Breaking apart a platform upon pending collision
AssigneeSpace Data Corporation
InventorsGerald Mark Knoblach, Eric A Frische
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for separating and releasing component parts of a payload of a floating platform in response to a high collision probability is disclosed. The method includes, determining if an in-flight aircraft is within at least a safety zone associated with a floating platform, wherein the floating platform comprises releasably-coupled component parts; and activating, responsive to a determination that the in-flight aircraft is within at least the safety zone, a release mechanism, wherein the release mechanism is configured to uncouple the component parts.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- determining by one or more processors, if an in-flight aircraft is within at least a safety zone associated with a floating platform;
- and
- activating by the one or more processor, responsive to a determination that the in-flight aircraft is within at least the safety zone, a release mechanism comprising a device;
- wherein the floating platform comprises releasably-coupled component parts, the device is configured to uncouple the component parts upon activation in response to an occurrence of a pre-determined event, and the predetermined event comprises a determination that the in-flight aircraft is within at least the safety zone relative to the floating platform.
A floating platform comprising:
- a component comprising releasably-coupled component parts;
- and
- a release mechanism comprising a device configured to uncouple the component parts upon activation in response to an occurrence of a pre-determined event, wherein the predetermined event comprises an determination that an aircraft is within at least a safety zone relative to the floating platform;
- wherein the at least one of the component parts has a weight or density less than a certain value permissible under an aviation guideline.
A system comprising:
- a floating platform comprising a component comprising releasably-coupled component parts;
- a release mechanism comprising a device that is configured to uncouple, upon activation, at least one of the component parts;
- and
- a controller configured to activate the release mechanism in response to occurrence of a pre-determined event, wherein the predetermined event comprises a determination that an aircraft is within at least a safety zone relative to the floating platform;
- wherein the at least one of the component parts has a weight or density less than a certain value permissible under an aviation guideline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.