Stephen Bruce Heppe

US Patent:

6477359, Nov 5, 2002

Filed:

May 4, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/848619

Inventors:

Stephen B. Heppe - Purcellville VA 20132
K. Prasad Nair - Bethesda MD 20817
Steven Friedman - Silver Spring MD 20902

International Classification:

H04B 1702

US Classification:

455135, 455132, 455133, 455140, 4552772, 370312, 370270, 375347

Abstract:

This invention is an application of antenna diversity and two or more multi-channel radios, with a novel cooperative sharing strategy among the multi-channel radios, to aeronautical packet data communications and other communications. It offers the following benefits: enhanced data communications performance in a fading environment; enhanced data communications performance at long range; enhanced data communications performance in the presence of cochannel interference; extendable to an arbitrary number of cooperating peer radios; no single point of failure; no increase in pilot workload or change in operational procedures.

US Patent:

6873288, Mar 29, 2005

Filed:

Jun 14, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/381670

Inventors:

Stephen B. Heppe - Hood River OR, US

International Classification:

G01S005/14

US Classification:

34235712, 34235715

Abstract:

An improved GPS or GNSS receiver can operate at low signal levels and in the presence of RF interference including multipath. Three separate technologies known in the prior art are integrated: a) vector tracking of multiple parameters in a multi-dimensional state space; b) fast correlation processing () of GPS or GNSS signals; and c) multiple signal characterization based on eigenvalue/eigenvector analysis of correlation matrices.

US Patent:

6961018, Nov 1, 2005

Filed:

Oct 6, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/960637

Inventors:

Stephen B. Heppe - Hood River OR, US
Kristoffer Gauksheim - Mill Creek WA, US

Assignee:

The Insitu Group, Inc. - Bingen MA

International Classification:

H04B007/185

US Classification:

34235708, 34235703

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to the determination of a relative position between moving platforms, using satellite-based navigation techniques and equipment installed on said platforms. It combines the concepts of observation-space and navigation-space differential systems, and operates a DGNSS base station in a time-varying mode, in order to rely on the built-in differential positioning and navigation capabilities of particular GNSS receivers while minimizing datalink loading and computational load in auxiliary processors. The invention achieves accurate relative positioning and navigation with respect to a moving base station, using DGNSS equipment that assumes it is stationary when operated in a reference station mode.

US Patent:

7185261, Feb 27, 2007

Filed:

Apr 28, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/833888

Inventors:

Stephen Heppe - Hood River OR, US

Assignee:

The Insitu Group, Inc. - Bingen WA

International Classification:

H04L 1/02
H03M 13/45
H03M 13/29

US Classification:

714755, 714777, 714780, 714819, 714820, 714821, 714822

Abstract:

A system and method to transmit and receive forward error corrected data in a diversity communications system is provided. Using diversity techniques, multiple copies of the transmitted data are received with varying degrees of corruption due to channel impairments. In addition to the multiple copies of forward error corrected data, an additional data set of implicit parity bits is used in the data decoding process, wherein the reliability of these parity bits is assumed to be very high. The implicit parity bits are not transmitted or received by the system, but are introduced in the receivers' decoding process. These implicit parity bits add an extra highly reliable dimension of forward error correction codes. Therefore the present system and methods provide an improved data decoding process with high coding gain and channel efficiency, while minimizing system resources.

US Patent:

7798445, Sep 21, 2010

Filed:

Jan 25, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/020131

Inventors:

Stephen B. Heppe - Hood River OR, US
Jaime Mack - White Salmon WA, US

Assignee:

Insitu, Inc. - Bingen WA

International Classification:

B64F 1/02

US Classification:

244110E, 244110 F, 244110 R, 244100 A

Abstract:

Systems and methods for recovering unmanned aircraft and controlling post-recovery motion of the aircraft are disclosed herein. An aircraft recovery system for recovering an unmanned aircraft in flight in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, for example, can include an inflatable aircraft recovery system having an inflatable portion with a generally vertical orientation. The inflatable portion can also include a landing pocket extending at least partially therethrough. The landing pocket is sized to receive at least a portion of a fuselage of the aircraft. The aircraft recovery system can also include a guidance system at least proximate to the landing pocket and positioned to guide the aircraft toward the landing pocket.

US Patent:

8140200, Mar 20, 2012

Filed:

Oct 31, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/932545

Inventors:

Stephen B. Heppe - Hood River OR, US
Andreas H. von Flotow - Hood River OR, US
Aram Soghikian - Hood River OR, US

Assignee:

Insitu, Inc. - Bingen WA

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

701 16

Abstract:

Turret assemblies for small aerial platforms, including unmanned aircraft, and associated methods. In one embodiment, an aircraft system can include a turret assembly having a payload with a line of sight to a target and a gimbal system carrying the payload. The gimbal system can include (a) a first support coupled to a first actuator to rotate about a first axis, and (b) a second support carried by the first support and coupled to a second actuator to rotate about a second axis generally transverse to the first axis. The turret assembly can also include a controller configured to direct movement of at least one of the first actuator and the second actuator such that the line of sight is pointed away from a point of impact before the turret assembly contacts the ground or another external structure during landing or capture operations.

US Patent:

20020003491, Jan 10, 2002

Filed:

May 4, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/848620

Inventors:

Stephen Heppe - Purcellville VA, US

International Classification:

G01S005/14

US Classification:

342/357100

Abstract:

This invention uses a single radio communications antenna for receiving the ranging signals of the GNSS and transmitting and receiving the radio communications signals associated with a radio communications device. The invention may be beneficially applied in airborne installations where the GNSS user receiving device does not provide a safety-critical function to the aircraft.

US Patent:

20020004393, Jan 10, 2002

Filed:

May 4, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/848536

Inventors:

Stephen Heppe - Purcellville VA, US
K. Nair - Bethesda MD, US
Steven Friedman - Silver Spring MD, US

International Classification:

H04Q007/20

US Classification:

455/431000, 455/432000

Abstract:

The present invention uses a VDL/RF network to support out-of-band signaling for a separate RF network.