The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 14, 2005
Joseph G. Mickley, Kentwood, MI (US);
Raymond Michael Stitt, Ada, MI (US);
Frank Saggio, Iii, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Jane C. Pavlich, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Gregory J. Wassick, Petersburg, MI (US);
Joseph G. Mickley, Kentwood, MI (US);
Raymond Michael Stitt, Ada, MI (US);
Frank Saggio, III, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Jane C. Pavlich, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Gregory J. Wassick, Petersburg, MI (US);
Smiths Aerospace LLC, Grand Rapids, MI (US);
Abstract
An aerial refueling system including a refueling drogue assembly including a refueling drogue and a refueling hose in captive relation with the refueling drogue and a drogue positioning system. The drogue positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor. Then the radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to positions within the positioning area. The radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation. And the signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a position within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation.