Patents by Inventor David C. Mossman

David C. Mossman 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: 7822493
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for monitoring and detecting failures in the actuation of a control system, such as a flight control system for an aircraft, include defining a nominal model of the control system in terms of the state variables of the control system, defining a model of an asymmetric “actuation monitoring envelope” that dynamically bounds a range that measured state variables of the system are allowed to take during operation of the system as a function of the nominal system state model, monitoring a signal corresponding to a state variable of the system during operation thereof, and detecting a failure in the actuation of the control system when the monitored signal exceeds the bounds of the monitoring envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David C. Mossman, Russell J. Enns, Jonathan B. Dahman
  • Patent number: 7630798
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a final heading of a turning vehicle, such as a rotorcraft. The system may include an algorithm that calculates an advance prediction of a final heading that will be achieved after control input is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David C. Mossman, John D. Butkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20090177292
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for monitoring and detecting failures in the actuation of a control system, such as a flight control system for an aircraft, include defining a nominal model of the control system in terms of the state variables of the control system, defining a model of an asymmetric “actuation monitoring envelope” that dynamically bounds a range that measured state variables of the system are allowed to take during operation of the system as a function of the nominal system state model, monitoring a signal corresponding to a state variable of the system during operation thereof, and detecting a failure in the actuation of the control system when the monitored signal exceeds the bounds of the monitoring envelope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: David C. Mossman, Russell J. Enns, Jonathan B. Dahman
  • Patent number: 7437223
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a final heading of a turning vehicle, such as a rotorcraft. The system may include an algorithm that calculates an advance prediction of a final heading that will be achieved after control input is terminated. The system may also include a device, such as a display, for conveying predicted final heading information to an aircraft controller, such as a pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Pasquale A. Randazzo, John D. Butkiewicz, David G. Miller, David C. Mossman, Paul Redkoles, Channing S. Morse
  • Patent number: 4115847
    Abstract: A dual channel, fail-operative automatic flight control system is disclosed in which each channel includes a totally monitored digital computer for operating upon sensor input data to provide command signals to the aircraft surface control actuators. The operative program for each computer is repetitively executed to effectively provide continuous control. The program is organized into a plurality of tasks to be performed by the computer with program segments associated with the respective tasks and a program routine for determining that all of the tasks have been completed for each program iteration. If non-completion of a task is detected, the program enters a failure routine which stops execution of the program. The program also includes a routine for generating a dynamically varying pattern in accordance with the continuously reiterated execution of the program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1978
    Assignee: Sperry Rand Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen S. Osder, David C. Mossman