The Boeing Company

David Ray Riley

Thomas L Weaver

John N Sanders-Reed

Zachary Anton Nielsen

Dale F Waldo

Aerial positioning systems and methods include a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) device mounted to a hub and one or more reflectors attached to a portion of an aircraft and configured to encode information scanable by the LIDAR device. The LIDAR device is configured to scan a field of view to identify the one or more reflectors and reflector encoded information to determine reflector position data.

Aerial positioning systems and methods

A steerable container delivery system ('CDS') includes a pallet configured with inflatable fins for steering a CDS cargo bundle during free fall when airdropped. The inflatable fins are inflated shortly after deployment using compressed air carried by a tank in the pallet. A flight management computer ('FMS') continuously monitors the location of the CDS bundle using GPS technology and determines a vector to a drop location based on stored GPS measurements. The FMC continuously monitors and positions the CDS bundle over the drop location, and is able to independently rotate the fins to control the position of the CDS bundle, either by rotating the CDS bundle or laterally moving it. At the appropriate altitude, the FMC causes the main parachute to open to slow the descent of the CDS bundle for impact.

Steerable container delivery system

A beacon receiving system on a pallet of a container cargo bundle is airdropped from a cargo airplane. The beacon receiving system comprises a sensor that detects during descent a beacon signal generated from a beacon placed at the target drop location. The sensor provides signals to a microcontroller that ascertains an angle at which the beacon signal is received. An inertial measurement unit provides signals indicating a tilt of the pallet during descent, which is used by the microcontroller to determine an offset angle of the received beacon signal. This information is used to steer the container cargo bundle during descent to achieve high precision in landing at the desired target drop location. The beacon signal may comprises a modulated light signal which can be distinguished by the sensor from other light sources.

Precision airdrop terminal seeker

A steerable container delivery system ('CDS') includes a pallet configured with a pallet steering mechanism and a range extension device for steering a CDS cargo bundle during free fall when airdropped. The pallet steering mechanism and range extension device may be inflated shortly after deployment using compressed air carried by an air tank in the pallet. A flight management computer ('FMS') continuously monitors the location of the CDS bundle using GPS technology and determines a vector to a drop location based on stored GPS measurements. The FMC continuously monitors and positions the CDS bundle over the drop location, and is able to independently control the position of the CDS bundle, either by rotating the CDS bundle or moving it laterally. At the appropriate altitude, the FMC causes the main parachute to open to slow the descent of the CDS bundle for impact.

Growing community of inventors

Chesterfield, MO, United States of America

David Ray Riley