aircraft identification associated with the aircraft, categorize the ATC command into components, each of the components being categorized based on a criticality level associated with said component, wherein the criticality level is or is associated with a required accuracy confidence level of transcribed speech for a given component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey A. Shapiro, Katarina Vuckovic
  • Patent number: 11971713
    Abstract: An architecture to provision one-stop parking, charging, storage, and/or maintenance facilities and/or functionalities for drone equipment. A method can comprise identifying a drone entering a defined airspace monitored by the network equipment; in response to establishing a communication channel with the drone, receiving data representing a physical dimension associated with the drone; based on the physical dimension associated with the drone, allocating a space within a defined area to which the drone is to navigate and then cease moving; and sending, to the drone via the communication channel, notification data that notifies the drone to navigate to the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Jackie Chen, Kevin Ackerman, Clayton Cotton, Roque Rios, III
  • Patent number: 11971717
    Abstract: An aircraft including a wing system, a plurality of control surfaces, a camera mounted on a camera pod, and a control system. The camera pod is configured to vary the orientation of the camera field of view only in yaw, relative to the aircraft, between a directly forward-looking orientation and a side-looking orientation. The control system controls the control surfaces such that they induce a significant aircraft yaw causing an identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera in the directly forward-looking orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Nicoloff, Eric M. Sornborger, Lars B. Cremean
  • Patent number: 11970294
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a resource remaining datum of an electric aircraft is disclosed. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory communicatively connected to the processor. The memory contains instructions configuring the processor to receive aircraft data from at least a sensing device, wherein the at least a sensing device is configured to measure at least a parameter of a battery pack of the electric aircraft and generate aircraft data as a function of the at least a parameter of the battery pack of the electric aircraft. The memory contains instructions configuring the processor to determine a reserve energy as a function of a flight mode of the electric aircraft and determine a resource remaining datum as a function of the aircraft data and the reserve energy, wherein the resource remaining datum is related to the battery pack of the electric aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Beta Air, LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Foland, Thomas Henck, Herman Wiegman
  • Patent number: 11970266
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flight control mechanism for controlling flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle by controlling collision between the vehicle and a boundary surface, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the mechanism, and a method for using the mechanism and the vehicle. Provided is a flight control mechanism for an unmanned aerial vehicle including: a first initial collision member; a second initial collision member; and a holding member that holds the first and second initial collision members with a space therebetween above the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle, is tiltable with respect to the vehicle body by rotating about a predetermined position inside or above the vehicle body toward the side of the vehicle body, and rotates in response to collision between the first or second initial collision member and a boundary surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignees: ACSL, Ltd., NJS Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Kuroiwa, Shosuke Inoue, Yusuke Inagaki
  • Patent number: 11966223
    Abstract: A control system an unmanned vehicle includes a first processing unit configured to execute a primary autopilot process for controlling the unmanned vehicle. The control system further includes a programmable logic array in operative communication with the first processing unit. The control system also includes a state machine configured in the programmable logic array. The state machine is configured to enable control of the unmanned vehicle according to a backup autopilot process in response to an invalid output of the first processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
    Inventors: Stefano Angelo Mario Lassini, Ryan Daniel Gorby, John Andrew Ingersoll
  • Patent number: 11967091
    Abstract: A technique for detecting an environmental change to a delivery zone via an unmanned aerial vehicle includes obtaining an anchor image and an evaluation image, each representative of the delivery zone, providing the anchor image and the evaluation image to a machine learning model to determine an embedding score associated with a distance between representations of the anchor image and the evaluation image within an embedding space, and determining an occurrence of the environmental change to the delivery zone when the embedding score is greater than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: WING Aviation LLC
    Inventors: Ali Shoeb, Dinuka Abeywardena
  • Patent number: 11968026
    Abstract: A network for providing high speed data communications may include multiple terrestrial transmission stations that are located within overlapping communications range and a mobile receiver station. The terrestrial transmission stations provide a continuous and uninterrupted high speed data communications link with the mobile receiver station employing a wireless radio access network protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SMARTSKY NETWORKS LLC
    Inventor: Donald Alcorn