Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Leard

Thomas M. Leard 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: 7218245
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for displaying terrain data symbology for an aircraft. The apparatus is a heads-down display for an aircraft having a monitor configured to generate a display and a processor coupled to the display. The display has a centerline. The processor is configured to align the centerline of the display with a track of the aircraft, and generate on the display a first symbol corresponding to a terrain and a second symbol corresponding to an attitude of the aircraft. The processor is further configured to position the first symbol and the second symbol with reference to the track of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan S. Wyatt, Thomas M. Leard, Jary E. Engels
  • Patent number: 6933859
    Abstract: An electronic lateral acceleration indicator is provided that gives improved visual performance over previous electronic indicators. In a first embodiment, the lateral acceleration indicator includes a fine tuning element and a high level lateral acceleration element. The fine tuning element provides a precise reading of low level lateral acceleration. This allows a pilot to make small corrections to eliminate small amounts of lateral acceleration. The high level lateral acceleration element provides a strong visual indication when relatively high lateral acceleration is present. The strong visual indication provided by the high level lateral acceleration element increases the probability that the pilot will be made aware of the lateral acceleration. Thus, the lateral acceleration indicator of the present invention provides both fine tuning capability and a strong visual warning of large lateral acceleration to the pilot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth T. Hurt, Thomas M. Leard, John A. Woltkamp, Iris K. Rundle, Andrew E. Elliott
  • Patent number: 6879887
    Abstract: In an aircraft flight instrument display system having a display screen for displaying flight information, an airspeed indicator is displayed in a vertical tape format, and has a low speed range indicator with a low speed range identified on the airspeed indicator by highlighting the low speed range, and has at least a settable indicator within the low speed range indicating a critical airspeed. The low speed range indicator and the critical airspeed indicator are both set with only manual inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Gaidelis, Jr., Thomas G. Frazier, Jary E. Engels, Thomas M. Leard, Clarence D. Nygaard, Robert C. Odgers, David A. Tunheim, Ivan S. Wyatt
  • Publication number: 20040210355
    Abstract: In an aircraft flight instrument display system having a display screen for displaying flight information, an airspeed indicator is displayed in a vertical tape format, and has a low speed range indicator with a low speed range identified on the airspeed indicator by highlighting the low speed range, and has at least a settable indicator within the low speed range indicating a critical airspeed. The low speed range indicator and the critical airspeed indicator are both set with only manual inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: John A. Gaidelis, Thomas G. Frazier, Jary E. Engels, Thomas M. Leard, Clarence D. Nygaard, Robert C. Odgers, David A. Tunheim, Ivan S. Wyatt
  • Patent number: 6118385
    Abstract: Accurate, unambiguous, and space-efficient electronic display techniques are provided for presenting the operator with an indicator whose graphical configuration varies in accordance with whether the relevant control value is within a predetermined tolerance range of a set-point value. More particularly, a control value indicator includes a scale having an axis associated with the control value, a set-point marker placed at a first position along the scale for indicating the set-point value, and a pointer having a second position along the scale for indicating the control value. The pointer and/or the set-point marker exhibit a first graphical configuration corresponding to the case where the control value is not within the predetermined tolerance of the set-point value, and a second graphical configuration corresponding to the case where the control value is within the predetermined tolerance of the set-point value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Leard, John P. Gilmore
  • Patent number: 5412382
    Abstract: One side of a primary flight display has a vertical airspeed scale, a round dial display, and a window. The round dial display provides global or macro airspeed information and a digital display of a present airspeed value is provided in the window. A vertical altitude scale is located on a second side of the PFD with a second round dial located along the altitude scale. The second dial is configured to provide a predetermined amount of rotation of the pointer for a predetermined change in altitude. A second window located along the altitude scale provides a digital present value of altitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Leard, Stephen D. Fulton
  • Patent number: 5359890
    Abstract: One side of a primary flight display has an elongated vertically disposed airspeed dial display which provides global or macro airspeed information. A rolling drum display provides a digital display of a present value of airspeed. An elongated vertically disposed altitude dial display is located on a second side of the primary flight display. The second dial display is configured to provide a predetermined amount of rotation of the pointer for a lo predetermined change in altitude. A second rolling drum display provides a digital present value of altitude. The elongated dial displays provide greatly expanded display areas and improved readout resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen D. Fulton, Thomas M. Leard