Patents by Inventor Gerard L. McCoy

Gerard L. McCoy 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: 7950987
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system and method improves cabin pressurization during aircraft take-off operations. The cabin pressure control system sets a cabin pressurization rate limit based on a cabin pressurization rate error. The cabin pressurization rate error is derived from a comparison of a sensed cabin pressure rate-of-change value and a predetermined cabin pressurization rate value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Gerard L. McCoy, Richard K. Morey
  • Patent number: 7658669
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system (CPCS) software control logic modification may boost the voltage applied to a motor when conditions are sensed indicating a combination of larger than normal cabin pressure and cabin rate error conditions. The motor may be part of an open-loop system for operating a butterfly valve that may regulate outflow from the aircraft cabin. The larger than normal cabin pressure and cabin rate error conditions may be an indication that the outflow valve is not responding in a normal manner, potentially caused by excessive loading to the motor or motor degradation. By boosting the motor voltage during excessive load conditions or with a degraded motor, CPCS performance and robustness may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard L. McCoy
  • Patent number: 7549916
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin pressure control system and the method implement a technique that oversamples and filters a sensed cabin pressure signal, and then differentiates the oversampled and filtered pressure signal to generate cabin pressure rate-of-change. The oversampling and filtering technique removes circuit and sensor induced noise from the cabin pressure signal, and results in cabin pressure rate-of-change values with less noise than currently known systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Gerard L. McCoy, Timothy C. Biss
  • Patent number: 7531980
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system (CPCS) software control logic modification may boost the voltage applied to a motor by applying a duty cycle offset to compensate for asymmetric motor loading. The motor may be part of an open-loop system for operating a butterfly valve that may regulate outflow from the aircraft cabin. In CPCS applications, the loading on the butterfly valve is unidirectional due to a mechanical spring and pneumatic loading, thus, causing asymmetric loading to the motor. By boosting the motor voltage when the motor is required to act against the asymmetric load, CPCS performance and robustness may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard L. McCoy
  • Patent number: 7454254
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system and method that reduces or inhibits gear train backlash and the concomitant cabin pressure oscillations associated therewith. The cabin pressure control system includes a variable proportional-integral (PI) controller that implements a proportional function with a variable gain term and an integrator function with variable saturation limit. The proportional function gain term is increased, and the integrator saturation limits are decreased, at relatively low cabin error rate magnitudes. Increasing the proportional function gain term at relatively low cabin error rate magnitudes offsets potential backlash effects from the gear train. Decreasing the integrator saturation limits at relatively low cabin rate error magnitudes reduces potentially excessive integrator wind-up levels, which reduces the likelihood of producing limit-cycling and the potential for cabin pressure oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerard L. McCoy
  • Publication number: 20080211445
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system (CPCS) software control logic modification may boost the voltage applied to a motor by applying a duty cycle offset to compensate for asymmetric motor loading. The motor may be part of an open-loop system for operating a butterfly valve that may regulate outflow from the aircraft cabin. In CPCS applications, the loading on the butterfly valve is unidirectional due to a mechanical spring and pneumatic loading, thus, causing asymmetric loading to the motor. By boosting the motor voltage when the motor is required to act against the asymmetric load, CPCS performance and robustness may be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: GERARD L. MCCOY
  • Publication number: 20080194191
    Abstract: A cabin pressure control system (CPCS) software control logic modification may boost the voltage applied to a motor when conditions are sensed indicating a combination of larger than normal cabin pressure and cabin rate error conditions. The motor may be part of an open-loop system for operating a butterfly valve that may regulate outflow from the aircraft cabin. The larger than normal cabin pressure and cabin rate error conditions may be an indication that the outflow valve is not responding in a normal manner, potentially caused by excessive loading to the motor or motor degradation. By boosting the motor voltage during excessive load conditions or with a degraded motor, CPCS performance and robustness may be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: GERARD L. McCOY
  • Patent number: 6979257
    Abstract: A pressure control system including an inflow unit for admitting pressurized air into a cabin, an outflow unit including a motor for operating a valve to discharge air from the cabin at a predetermined rate based on an motor control signal that sets the motor speed, a control unit, and an air pressure sensor within the cabin for determining a pressure signal. The control unit receives the pressure signal and computes a pressure rate of change error signal to set the motor control signal. The outflow unit, control unit, and air pressure sensor form a feedback control loop independent of motor speed, valve speed, or valve position feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Gerard L. McCoy, Kenneth M. Gallagher, Timothy C. Biss