Patents by Inventor Gary A. Emch

Gary A. Emch 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: 8447445
    Abstract: The movable surfaces affecting the camber of a wing are dynamically adjusted to optimize wing camber for optimum lift/drag ratios under changing conditions during a given flight phase. In a preferred embodiment, an add-on dynamic adjustment control module provides command signals for optimum positioning of trailing edge movable surfaces, i.e., inboard flaps, outboard flaps, ailerons, and flaperons, which are used in place of the predetermined positions of the standard flight control system. The dynamic adjustment control module utilizes inputs of changing aircraft conditions such as altitude, Mach number, weight, center of gravity (CG), vertical speed and flight phase. The dynamic adjustment control module's commands for repositioning the movable surfaces of the wing are transmitted through the standard flight control system to actuators for moving the flight control surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dan Onu, John D. Winter, Candy L. Carr, Paul M. Vijgen, Gary A. Emch, Michael E. Renzelmann
  • Patent number: 7945425
    Abstract: A method for detecting freewheeling skew failures in the wing flaps of an aircraft includes measuring the outputs of flap skew sensors when the aircraft is in flight (IF) and the flaps are extended to a selected position, and when the aircraft is next on the ground (OG) and the flaps are extended to the selected position. The respective differences between the IF and OG outputs of symmetrical pairs of the flap skew sensors are computed, and then the respective difference between the computed IF output difference and the computed OG output difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is computed. The computed IF and OG difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is then compared with each of predetermined maximum and minimum threshold value to determine whether a freewheeling skew failure exists in any of the flaps of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Alan D. Marx, Gary A. Emch, Mark J. Gardner, Richard I. Apfel, Michael E. Renzelmann, Christopher D. Feet, Michael R. Finn, Mark S. Good, Gregory J. Seehusen
  • Publication number: 20100152926
    Abstract: The movable surfaces affecting the camber of a wing are dynamically adjusted to optimize wing camber for optimum lift/drag ratios under changing conditions during a given flight phase. In a preferred embodiment, an add-on dynamic adjustment control module provides command signals for optimum positioning of trailing edge movable surfaces, i.e., inboard flaps, outboard flaps, ailerons, and flaperons, which are used in place of the predetermined positions of the standard flight control system. The dynamic adjustment control module utilizes inputs of changing aircraft conditions such as altitude, Mach number, weight, center of gravity (CG), vertical speed and flight phase. The dynamic adjustment control module's commands for repositioning the movable surfaces of the wing are transmitted through the standard flight control system to actuators for moving the flight control surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Dan Onu, John D. Winter, Candy L. Carr, Paul M. Vijgen, Gary A. Emch, Michael E. Renzelmann
  • Publication number: 20100100355
    Abstract: A method for detecting freewheeling skew failures in the wing flaps of an aircraft includes measuring the outputs of flap skew sensors when the aircraft is in flight (IF) and the flaps are extended to a selected position, and when the aircraft is next on the ground (OG) and the flaps are extended to the selected position. The respective differences between the IF and OG outputs of symmetrical pairs of the flap skew sensors are computed, and then the respective difference between the computed IF output difference and the computed OG output difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is computed. The computed IF and OG difference of each symmetrical pair of the sensors is then compared with each of predetermined maximum and minimum threshold value to determine whether a freewheeling skew failure exists in any of the flaps of the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Alan D. Marx, Gary A. Emch, Mark J. Gardner, Richard I. Apfel, Michael E. Renzelmann, Christopher D. Feet, Michael R. Finn, Mark S. Good, Gregory J. Seehusen
  • Patent number: 7641152
    Abstract: The movable surfaces affecting the camber of a wing are dynamically adjusted to optimize wing camber for optimum lift/drag ratios under changing conditions during a given flight phase. In a preferred embodiment, an add-on dynamic adjustment control module provides command signals for optimum positioning of trailing edge movable surfaces, i.e., inboard flaps, outboard flaps, ailerons, and flaperons, which are used in place of the predetermined positions of the standard flight control system. The dynamic adjustment control module utilizes inputs of changing aircraft conditions such as altitude, Mach number, weight, center of gravity, vertical speed and flight phase. The dynamic adjustment control module's commands for repositioning the movable surfaces of the wing are transmitted through the standard flight control system to actuators for moving the flight control surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Dan Onu, John D. Winter, Candy L. Carr, Paul M. Vijgen, Gary A. Emch, Michael E. Renzelmann
  • Publication number: 20080255713
    Abstract: The movable surfaces affecting the camber of a wing are dynamically adjusted to optimize wing camber for optimum lift/drag ratios under changing conditions during a given flight phase. In a preferred embodiment, an add-on dynamic adjustment control module provides command signals for optimum positioning of trailing edge movable surfaces, i.e., inboard flaps, outboard flaps, ailerons, and flaperons, which are used in place of the predetermined positions of the standard flight control system. The dynamic adjustment control module utilizes inputs of changing aircraft conditions such as altitude, Mach number, weight, center of gravity, vertical speed and flight phase. The dynamic adjustment control module's commands for repositioning the movable surfaces of the wing are transmitted through the standard flight control system to actuators for moving the flight control surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Dan Onu, John D. Winter, Candy L. Carr, Paul M. Vijgen, Gary A. Emch, Michael E. Renzelmann