General Electric Company

Ge Aviation Systems Limited

Michael Steven Feldmann

Frank Saggio, Iii

Lawrence William Stimac

Douglas Robert Nichols

Frank Saggio

Loucas Tsakalakos

Mark Marshall Meyers

Mark Lawrence Turner

Michael Joseph Dell'Anno

Mauricio Castillo-Effen

Jerry L Page

James Gerard Lopez

John Andrew Ingersoll

Benjamin Ivan Coutts

Ralph Demmon Boozer

Timothy John Paasche

John Robert Washburn

William J Berendsen

Jerry Lynne Page

Frank Saggio Iii

Frank Iii Saggio

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes light sources configured to generate separate beams of light, a lens array configured to receive the separate beams of light from the light sources and to collimate the separate beams of light into collimated outgoing light that is directed toward an examined area of interest, a light sensitive detector configured to sense reflection of at least part of the collimated outgoing light, and one or more processors configured to determine a distance to one or more objects off which the at least part of the collimated outgoing light was reflected toward the light sensitive detector. The one or more processors are configured to determine the distance based on the reflection of the at least part of the collimated outgoing light.

LiDAR system and method

A system for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided including a position reference system including an electromagnetic radiation transmitter configured to modulate a transmission signal to encode location information associated with a coordinate system relative to the electromagnetic radiation transmitter. The system further includes an unmanned aerial vehicle including at least one control device configured to control a position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and an electromagnetic radiation receiver configured to receive the transmission signal. The unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a control system configured to control the at least one control device based at least in part on the location information received by the electromagnetic radiation receiver.

System and method for positioning an unmanned aerial vehicle

A relative navigation system and methods of intrusion detection for such a relative navigation system where the method includes repeatedly projecting from a grid generator a set of lines defining a grid into three dimensional space to define a field bounded by the grid and encoded with grid data configured to identify predetermined points on the grid and determining a presence of an intruding object within the field.

System and methods of detecting an intruding object in a relative navigation system

A relative navigation system projects a grid into space from a grid generator and an object, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle, may use the projected grid to aid in the landing of the object. Methods of adjusting the projected grid including stabilizing the projected grid and orienting the grid generator relative to the earth.

Methods for adjusting a relative navigation system

A method and system for a refueling drogue coupling system are provided. The system includes a coupling latch assembly coupled to the coupling outlet wherein the coupling latch assembly includes a latch member configured to matingly engage a complementary latch-receiving member of a refueling probe. The coupling latch assembly further includes a latch member actuator operatively coupled to the latch member to permit the latch member to move from a first locked position to a second unlocked position. A probe position sensor is configured to detect a position of the refueling probe. A hose tension sensor is configured to measure a tension in a hose coupled to the coupling inlet. A drogue control system is positioned on the refueling drogue coupling system and communicatively coupled to the latch member actuator, the probe position sensor, and the hose tension sensor.

Method and system for a refueling drogue assembly

Methods for flying multiple aircraft in a predetermined formation in which a relative navigation grid is emitted from at least one of the aircraft, a spatial relationship is calculated based on the emitted relative navigation grid, and a relative position of at least one aircraft is altered to position the aircraft in the predetermined formation when the spatial relationship does not conform with the predetermined formation.

Methods for formation flying aided by a relative navigation system

A relative navigation system projecting a grid into space from a first object a grid that is repeatedly detected from a second object having a second relative reference frame and using range and attitude between the objects to adjust the attitude or range of at least one of the first and second objects.

Relative navigation system

A method of providing a relative navigation system by projecting into space from a first object a grid that is repeatedly detected from a second object having a second relative reference frame associated with a second origin point on the second object and using range and attitude between the objects to adjust the attitude or range of at least one of the first and second objects.

Relative navigation system and a method thereof

A method of determining range between two objects, where a grid consisting of a plurality of grid lines are projected into space by the first object and detected by the second object.

Method of determining range

A refueling drogue assembly including a refueling drogue receptacle, a control unit including a duct, and a refueling hose connector adapted to rigidly couple the control unit to an aerial refueling hose. In some embodiments, the control unit is flexibly coupled to the refueling drogue receptacle. In some embodiments, the control unit is adapted to change an orientation of at least a portion of the duct relative to a longitudinal axis of the control unit.

Growing community of inventors

Rockford, MI, United States of America

Michael Steven Feldmann