Patents by Inventor John W. D. Jones

John W. D. Jones 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: 4904991
    Abstract: A display unit has a transparent front panel one surface of which carries reflective markings that are illuminated by internal reflection in the panel from edge-mounted bulbs. Behind the panel are located light-emitting display devices such as provided by LED's. Illumination from the bulbs is controlled by manually adjusting a rheostat 36. The brightness of the display devices is controlled by means of two photodiodes. One photodiode responds to the level of ambient light falling on the front panel; the other photodiode is shielded from ambient light and responds to light from an additional bulb connected in parallel with the edge-mounted bulbs and having the same illumination characteristics. The brightness of the display devices is thereby automatically decreased when ambient light levels fall and increased when the markings are brightly illuminated, so that they are not masked by bright markings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 27, 1990
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: John W. D. Jones
  • Patent number: 4891971
    Abstract: Abnormal start conditions, such as hot starts or hung starts, in an aircraft gas-turbine engine are monitored by deriving signals indicative of spool speed, engine temperature and fuel flow. A processor receives these signals and derives an indication of the rate of change of engine temperature. Signals indicative of whether the aircraft is on the ground or in the air are derived from a air speed sensor or undercarriage pressure switch. The processor monitors the relationship between these signals to determine when the relationship between them is indicative of an abnormal start condition and indicates this on a display such as by flashing the display of engine temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1990
    Assignee: Smiths PLC
    Inventors: John W. D. Jones, Peter F. O'Sullivan
  • Patent number: 4581612
    Abstract: An altimeter has four display panels each being a matrix array of light-emitting diodes. An energizing unit energizes selected diodes to produce a representation of a number in each panel indicative of the value of the input. A knob on the altimeter selects input signals from a barometric source or a radar source. When barometric signals are selected, the altitude is represented in the panels by bright numbers against a dark background. When radar signals are selected, the energizing unit changes the format of energization of the display to represent altitude by dark numbers against a bright background. Other formats are also possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1986
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: John W. D. Jones
  • Patent number: 4176546
    Abstract: An aircraft-speed indicating instrument has an index which is movable against a scale to provide a reading of airspeed, and a digital indicator which is selectively operable to provide a digital reading of either Mach number or the airspeed. The index and the digital indicator are driven by respective control systems supplied with a multiplexed electrical signal containing information representative of both Mach number and airspeed. Each control system includes gating means which is operable to pass only those parts of the multiplexed signal necessary for the associated control means to provde the desired reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Limited
    Inventors: Harry Gibson, John W. D. Jones
  • Patent number: 4066946
    Abstract: A counter-pointer display of aircraft altitude is driven by a servo in accordance with a digital representation of height provided at regular intervals by an air-data computer. The content of a first register is updated regularly with the height representation, and the difference between this and the content of a second register is entered into a third register. The content of the second register is updated rapidly from a shaft encoder that is coupled to be driven together with the counter-pointer display by a stepping motor, and the content of the third register is updated in synchronism with the updating of the first register to staticize the error between the input height-representation and the output representation provided by the counter-pointer display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1978
    Assignee: Smiths Industries Limited
    Inventors: John W. D. Jones, Keith R. Oakey