Patents by Inventor Thomas C. Olson

Thomas C. Olson 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: 9711053
    Abstract: An offscreen traffic information indicator system includes signal receivers for receiving traffic messages from proximate air and ground vehicles and a traffic indicator for determining the positions of the host aircraft and the proximate vehicles based on the traffic messages. Based on the locations of the host aircraft and proximate vehicles and their proximity to airport runways, the traffic indicator may designate runways as relevant runways (or receive relevant runway designations from the flight management system of the host aircraft) and designate proximate vehicles as relevant to the host aircraft. A display unit may display, along with a dynamic map of a region near the host aircraft, relevant runway indicators for relevant runways within the mapped region and offscreen traffic indicators for relevant aircraft positioned outside the mapped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Tiffany D. Williamson, David J. Inman, Roger L. Yum, Randy H. Jacobson, Thomas C. Olson, Bernard S. McCaffrey, Michael R. Goodloe, Christopher A. Scherer
  • Patent number: 6644600
    Abstract: A system and method for providing variable motion-resisting loads for a side stick controller on an aircraft where the primary resistive load is provided by a mechanical spring mechanism which is augmented or supplemented by an electric servo motor and electric servo motor linkage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas C. Olson, E. Bernard Hayes, M. Scott Ervin
  • Patent number: 5577287
    Abstract: A device for scraping an obscuring coating from a game ticket, such as a "scratcher" type lottery ticket. A housing has a slot sized to receive a lottery ticket. Inside the housing a scraper blade is positioned above the slot and a rotatable table below the slot. A ticket pushed into the slot will rotate the table away, then will pull the table back toward the slot when the ticket is pulled outwardly. The scraper blade is spring loaded against the ticket to scrape away the coating as the ticket moves out of the slot without damaging the ticket. The table is adjustable to optimize operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Inventor: Thomas C. Olson
  • Patent number: 5143452
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant system for interfacing a single sensor unit to multiple display/control modules. The system includes a fixed resistor connected in series with the sensor unit and multiple data centralization units each including a source for providing a separate excitation signal to the sensor unit. The data centralization units also include detection circuits for measuring the voltage drop across the fixed resistor. The output from the sensor unit is adjusted according to the level of excitation provided to the sensor unit so that accurate measurements can be taken despite one or more data centralization units being non-operational.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Lynn F. Maxedon, Thomas C. Olson