Modular space vehicle boards, control software, reprogramming, and failure recovery

US9760382B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC · US

Inventors

• Stephen Judd · Los Alamos, US
• Nicholas Dallmann · Los Alamos, US
• Kevin McCabe · Santa Fe, US
• Jerry Delapp · Los Alamos, US
• Dean Prichard · Los Alamos, US
• Michael Proicou · Los Alamos, US
• Daniel Seitz · Altstätten, CH
• Paul Stein · Los Alamos, US
• John Michel · Santa Fe, US
• Justin Tripp · Los Alamos, US
• Joseph Palmer · Los Alamos, US
• Steven Storms · Los Alamos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 22, 2015
• Grant date: Sep 12, 2017
• Expiry date: Nov 3, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F11/1433
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A space vehicle may have a modular board configuration that commonly uses some or all components and a common operating system for at least some of the boards. Each modular board may have its own dedicated processing, and processing loads may be distributed. The space vehicle may be reprogrammable, and may be launched without code that enables all functionality and/or components. Code errors may be detected and the space vehicle may be reset to a working code version to prevent system failure.