Aeronautical Vehicle Patents (Class 701/3)
  • Patent number: 9766619
    Abstract: A plurality of wireless engine sensors each includes a sensing circuit that senses an engine parameter as engine data. A radio transceiver receives and transmits the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameters. An engine monitoring module includes a housing configured to be mounted at the aircraft engine. A sensor receiver is mounted within the housing and receives the engine data from the wireless engine sensors. A first wireless transmitter is carried by the housing. A memory is carried by the housing and a processor is carried by the housing and coupled to the memory and the first wireless transmitter and configured to collect and store in the memory engine data related to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors and transmit the engine data via the first wireless transmitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: HARRIS CORPORATION
    Inventor: James J. Ziarno
  • Patent number: 9754497
    Abstract: A method for providing air traffic controlled flight of a large number of commercial drones each carrying one or more packages in to and out of an air traffic controlled space around an airport. The method includes providing an outbound corridor from a carrier facility through and out of the air traffic controlled space, where the outbound corridor does not allow any other air traffic to fly therein, and allowing the drones to fly through the outbound corridor to leave the air traffic controlled space without requiring air traffic control. The method also includes providing an inbound corridor through the air traffic controlled space to the carrier facility that does not allow any other air traffic to fly therein, and allowing drones to return to the carrier facility through the air traffic controlled space by flying through the inbound corridor without requiring air traffic control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Charles R. Smith, Matthew A. Neal
  • Patent number: 9747807
    Abstract: A flight display system or method in accordance with this disclosure involves the presentation, on an aircraft, of a “quick preview” notice to airmen (“NOTAM”) display that includes a plurality of stacked flight route portion boxes, each of the plurality of flight route portion boxes pertaining to and being labeled as one of: a departure taxiing portion, a standard instrument departure portion, an en route portion, a standard terminal arrival route portion, an approach portion, and an arrival taxiing portion; each of the plurality of flight route portion boxes graphically displaying flight route symbology pertaining to and labeled as each airport taxiing reference point and/or each aeronautical waypoint that falls within its labeled flight route portion; and wherein at least one of the plurality of flight route portion boxes further graphically displays NOTAM symbology pertaining to at least one of the NOTAMs that are relevant to the flight route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Subash Samuthirapandian, Markus Alan Johnson, Pramod Kumar Malviya, Jayasenthilnathan B, Bretislav Passinger
  • Patent number: 9741252
    Abstract: A flight management assembly including two guidance systems, each one provided with a flight management system. The flight management systems are independent and hosted in different computer equipment. Each of the flight management systems being configured to carry out at least a computation of guidance commands for the aircraft. The flight management assembly also includes a monitoring unit hosted in computer equipment different from the computer equipment hosting the flight management systems and configured to monitor at least the guidance commands computed by the two flight management systems to detect and identify a defective flight management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Mere, Mathieu Versini
  • Patent number: 9733103
    Abstract: A flight deck display system for an aircraft includes a processor architecture configured to receive aircraft instrument data, waypoint restriction information, and position data for the aircraft and, based upon the received data, generate image rendering display commands. The system also includes a display element configured to receive the image rendering display commands and, in response thereto, to render a display that includes a perspective view of terrain and at least one waypoint marker corresponding to an approaching waypoint. The waypoint marker includes visually distinguishable characteristics that convey waypoint restriction information (e.g., altitude or airspeed constraint information that governs the waypoint).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Gang He, John G. Suddreth, Thea L. Feyereisen
  • Patent number: 9734684
    Abstract: Aspects include a method, system and computer program product for monitoring a fence about an ad-hoc perimeter. The method includes defining an ad-hoc perimeter to be monitored. A number of autonomous drones are determined for creating a monitoring fence arrangement of the ad-hoc perimeter, each of the autonomous drones including a movement detection mechanism. A position is determined for each of the determined number of autonomous drones. The position is transmitted to each of the autonomous drones. A status of the autonomous drones is monitored. A signal is transmitted in response to at least one of the autonomous drones detecting a breach of the ad-hoc perimeter with the movement detection mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Donald L. Bryson, Eric V. Kline, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 9714089
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for analyzing data obtained while delivering items with unmanned aerial vehicles. For example, instructions may be provided to an unmanned aerial vehicle to deliver an item. The unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to record data while delivering the item. In embodiments, the captured data may be received by a computer system and properties about a destination for the delivery may be identified by analyzing the data. A recommendation may be generated based at least in part on the identified properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Brian Louw, Robert James Silk
  • Patent number: 9710145
    Abstract: A method and system for interacting with the systems of an aircraft using touch screen technology that includes a human machine interface device for interacting with aircraft systems. The human machine interface including an input/display device configured to provide for navigating among graphical representations of a plurality of aircraft avionics systems via the common human machine interface; selecting an aircraft system via at least one of a touch gesture and a voice command input to the input/display device; inputting an instruction to the selected aircraft system; and outputting information via at least one of visual, aural, haptic and tactile channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF MALTA, QUAERO LTD.
    Inventors: David Zammit-Mangion, Mateusz Jedruszek, Alan Muscat
  • Patent number: 9690294
    Abstract: A method for an autonomous vehicle to follow a target is provided. The method may include obtaining a position and a velocity of a target and obtaining a position of an autonomous vehicle. The method may also include obtaining a path that encloses the position of the target and determining a path rate for the autonomous vehicle to move along the path based on the velocity of the target. The method may also include determining a path position along the path based on the position of the autonomous vehicle and determining a change in the position of the autonomous vehicle based on the path position, the path rate, and the velocity of the target. The method may also include adjusting a velocity and a direction of the autonomous vehicle to achieve the change in the position of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: HELICO AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES SIA
    Inventors: Ilja Nevdahs, Janis Spogis, Nils Trapans, Edgars Rozentals, Agris Kipurs
  • Patent number: 9689667
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system (21) for receiving a light beam, comprising an array of light sensors (26). The system also comprises a pixelated light switch array (24), in which each switch is adapted to receive at least one portion of the light beam and direct it to the array of light sensors (26), and the pixelated light switch array (24) comprises a higher number of switches than the number of light sensors comprised in the array of light sensors (26).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYA
    Inventors: Santiago Royo Royo, Jordi Riu Gras
  • Patent number: 9682768
    Abstract: A flight control system for a rotary wing aircraft, the aircraft following a track Tsol, relative to the ground with a ground course angle TKsol, a forward speed Va, a flight path angle P, and a heading ?, the aircraft having one or more rotary wings provided with blades of collective pitch and of cyclic pitch that are variable about respective pitch axes and that are capable of performing movements in rotation and in translation. The flight control system has two control members each provided respectively with at least one movement axis A, B, C, D, and an autopilot for generating control signals. An action on one of the control members relative to one of the movement axes A, B, C, D gives rise independently to a modification to the forward speed Va, to the ground course angle TKsol, or indeed to the flight path angle P by means of the autopilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventor: Marc Salesse-Lavergne
  • Patent number: 9666082
    Abstract: A method of flight management and guidance of an aircraft executed by a flight management system FMS comprises the steps of: generating a reference trajectory, generating a short-term trajectory, periodically transmitting the short-term trajectory, generating a long-term trajectory, formatting the segments of the long-term trajectory, periodically transmitting the long-term trajectory, storing the long-term trajectory transmitted, testing the validity of the FMS sub-assembly, when the FMS sub-assembly is valid: identifying, by the autonomous guidance module, the active segment of the short-term trajectory, generating, by the autonomous guidance module, a first flight guidance order on the basis of the active segment of the short-term trajectory; when the FMS sub-assembly is not valid: identifying, by the autonomous guidance module, the active segment of the stored trajectory, generating, by the autonomous guidance module, a second flight guidance order on the basis of the active segment of the stored trajecto
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Michel Roger, Mathieu Orvain
  • Patent number: 9663078
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for brake actuator operation sensor error compensation. In various embodiments, a system for brake actuator operation sensor error compensation determines the existence of potential sensor errors and compensates for the effects of such errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Todd Rook
  • Patent number: 9663226
    Abstract: An unmanned vehicle receives a message from another unmanned vehicle. The recipient unmanned vehicle uses information included with the message to determine whether a quorum of other unmanned vehicles have vetted information in the message. If a quorum of unmanned vehicles have vetted the message, the unmanned vehicle uses the information in the message to determine how to perform one or more operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Darren Ernest Canavor, Varadarajan Gopalakrishnan, Jesper Mikael Johansson, Jon Arron McClintock, Brandon William Porter, Andrew Jay Roths
  • Patent number: 9658623
    Abstract: Example aircraft intent processors are described herein that can be used both for the prediction of an aircraft's trajectory from aircraft intent, and the execution of aircraft intent for controlling the aircraft. An example aircraft intent processor includes an aircraft intent input to receive aircraft intent data representative of aircraft intent instructions, an aircraft state input to receive state data representative of a state of the aircraft, and a residual output. The aircraft intent processor is to calculate residual data representative of an error between a state of the aircraft commanded by the received aircraft intent data and the state of the aircraft expressed by received state data, and output the residual data via the residual output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Francisco Navarro, Carlos Querejeta, Ernesto Valls Hernandez, Francisco García de Blanes, Luis D'Alto
  • Patent number: 9643736
    Abstract: A landing light system and steering method and computer readable medium is provided. A landing light system includes a camera, a controller, and a landing light. A tangible, non-transitory memory may have instructions for controlling a landing light. The controller may perform operations including receiving a first image at a first time from the camera, receiving a second image at a second time from the camera, estimating a focus of expansion between the first image and the second image, and aiming the landing light based on the focus of expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Todd Ell
  • Patent number: 9635248
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of controlling therefor are disclosed. The mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a touch interface module configured to receive a touch input, a communication module configured to establish communication with at least one or more drones and a controller configured to control the communication module and the touch interface module. The controller transmits location information of the mobile terminal to the drone with which the communication is established, designates a position of the drone based on the transmitted location information, receives a preview image obtained by a camera of the drone, displays the received preview image on a predetermined first area and if the touch input is recognized, captures the preview image displayed on the first area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jeonghwa Yang, Hyejin Bae, Kyungha Lee
  • Patent number: 9630712
    Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and processes using multirotor lifter to deploy and/or engage fixed wing aircraft. For example, one or more unmanned multirotor lifters may engage an unmanned fixed wing aircraft, aerially navigate the fixed wing aircraft vertically to a desired altitude, and then release the fixed wing aircraft so that the fixed wing aircraft can initiate a flight plan. In some implementations, multirotor lifter may also be configured to engage fixed wing aircraft while both the multirotor lifters and the fixed wing aircraft are in flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Gerard Carmack, Narasimha Rao Lakkakula, Nima Sharifi Mehr
  • Patent number: 9630708
    Abstract: An aircraft landing gear wheel-drive system includes a first wheel drive unit for driving a first landing gear wheel of the aircraft and a second wheel drive unit for driving a second landing gear wheel of the aircraft. The first wheel drive unit has a first range of torque to speed (T/S) ratios. The second wheel drive unit has a second range of T/S ratios. The first range of T/S ratios is greater than the second range of T/S ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Charles Lo, Allan Steves
  • Patent number: 9626874
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for providing data from a server to a UAV enable the UAV to navigate with respect to areas of restricted air space (“restricted areas”). A server may receive from a UAV, a request for restricted area information based on a position of the UAV. The server may determine boundaries of a surrounding area containing the position of the UAV and a number of restricted areas. The server may transmit coordinate information to the UAV defining the restricted areas contained within the surrounding area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajarshi Gupta, Michael Franco Taveira
  • Patent number: 9619919
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for stereoscopic three dimensional (S3D) display of synthetic environment (SE) data simultaneously with operational symbology data to the operator of a vehicle. The method receives a plurality of data objects and places the objects within a plurality of levels of a presentation hierarchy and further within a plurality of S3D depth layers based on a set of data and operator focused rules. The method simultaneously displays to the operator each of the plurality of objects in the plurality of S3D depth layers according to the placement. The method transitions an object from one depth layer to a more proximal or distal depth layer to indicate relative motion or urgency. The method reserves a depth layer most proximal to the operator for a warning while a most distal set of depth layers is reserved for SE objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Postnikov, Tracy J. Barnidge, Timothy J. Etherington, Jason C. Wenger, Joseph L. Tchon
  • Patent number: 9613536
    Abstract: A method for operating a distributed flight management system. The method includes operating a control station instance of the distributed flight management system. The method includes receiving flight management system data from a remotely accessed vehicle. The method includes receiving time-space-position information of the remotely accessed vehicle from the remotely accessed vehicle. The method includes updating the control station instance of the distributed flight management system based at least on the received flight management system data and the time-space-position information of the remotely accessed vehicle. The method includes outputting updated flight management system data for transmission to the remotely accessed vehicle to synchronize a remotely accessed vehicle instance of the distributed flight management system with the control station instance of the distributed flight management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Wolford, Thomas L. Vogl, Stephanie D. Burns, Steven C. Morling, Matthew M. Lorch
  • Patent number: 9607520
    Abstract: The DYNAMIC TURBULENCE ENGINE CONTROLLER APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“DTEC”) transform weather, terrain, and flight parameter data via DTEC components into turbulence avoidance optimized flight plans. In one implementation, the DTEC comprises a processor and a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-issuable instructions to receive anticipated flight plan parameter data, obtain terrain data based on the flight plan parameter data, obtain atmospheric data based on the flight plan parameter data, and determine a plurality of four-dimensional grid points based on the flight plan parameter data. The DTEC may then determine a non-dimensional mountain wave amplitude and mountain top wave drag, an upper level non-dimensional gravity wave amplitude, and a buoyant turbulent kinetic energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Telvent DTN LLC
    Inventors: Donald McCann, James H. Block, Daniel W. Lennartson
  • Patent number: 9606357
    Abstract: A head- or face-mounted image display device includes an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information, a state information acquisition unit that acquires state information, a guidance information generation unit that generates guidance information for guidance into a state in which the influence of environment is reduced or increased based on at least one piece of environmental information acquired for each state, and a provision unit that provides the guidance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Hirabayashi, Yoichiro Sako, Kouichirou Ono, Masakazu Yajima, Masashi Takeda
  • Patent number: 9600230
    Abstract: A method for accessing electronic charts stored on an aircraft is provided. The method receives, via an onboard avionics system, location data for the aircraft; receives a set of speech data via a user interface of the aircraft; identifies one or more applicable electronic charts, based on the received location data and the received set of speech data, wherein the electronic charts stored on the aircraft comprise at least the one or more applicable electronic charts; and presents, via an aircraft display, a first one of the one or more applicable electronic charts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Erin Elizabeth Alves, Robert E De Mers
  • Patent number: 9588516
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media for unmanned aerial vehicle visual line of sight flight operations. A UAV computer system may be configured to ensure the UAV is operating in visual line of sight of one or more ground operators. The UAV may confirm that it has a visual line of sight with the one or more user devices, such as a ground control station, or the UAV may ensure that the UAV does not fly behind or below a structure such that the ground operator would not be able to visually spot the UAV. The UAV computer system may be configured in such a way that UAV operation will maintain the UAV in visual line of sight of a base location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Unmanned Innovation Inc.
    Inventors: Volkan Gurel, Bernard J. Michini, Edward Dale Steakley
  • Patent number: 9576496
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system for training a subject to recognize the onset of hypoxia, the system including (i) a flight simulation system, and (ii) a hypoxia induction system, wherein the flight simulation system is operably linked to the hypoxia induction system. The system provides a tool for pilot training to a pilot, allowing for the delivery of standardized training programs where the tasks required for the operation of an aircraft are able to be coordinated with an induction of hypoxia in the subject. Such a system is also able to provide an assessment tool to demonstrate when a pilot has had sufficient training in recognizing the effects of hypoxia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: BIOMEDTECH AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
    Inventor: Oleg Bassovitch
  • Patent number: 9576404
    Abstract: A system for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft includes a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data. A PC card is interfaced to the DAU and stores the aircraft data from the DAU. A processor retrieves aircraft data from the memory. A first wireless transceiver is controlled by the processor and receives and transmits the aircraft data along a wireless communications signal. A wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit is configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft and transmits and receives wireless communications signals to and from the PC card. A second wireless transceiver is mounted within the aircraft and receives the wireless communications signal from the wireless LAN communications unit for transmitting the aircraft data from the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: HARRIS CORPORATION
    Inventors: James J. Ziarno, Shawn H. Gallagher
  • Patent number: 9571181
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide improved systems and methods for a programmable portable electronic device for airborne operational communications. In one embodiment, a method comprises loading application configuration information onto a storage medium on the portable electronic device from an external storage medium, the application configuration information defining an application configuration for the avionic operational data communications application and configuring an avionic operational data communications application stored in the storage medium on the portable electronic device according to the application configuration information stored in the storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Harold Anthony Zulch, III, Tom D. Judd, Stephen Otis Hickman
  • Patent number: 9568915
    Abstract: A method controls a motion of a vehicle using a model of the motion of the vehicle that includes an uncertainty. The method samples a control space of possible control inputs to the model of the motion of the vehicle to produce a set of sampled control inputs and determines a probability of each sampled control input to move the vehicle into state satisfying constraints on the motion of the vehicle. The method determines, using the probabilities of the sampled control inputs, a control input having the probability to move the vehicle in the state above a threshold. The control input is mapped to a control command to at least one actuator of the vehicle to control the motion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karl Berntorp, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 9569669
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a security location module that tracks a location of a user. The user has a heads-up display with a display that allows viewing by the user of items along with electronic display images. An object identification module identifies an object for tracking using cameras. A selection module selects the identified object for tracking, an object location module identifies a location and direction information of the selected object and an alert module sends the location and the direction information of the selected object to the heads-up display. A display module identifies the selected object in the heads-up display of the user when the object is in the field of view of the heads-up display, or provides instruction on the heads-up display to direct the user to move the heads-up display so that the selected object is in the field of view of the heads-up display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Barry Alan Kritt, Sarbajit Kumar Rakshit
  • Patent number: 9557189
    Abstract: A method includes generating a first flight management computer (FMC) data request at a data capture component of a control display unit (CDU). The method includes sending the first FMC data request from the data capture component of the CDU to the FMC. The method also includes receiving, at the data capture component of the CDU, first FMC data from the FMC responsive to the first FMC data request. The method further includes sending the first FMC data from the CDU to a portable electronic device via a wireless interface of the CDU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Bradley D. Cornell
  • Patent number: 9552271
    Abstract: A system and method for enhanced dispatch of an operationally critical system is disclosed. The method receives a minimum equipment list associated with the system including a plurality of dispatch critical applications with at least one dispatch critical application instance. A rules set determines a plurality of schedules of the dispatch critical application instances in compliance with the minimum equipment list, each schedule associates a specific processing resource with a specific dispatch critical application instance. A monitor tracks the availability of each dispatch critical application instance and, should one or more instanced become unavailable, the method implements an alternate schedule of dispatch critical application instances in accordance with the rules set and the minimum equipment list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffery E. Fetta, Eric N. Anderson
  • Patent number: 9551561
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining location using magnetic fields from AC power lines are provided. As an example, each magnetic field reading collected by the device over time can be analyzed to determine a plurality of characteristics of the magnetic field. One or more of the plurality of characteristics can describe a component of the magnetic field that oscillates at a frequency associated with the AC power lines. The plurality of characteristics can be compared to expected values respectively associated with a plurality of locations and provided by a map of the magnetic field to determine a location at which each magnetic field reading was collected. In further embodiments, magnetic field readings collected by the device over time can be analyzed in conjunction with other data or constraints to determine a trajectory of the device. In addition, the map can be updated using the collected readings and the determined trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Peter Kochanski
  • Patent number: 9552736
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices are disclosed for providing access to a restricted area for a drone by a beacon device. Beacon signals including access information associated with access for the restricted area may be transmitted by the beacon device. The beacon device may receive one or more access parameters for the drone. The beacon device may compare the received one or more access parameters for the drone to the access information for the restricted area. The beacon device may determine clearance for the drone to access the restricted area based on comparing the one or more access parameter for the drone and the access information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael Franco Taveira
  • Patent number: 9551990
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an unmanned flying vehicle (UAV) operable in a plurality of operating modes including a normal operations mode, a safe landing mode and an emergency landing mode. The normal operations mode is initiated when no errors are detected in the system. The safe landing mode is initiated when one or more non-critical components of the UAV are in non-responsive mode or do not work as desired. The emergency landing mode is initiated when one or more critical components are in non-responsive mode or do not work as desired. Further, the safe landing mode overrides the normal operations mode and the emergency landing mode overrides both the normal operations mode and the safe landing mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Sharper Shape Oy
    Inventor: Tero Heinonen
  • Patent number: 9540104
    Abstract: One variation of a method for imaging an area of interest includes: within a user interface, receiving a selection for a set of interest points on a digital map of a physical area and receiving a selection for a resolution of a geospatial map; identifying a ground area corresponding to the set of interest points for imaging during a mission; generating a flight path over the ground area for execution by an unmanned aerial vehicle during the mission; setting an altitude for the unmanned aerial vehicle along the flight path based on the selection for the resolution of the geospatial map and an optical system arranged within the unmanned aerial vehicle; setting a geospatial accuracy requirement for the mission based on the selection for the mission type; and assembling a set of images captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle during the mission into the geospatial map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Airphrame, Inc.
    Inventor: Bret Kugelmass
  • Patent number: 9533751
    Abstract: A multi-axis serially redundant, single channel, multi-path fly-by-wire control system comprising: serially redundant flight control computers in a single channel where only one “primary” flight control computer is active and controlling at any given time; a matrix of parallel flight control surface controllers including stabilizer motor control units (SMCU) and actuator electronics control modules (AECM) define multiple control paths within the single channel, each implemented with dissimilar hardware and which each control the movement of a distributed set of flight control surfaces on the aircraft in response to flight control surface commands of the primary flight control computer; and a set of (pilot and co-pilot) controls and aircraft surface/reference/navigation sensors and systems which provide input to a primary flight control computer and are used to generate the flight control surface commands to control the aircraft in flight in accordance with the control law algorithms implemented in the flight
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER INC.
    Inventors: Shu Lin, Timothy Smith, Pierre De Serres
  • Patent number: 9529356
    Abstract: A system to manage transmissions of data between a flight management system (e.g., of an avionics type) of an aircraft and a portable electronic (e.g., of an open world type) is proposed. The data management system may be implemented in flight management system architecture with core and supplementary modules that are distinct from each other. The core module may implement a set of generic functionalities related to a flight management of the aircraft, and the supplementary module may implement supplementary functionalities specific to an entity to which the aircraft belongs. The data management system may comprise a data securing module that monitors data to be transmitted between the flight management system and the portable electronic device, and allows or prevents the data transmission based on the monitoring results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Jean-Claude Mere, Pierre Neri, Julien Bernat, Marc Vie
  • Patent number: 9530319
    Abstract: The device includes a receiving unit for receiving at least a start point of an unspecified termination segment, an orientation of the unspecified termination segment and a start point of a following segment, a first computation unit for calculating a median plane passing through the start point of the following segment and perpendicular to this following segment, a second computation unit for calculating an operational distance, called calculated operational distance, as a function of the position of the start point of the unspecified termination segment relative to the median plane, using geometric data, and a transmission unit for providing at least one user means with the calculated operational distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Jaouad Berrajaa, Virginie Le Gall
  • Patent number: 9529359
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is disclosed. The UAV comprises a battery, a flight mechanism, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application discovers an environment where the UAV operates by flying in the environment to determine its boundaries; creates a map of the environment that the UAV flew through; and shares the map with a social robot. The application receives a command from the social robot via the RF transceiver, wherein the social robot receives a verbal request from a user of the social robot, wherein the social robot transforms the user request to a command for the UAV. The application then performs the command from the social robot. The application then lands on a designated charging pad to conserve energy. The application then transmits a report back to the social robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Spring Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Brandon C. Annan, Joshua R. Cole, Deborah L. Gilbert, Dhananjay Indurkar
  • Patent number: 9530321
    Abstract: A method and system, for flight management of an aircraft flying on a trajectory shifted with respect to a flight plan comprising a plurality of constrained waypoints, comprises a step of determining and displaying at least one point of the trajectory, termed decision point, beyond which the aircraft can no longer rejoin a constrained waypoint of the flight plan by determining a point of intersection between the trajectory and a rejoining trajectory steering towards the selected constrained waypoint, the rejoining trajectory complying with at least one predefined criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Guy Deker, Michel Roger, Bruno Aymeric
  • Patent number: 9527601
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for anticipating a missed approach point (MAP) during an instrument landing of an aircraft. Symbology is generated and displayed that graphically represents a lateral distance between a runway threshold and a virtual inner marker. The MAP is identified as the location of the aircraft when the symbology reaches a displayed runway threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Ivan Sandy Wyatt, Gang He, Thea L. Feyereisen
  • Patent number: 9529360
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a system for detecting and defeating a drone. The system has a detection antenna array structured and configured to detect the drone and the drone control signal over a 360 degree field relative to the detection antenna array including detecting the directionality of the drone. The system also includes a neutralization system structured and configured in a communicating relation with the detection antenna array. The neutralization system has a transmission antenna structured to transmit an override signal aimed at the direction of the drone, an amplifier configured to boost the gain of the override signal to exceed the signal strength of the drone control signal, and a processing device configured to create and effect the transmission of the override signal. The invention is also directed to a method for detecting and defeating a drone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Inventors: Howard Melamed, Stevan Melamed, Chris Svanberg, Matias Ponce, Michael Horvat
  • Patent number: 9500482
    Abstract: A system and method for flight planning determines an optimal route by setting an initial departure weight or range of such weights for an aircraft traveling from a departure airport to a destination airport, defining a network of nodes for potentially legal routes, labeling each node with a graph of fuel needed to reach that node either as a function of flight duration or as a function of flight duration and departure weight, selecting or discarding routes when conditions at a node of that route are favorable or violated, selecting a preferred route, departure weight and duration for the desired payload and minimizing fuel for the desired route and payload.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: On Time Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew L. Ginsberg
  • Patent number: 9499283
    Abstract: A freeplay measurement device for measuring freeplay in a ruddervator includes a forward horseshoe assembly, an aft horseshoe assembly, a L-shaped locator, a connecting assembly, a load applicator, and a measuring device. The forward horseshoe assembly forms a half of an ellipse that can slip on the forward half of the tail. The aft horseshoe assembly forms a half of an ellipse that can slip on the aft half of the tail and ruddervator. The L-shaped locator is for aligning the forward horseshoe assembly on the tail and perpendicularly extends from the forward horseshoe assembly. The connecting assembly connects the forward horseshoe assembly and the aft horseshoe assembly when each is placed over the tail and the ruddervator. The load applicator is for applying loads on the ruddervator. The measuring device is for measuring the deflections of the ruddervator being tested, and is attached to the forward horseshoe assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Anthony Olszewski
  • Patent number: 9499254
    Abstract: Trim adjustment devices 20, 30, 40 at least include trim control switches 21, 31, 41 for performing a trim adjustment; acquisition sections 22, 32, 42 for acquiring a designated value for a position designated through the operation of the switches 21, 31, 41; and converting sections 23, 33, 43 for converting the designated value to a converted designated value expressed in different units. The switches 21, 31, 41 operate at a changeable rate in which the designated value changes at a prescribed amount of change per unit time, the prescribed amount of change expressed in units of the designated value before the conversion. The sections 23, 33, 43 converts the designated value to the converted designated value expressed in minimum units (0.1 UNIT) based on the product of the changeable rate and a click time period required for clicking the switches 21, 31, 41 once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masaya Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 9494447
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for displaying information on a flight deck display onboard an aircraft. An exemplary method comprises obtaining image data for an imaging region and displaying, on the display device, a graphical representation of a first portion of the image data using a first visually distinguishable characteristic and a graphical representation of a second portion of the image data using a second visually distinguishable characteristic. The first portion corresponds to a portion of the image data above an attitude reference and the second portion corresponds to a portion of the image data below the attitude reference, and the first visually distinguishable characteristic and the second visually distinguishable characteristic are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Gang He, Thea L. Feyereisen
  • Patent number: 9491450
    Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes at least one imaging sensor disposed at the vehicle and having an exterior field of view. The imaging sensor is operable to capture image data. The imaging sensor includes or is associated with an inclination sensor. At least one other inclination sensor is disposed at the vehicle. A processing system is operable to process outputs of the inclination sensors to determine an alignment or misalignment of the at least one imaging sensor at the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONIC INC.
    Inventor: Marcel Kussel
  • Patent number: 9478140
    Abstract: A flight deck display system and method comprises a first source of host aircraft feature data and a second source of traffic data. A processor is coupled to the first and second sources and is configured to (a) receive host aircraft data; (2) receive traffic data; (3) filter traffic based on a predetermined set of separation criteria to identify vital traffic; (4) generate symbology graphically representative of vital traffic; (5) generate symbology graphically representative of the host aircraft; and (6) display the host aircraft and the vital traffic on an AMM display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Kannan Kathirvel, Anil Kumar Songa, Mohammed Ibrahim Mohideen, Bill Nelson