Patents by Inventor Eric D. Cahill

Eric D. Cahill has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8463462
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that may he useful for testing braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A system is disclosed that allows for built in testing. For example, a method if provided comprising sending, from a brake controller, a test command set to at least one of an electromechanical actuator (EMAC) and a brake servo valve (BSV) in response to a landing gear retraction, receiving, at the brake controller, feedback from the at least one of the EMAC and the BSV in response to the test command set, and comparing, at the brake controller, the feedback with a predetermined signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20130144559
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for use in landing identification. In this regard, a method is provided comprising receiving pulse information over a first time period, wherein the pulse information is indicative of an angular distance traveled by a first wheel, comparing the pulse information to a threshold value, and determining a likelihood of a landing event based upon the comparison. In various embodiments, a system is provided comprising a monstable multivibrator in electrical communication with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a resistor-capacitor network in electrical communication with the MOSFET, and a comparator that receives a voltage from the resistor-capacitor network and a reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, Michael Shaw
  • Publication number: 20130139590
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for use in landing identification. In this regard, a method is provided comprising receiving pulse information over a first time period, wherein the pulse information is indicative of an angular distance traveled by a first wheel, comparing the pulse information to a threshold value, and determining a likelihood of a landing event based upon the comparison. In various embodiments, a system is provided comprising a monstable multivibrator in electrical communication with a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a resistor-capacitor network in electrical communication with the MOSFET, and a comparator that receives a voltage from the resistor-capacitor network and a reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, Michael Shaw
  • Patent number: 8427293
    Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate the monitoring of tire pressure, the detection/determination of wheel speed, or a combination thereof. A system is provided comprising a hub cap, a target coupled to the hub cap, and at least two displacement sensors configured to measure a displacement between each displacement sensor and the target. The target has a variable thickness, and the target comprises a hollow vessel in fluid communication with a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8423256
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptive deceleration are disclosed. A brake system controller may perform a method comprising receiving a pedal deflection signal comprising a pedal deflection level, determining a present level of deceleration, and mapping the pedal deflection level to a desired level of deceleration, wherein the desired level of deceleration is greater than the present level of deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20130068053
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for use in a ballscrew assembly. In this regard, a ballscrew assembly is provided comprising a ballscrew having a ballscrew stop, a ballnut having a ballnut stop, wherein contact between the ballnut stop and the ballscrew stop impede rotation of the ballscrew relative to the ballnut. The ballnut stop may comprise an axial mating surface and the ballscrew stop may comprise an axial mating surface. Additionally, the ballnut may comprise threads axially spaced a first distance apart and the ballnut stop comprises a surface having length equal to the first distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, David Bernard Drennen, Harald Klode, Kevin Rehfus
  • Publication number: 20130062935
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful emergency braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A system is disclosed that allows emergency braking without the need for a manually operated emergency brake. For example, a system is provided comprising a potentiometer in mechanical communication with a brake pedal, a first electronic switch in electrical communication with the potentiometer, a second electronic switch indicating a displacement of the brake pedal, wherein a brake control valve opens in response to the first electronic switch, and wherein a shutoff valve opens in response to the second electronic switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, Paul R. Burte
  • Patent number: 8393203
    Abstract: A method is disclosed that comprises severing an I/O channel between a brake system controller and an aircraft component; sending a test signal to the brake system controller; receiving, from the brake system controller, a feedback signal to the test signal; and determining an appropriateness of the feedback signal. A system is disclosed that comprises a brake system controller wrapped in a BITE region, wherein the BITE region comprises a testing module, a safety interlock region having an I/O channel between the brake system controller and another system, and a testing module capable of sending a test signal to the brake system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20130060404
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for testing braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A system is disclosed that allows for built in testing. For example, a method if provided comprising sending, from a brake controller, a test command set to at least one of an electromechanical actuator (EMAC) and a brake servo valve (BSV) in response to a landing gear retraction, receiving, at the brake controller, feedback from the at least one of the EMAC and the BSV in response to the test command set, and comparing, at the brake controller, the feedback with a predetermined signature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20130060441
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A method is disclosed comprising determining, at a brake controller, an aircraft reference speed for an aircraft having a first wheel and a second wheel, identifying, at the brake controller, a state comprising the first wheel having a different rotational velocity than the second wheel, wherein the difference in rotational velocity sums to about zero, calculating, at the brake controller, a compensation factor for at least one of the first wheel and the second wheel, and adjusting, at the brake controller, a locked wheel trigger velocity in accordance with the compensation factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20130060438
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein may be useful for manual braking systems for use in, for example, an aircraft. A system is disclosed that allows for manual braking. For example, a system is provided comprising a brake handle, a potentiometer in mechanical communication with the brake handle, a mapping module in electrical communication with the potentiometer, wherein the mapping module receives an output voltage from the potentiometer, wherein the mapping module produces a braking command output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8280603
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining aircraft brake pedal sensor failure are provided. A brake pedal sensor and/or a brake pedal may be “failed” if brake pedal sensor readings unlikely to be generated as a result of human input are detected. The method comprises acquiring brake pedal measurements from a brake pedal sensor, determining a state of the brake pedal sensor, and providing a notification of the state. Each brake pedal measurement comprises a brake pedal deflection amount. The brake pedal sensor test algorithm may be conducted at regular intervals, in preparation for aircraft landing, at the request of a human operator, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8214121
    Abstract: A brake control circuit for determining if a brake command from a brake pedal is valid is provided. The brake control circuit includes at least two independent channels configured to receive data indicative of brake pedal deflection for the brake pedal, and logic circuitry operatively coupled to the at least two independent channels. The logic circuitry is configured to generate a valid brake flag when the respective channels receive data that are within a predetermined range of one another, and to generate an invalid brake flag when the respective channels receive data that are not within a predetermined range of one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8180548
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method of controlling a brake system of a vehicle having a brake input device, such as a brake pedal, a plurality of rotating wheels and a plurality of brakes, each brake of the plurality of brakes corresponding to one wheel of the plurality of wheels, is provided. In controlling the brakes, data indicative of a deflection of the brake pedal is received, and the received data is used to derive a target deceleration rate. A braking command is provided to each of the plurality of brakes, wherein the braking command is varied for each brake to regulate a deceleration rate the vehicle in accordance with the target deceleration rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20120065816
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamically stable braking are disclosed. A first electromechanical brake actuator controller may be placed in communication with a second electromechanical brake actuator controller, wherein each of the first electromechanical brake actuator controller and second electromechanical brake actuator controller are in communication with electromechanical brake actuators that are associated with the same wheel. The first electromechanical brake actuator controller and second electromechanical brake actuator controllers may then communicate electromechanical brake actuator status information and take corrective measures in accordance with the status information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8118256
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method of verifying operation of a vehicle fluid brake system shutoff valve is provided, wherein the shutoff valve is adapted to enable or inhibit the transmission of fluid pressure to at least one brake solenoid valve that controls operation of at least one brake actuator so as to effect wheel braking. In verifying operation of the system, the shutoff valve is commanded to inhibit the transmission of fluid pressure to the at least one brake solenoid valve, and the at least one brake solenoid valve is commanded to apply fluid pressure to the at least one brake actuator. An operational status of the shutoff valve is determined based on the absence or presence of wheel braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, Thomas E. Clary, Paul R. Burte
  • Patent number: 8112213
    Abstract: A system, apparatus and method provide a means for controlling an electric brake actuator. An electromechanical actuator controller (EMAC) is configured to receive first data indicative of a desired braking force, second data indicative of a braking command generated by a brake input device, the second data different from said first data, and third data indicative of a braking mode. Based on the third data, the EMAC selectively uses the first data or the second data to control the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Eric D. Cahill, Lawrence F. Corio, Bill May, Andrew B. Walsh, Scott Snelling
  • Patent number: 8102280
    Abstract: Systems and methods to determine whether a brake is dragging based on post-takeoff spindown data are provided. The method comprises measuring spindown of a wheel to obtain spindown data. The spindown data is compared with a spindown envelope, and notification is provided if the spindown data indicates a wheel is spinning down outside a spindown envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Patent number: 8029074
    Abstract: A method for providing anti-skid braking control for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, each wheel including a corresponding wheel speed sensor and brake, wherein when velocity data from at least one wheel speed sensor is lost, velocity data from a wheel speed sensor coupled to a different wheel is used as the wheel speed for the wheel with the non-operational sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill
  • Publication number: 20110214496
    Abstract: A method is disclosed that comprises severing an I/O channel between a brake system controller and an aircraft component; sending a test signal to the brake system controller; receiving, from the brake system controller, a feedback signal to the test signal; and determining an appropriateness of the feedback signal. A system is disclosed that comprises a brake system controller wrapped in a BITE region, wherein the BITE region comprises a testing module, a safety interlock region having an I/O channel between the brake system controller and another system, and a testing module capable of sending a test signal to the brake system controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eric D. Cahill