Patents by Inventor Michael J. Menke

Michael J. Menke 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: 11400900
    Abstract: An aircraft or other vehicle includes a system and method for selectively allocating which friction brakes of a plurality of friction brakes are utilized in response to a braking demand. Said differently, the present disclosure provides a system and method that includes dynamically switching which friction brakes of a plurality of friction brakes are active (e.g., in use) at a given time in response to a braking demand. This dynamic switching may not only be based on the received braking demand (e.g., from a pilot or auto-braking module), but may also be based on one or more of the following: respective measured brake parameters of the plurality of friction brakes (e.g., temperature, extent-of-wear), aircraft parameters, external parameters, and respective calculated brake conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael J. Menke
  • Publication number: 20210276517
    Abstract: An aircraft or other vehicle includes a system and method for selectively allocating which friction brakes of a plurality of friction brakes are utilized in response to a braking demand. Said differently, the present disclosure provides a system and method that includes dynamically switching which friction brakes of a plurality of friction brakes are active (e.g., in use) at a given time in response to a braking demand. This dynamic switching may not only be based on the received braking demand (e.g., from a pilot or auto-braking module), but may also be based on one or more of the following: respective measured brake parameters of the plurality of friction brakes (e.g., temperature, extent-of-wear), aircraft parameters, external parameters, and respective calculated brake conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michael J. Menke
  • Patent number: 10778135
    Abstract: An electric motor control system, including an electric motor having a first winding set including first and second parallel windings, the first and second windings operable to each current based on the combined phase current, and a differential current sensor operably coupled to the first winding and the second winding. The differential current sensor measuring a differential current flowing through the first winding and the second winding and operable to transmit a signal indicative of the differential current based on the measuring. The system also includes a motor controller connected to the electric motor, the motor controller operable to direct the combined phase current through the phase lead, receive the differential current signal, determine if the differential current flowing through the winding set exceeds a selected threshold, and identify a health status of the motor winding set as degraded if the differential current exceeds the selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Andreas C. Koenig, Joseph Kenneth Coldwate, Michael J. Menke, Gary L. Miles
  • Publication number: 20200136550
    Abstract: An electric motor control system, including an electric motor having a first winding set including first and second parallel windings, the first and second windings operable to each current based on the combined phase current, and a differential current sensor operably coupled to the first winding and the second winding. The differential current sensor measuring a differential current flowing through the first winding and the second winding and operable to transmit a signal indicative of the differential current based on the measuring. The system also includes a motor controller connected to the electric motor, the motor controller operable to direct the combined phase current through the phase lead, receive the differential current signal, determine if the differential current flowing through the winding set exceeds a selected threshold, and identify a health status of the motor winding set as degraded if the differential current exceeds the selected threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Andreas C. Koenig, Joseph Kenneth Coldwate, Michael J. Menke, Gary L. Miles
  • Publication number: 20190031170
    Abstract: A controller for a brake may comprise an error detector configured to determine an error in a motor angular position signal and a synthetic angle generator configured to generate a synthetic motor angular position signal. The controller may control an actuator motor via the synthetic motor angular position signal in response to the error in the motor angular position signal being determined. In various embodiments, the synthetic motor angular position may cause the controller to retract an electromechanical brake actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: Goodrich Corporation
    Inventors: Naison E. Mastrocola, Michael J. Menke