	US 8,014,909 C1 (12,881st)
	Control system for vehicles
Kenneth E. Builta, Euless, TX (US); James E. Harris, Dalworthington Gardens, TX (US); Bryan P. Honza, Grapevine, TX (US); Jeffrey W. Epp, Bedford, TX (US); and Kynn J. Schulte, Arlington, TX (US)
Filed by Kenneth E. Builta, Euless, TX (US); James E. Harris, Dalworthington Gardens, TX (US); Bryan P. Honza, Grapevine, TX (US); Jeffrey W. Epp, Bedford, TX (US); and Kynn J. Schulte, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc.
Reexamination Request No. 90/019,241, Aug. 31, 2023.
Reexamination Certificate for Patent 8,014,909, issued Sep. 6, 2011, Appl. No. 10/575,223, Nov. 21, 2007.
PCT Filed Mar. 25, 2004, PCT No. PCT/US2004/009080 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Nov. 21, 2007, PCT Pub. No. WO2005/103939, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 3, 2005.
Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate issued on Mar. 28, 2025.
Int. Cl. G06F 17/00 (2019.01); B64C 13/00 (2006.01); B64C 13/20 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); B64U 70/60 (2023.01); B64U 80/84 (2023.01)

CPC B64C 13/20 (2013.01) [G05D 1/0027 (2013.01); G05D 1/0684 (2013.01); B64U 70/60 (2023.01); B64U 80/84 (2023.01); B64U 2201/00 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01)]

AS A RESULT OF REEXAMINATION, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT:

The patentability of claims 1, 7 and 10-11 is confirmed.

New claims 25-32 are added and determined to be patentable.

Claims 2-6, 8-9 and 12-24 were not reexamined.

1. A system for controlling flight of an aircraft comprising:

a sensor system disposed on the aircraft for sensing a position of the aircraft and an inertial movement of the aircraft, the sensor system being adapted to communicate sensed data representing the position and the inertial movement of the aircraft;

a receiver disposed on the aircraft and adapted to receive transmitted reference data communicating a position and movement of a reference vehicle;

commanded data representing a selected velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle; and

a control system disposed on the aircraft for calculating a calculated velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle using the sensed data and the reference data and for controlling flight-control devices on the aircraft, such that the aircraft attains and maintains a selected velocity relative to the reference vehicle corresponding to the commanded data;

wherein the commanded data is preprogrammed into the control system prior to flight of the aircraft.

[ 25. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted reference data communicating the position and movement of the reference vehicle comprises position data of the reference vehicle.]

[ 26. The system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted data communicating the position and movement of the reference vehicle comprises position data of the reference vehicle and velocity data of the reference vehicle.]

[ 27. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selected velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle, that is represented by the commanded data, is selected by an operator.]

[ 28. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selected velocity of the aircraft relative to the reference vehicle, that is represented by the commanded data, is zero.]

[ 29. The system according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is configured to maintain its position relative to the reference vehicle.]

[ 30. The system according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aircraft.]

[ 31. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to control the aircraft such that the aircraft hovers over the reference vehicle.]

[ 32. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to execute a predetermined maneuver based on a loss of data communication.]