Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Scanlon

Thomas M. Scanlon 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).

  • Publication number: 20230145181
    Abstract: A flight display is described. The flight display includes a display screen, a physical network interface, and multiple processors. The flight display interfaces with the flight deck by way of the physical network interface. The display screen displays images representative of avionics data in response to signals generated by one or more of the processors. The processors also generate command signals causing an actuator of the aircraft to control a flight control surface or a throttle. In this regard, the one or more of the processors perform various automatic flight control system (AFCS) functions. A system is further described including multiple of the flight displays. By hosting the AFCS functions across processors of the multiple flight displays, a level of command integrity may be reached. Furthermore, backups flight displays are available to be reconfigured to perform the AFCS functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Juan Segal, Charles Steffen, John P. Perich, Jason K. Dahlstrom, Thomas M. Scanlon, Ajay Karthik Ganesan
  • Patent number: 11292606
    Abstract: A system for an airborne platform includes a sensing device, an automatic throttling system, and a processing circuit. The sensing device is configured to measure a current airspeed of an aircraft. The processing circuit is configured to receive a control input comprising a current airspeed value, an airspeed reference value, a maximum adder threshold, and a minimum adder threshold. The processing circuit is further configured to calculate an airspeed error value based on the control input. The processing circuit is further configured to determine a programmed error value based on the calculated airspeed error value. The processing circuit is further configured to calculate an adder value by applying an integration function to the determined programmed error value and to determine a dynamic airspeed reference value based on the calculated adder value. The processing circuit is further configured to transmit the dynamic airspeed reference value to the automatic throttling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: John P. Perich, Samuel E. Ferdon, Cornelis Van Der Linden, Thomas M. Scanlon
  • Publication number: 20170196290
    Abstract: An apparatus for attachment to headgear is disclosed including a plurality of headgear pads each having a sloped shape, each headgear pad having a base, an apex and a sloped portion connected between the base and apex, wherein the base is adapted to be physically attached to the headgear. Also disclosed is a method for attaching a plurality of headgear pads to headgear for use by a wearer, the method including selecting a pattern for placement of the plurality of headgear pads onto the headgear, marking the headgear with the pattern, attaching a first headgear pad selected from a plurality of headgear pads to the headgear in accordance to the marking and continuing attaching headgear pads until the pattern is complete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas M. Scanlon
  • Patent number: 8938356
    Abstract: Present novel and non-trivial systems and methods for validating single-channel tactical flight data in a multi-channel architecture are disclosed. Three single-channel monitors are disclosed along with a fourth, external monitor that is accessible to the multiple channels. A system could be comprised of a navigation data source, two or more communications channels, and an external display unit (“DU”), where each channel may be comprised of a flight management system (“FMS”), a DU, and a flight director (“FD”) system. In addition to the FMS performing two standard functions of calculating a lateral deviation (“LDEV”) and a roll command (“Roll Cmd”), a second LDEV/Roll Command calculator and a Roll Command Calculator are employed in DU and FD of same channel, respectively, to determine data validity. In addition, the FD and the symbologies of LDEV and Roll Cmd generated by the DU are also employed in the determination of data validity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas A. Bell, Bradley R. Mickelson, Thomas M. Scanlon, Stephen M. Kleckner, Jason M. Vanderhorn, Stephen W. Howard