The Boeing Company

Other

Justin Cleve Hatcher

Jeffrey Lee Musgrave

Jacob A Lucas

Trent M Kyono

Jung Soon Jang

Kimberly Ann Hinson

James L Clayton

Richard Golob

Paul S Idell

Yifan Yang

Thomas Edward Speer

Jason J Rock

Nicole Catherine Gagnier

Deepak Khosla

Steven Fulton Griffin

Fan Hin Hung

Leon Nguyen

David Johnson

William Kentarou Kaneko Leach

Timothy Robert Brdar

Jacob Arthur Lucas

James Lee Clayton

Tyler Martin Anderson

Thomas E Speer

A method includes providing an image to a feature extraction model to generate feature data. The image depicts a portion of a first device and a portion of a second device. The feature data includes coordinates representing key points of each of the first and second devices depicted in the image. The method also includes obtaining position data indicating a position in 3D space of a connector of the first device. The method further includes providing the feature data and the position data to a trained autonomous agent to generate a proposed maneuver to mate the connector with a connector of the second device.

Autonomous maneuver generation to mate connectors

Aspects of the disclosure provide solutions for determining a position of an object in a video frame. Examples include: receiving a segmentation mask of an identified object in a video frame; adjusting a 3D representation of a moveable part of the object based on constraints for the moveable part; comparing the 3D model of the object to the segmentation mask of the object; determining a match between the 3D model of the object to the segmentation mask of the object is above a threshold; and based on the match being above the threshold, determining a position of the object.

Pose detection of an object in a video frame

Aspects of the disclosure provide solutions for automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) and assisted air-to-air refueling. Examples include: receiving a video frame; generating, from the video frame, a plurality of images having differing decreasing resolutions; detecting, within each of the plurality of images, a set of aircraft keypoints for an aircraft to be refueled; merging the sets of aircraft keypoints into a set of merged aircraft keypoints; based on at least the merged aircraft keypoints, determining a position of a fuel receptacle on the aircraft; and determining a position of a boom tip of an aerial refueling boom. Some examples include, based on at least the position of the fuel receptacle and the position of the boom tip, controlling the aerial refueling boom to engage the fuel receptacle, and for some examples, the video frame is monocular (e.g., provided by a single camera).

Feature detection for automated air-to-air refueling (A3R)

Aspects of the disclosure provide fuel receptacle and boom tip position and pose estimation for aerial refueling. A video frame is received and within the video frame, aircraft keypoints for an aircraft to be refueled are determined. Based on at least the aircraft keypoints, a position and pose of a fuel receptacle on the aircraft is determined. Within the video frame, a boom tip keypoint for a boom tip of an aerial refueling boom is also determined. Based on at least the boom tip keypoint, a position and pose of the boom tip is determined. Based on at least the position and pose of the fuel receptacle and the position and pose of the boom tip, the aerial refueling boom is controlled to engage the fuel receptacle. Some examples overlay projections of an aircraft model on displayed video for a human observer.

Fuel receptacle and boom tip position and pose estimation for aerial refueling

Aspects of the disclosure provide solutions for automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) and assisted air-to-air refueling. Examples include: receiving a video frame; identifying an aircraft to be refueled from within the video frame; segmenting the video frame to generate a segmentation mask matching the aircraft within the video frame; based on at least the segmentation mask, determining a position of a fuel receptacle on the aircraft; determining a position of a boom tip of the aerial refueling boom; and controlling the aerial refueling boom to engage the fuel receptacle based on at least the position of the fuel receptacle and the position of the boom tip.

Segmentation-based fuel receptacle localization for air-to-air refueling (A3R)

A computer-implemented method of restricting access to a data owner's data comprising the steps of storing a record associated with a data owner; receiving a request to protect data from the data owner; protecting the data by way of encryption, tokenization or other data protection mechanism; returning the data in a protected format to the data owner; receiving a request from the data owner to change the accessibility of the data owner's data; and changing the accessibility of the data owner's data.

Method for restricting access to a data owner's data

An example system includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause the system to perform various functions. The functions include: (i) acquiring an image of a first aerial vehicle, the image depicting an object of a second aerial vehicle prior to contact between the object and a surface of the first aerial vehicle; (ii) providing the image as input to a data-driven analyzer that is trained in a supervised setting with example images for determining a predetermined point of contact between the object and the surface of the first aerial vehicle; (iii) determining, based on an output of the data-driven analyzer corresponding to the input, an estimated point of contact between the object and the surface of the first aerial vehicle; and (iv) providing the estimated point of contact to a display system.

Virtual laser pointer as a point of contact indicator for machine learning assisted aerial refueling or other targeting

A computer-implemented system for storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of tokenization, the method comprising the steps of receiving a request for tokenization from a user, the request including a Session Token; decoding and validating the Session Token; retrieving a token definition, a token key, and a security policy; appending the user key and the token key to the received value to create an input value; replacing each input value character with a known character to create a replacement input value using a lookup table; generating a secure hash of the replacement input value to create a derived key; substituting characters of the replacement input value with a character from lookup tables to create a third input value; and returning the input value to the user.

Vaultless tokenization engine

A computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of tokenization, the method comprising the steps of receiving a request for tokenization from a user, the request including a Session Token; decoding and validating the Session Token; retrieving a token definition, a token key, and a security policy; appending the user key and the token key to the received value to create an input value; replacing each input value character with a known character to create a replacement input value using a lookup table; generating a secure hash of the replacement input value to create a derived key; substituting characters of the replacement input value with a character from lookup tables to create a third input value; and returning the input value to the user.

A system for detecting a sensor fault of an aerial refueling boom. The system comprises a data collector configured to receive sensor data from a plurality of sensors and determine an aerial refueling boom elevation angle of the aerial refueling boom based on the sensor data, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of cable length data, a dynamic pressure data or aerial refueling boom position data. The system further comprises a processing unit configured access a database table in a storage unit to determine an estimated aerial refueling boom elevation angle, a comparator configured to compare the estimated aerial refueling boom elevation angle to the determined aerial refueling boom elevation angle, and a fault detector configured to generate a sensor fault signal based on the comparison.

Boom elevation estimation using hoist cable system

A method comprising the steps of receiving a request for tokenization from a user, the request including a Session Token; decoding and validating the Session Token; retrieving a token definition, a token key, and a security policy from a database; appending the user key and the token key to the received value to create an input value; replacing each input value character with a known character to create a replacement input value, where the known character is related within a lookup table; generating a secure hash of the replacement input value to create a derived key; substituting each character of the replacement input value with a character from lookup tables to create a third input value, the lookup tables being selected based on the received value, the position of the character being replaced within the replacement input value, and the derived key; and returning the input value to the user.

An aerial refueling boom elevation estimation ('ARBEE') system for estimating an elevation angle of an aerial refueling boom on an aerial refueling aircraft is described. The ARBEE system may include a data collector, storage unit, optimizer, and comparator.

Aerial refueling boom elevation estimation system

A control system for an aircraft refueling boom controls the movements of the boom in certain areas in a total field of movement volume of possible boom movements based on the location of the boom in the total field of movement volume and based on the current rate of movement of the boom in the total field of movement volume.

Aircraft refueling boom soft limits control

Aircraft refueling boom soft limits system

An apparatus comprising a refueling controller. The refueling controller is configured to receive a number of operator commands for moving a refueling boom on a tanker aircraft in a desired direction. The number of operator commands defines at least one of an azimuth movement and an elevation movement of the refueling boom during flight of the tanker aircraft. The refueling controller is further configured to generate a number of intermediate commands for moving the refueling boom in the desired direction as defined by the number of operator commands. The number of intermediate commands defines at least one of a roll movement and a pitch movement such that the refueling boom moves in the desired direction.

Growing community of inventors

Renton, WA, United States of America

Justin Cleve Hatcher