Patents by Inventor Timothy C. Biss

Timothy C. Biss 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: 7686680
    Abstract: Testing of an aircraft pressure control system may be performed without use of an altitude chamber. Aircraft cabin configuration date may be modeled and used, along with high resolution positional feedback from a simulated valve, to produce a high resolution electrical signal that may represent a simulated cabin pressure. A voltage-to-pressure transducer may convert the electrical signal to a pneumatic signal. The pneumatic signal may be employed to operate a cabin-pressure controller under test. The controller may operate an outflow valve actuator and an attached potentiometer. The potentiometer may produce a feedback signal and closed-loop testing of the aircraft pressure control system may thus be performed. The outflow valve actuator may be operated without being attached to an outflow valve because a simulated aerodynamic load may be applied to the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Timothy C. Biss, Timothy J. Hilzendeger
  • Patent number: 7549916
    Abstract: An aircraft cabin pressure control system and the method implement a technique that oversamples and filters a sensed cabin pressure signal, and then differentiates the oversampled and filtered pressure signal to generate cabin pressure rate-of-change. The oversampling and filtering technique removes circuit and sensor induced noise from the cabin pressure signal, and results in cabin pressure rate-of-change values with less noise than currently known systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Gerard L. McCoy, Timothy C. Biss
  • Publication number: 20090006056
    Abstract: Testing of an aircraft pressure control system may be performed without use of an altitude chamber. Aircraft cabin configuration date may be modeled and used, along with high resolution positional feedback from a simulated valve, to produce a high resolution electrical signal that may represent a simulated cabin pressure. A voltage-to-pressure transducer may convert the electrical signal to a pneumatic signal. The pneumatic signal may be employed to operate a cabin-pressure controller under test. The controller may operate an outflow valve actuator and an attached potentiometer. The potentiometer may produce a feedback signal and closed-loop testing of the aircraft pressure control system may thus be performed. The outflow valve actuator may be operated without being attached to an outflow valve because a simulated aerodynamic load may be applied to the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: DARRELL W. HORNER, Timothy C. Biss, Timothy J. Hilzendeger
  • Patent number: 6979257
    Abstract: A pressure control system including an inflow unit for admitting pressurized air into a cabin, an outflow unit including a motor for operating a valve to discharge air from the cabin at a predetermined rate based on an motor control signal that sets the motor speed, a control unit, and an air pressure sensor within the cabin for determining a pressure signal. The control unit receives the pressure signal and computes a pressure rate of change error signal to set the motor control signal. The outflow unit, control unit, and air pressure sensor form a feedback control loop independent of motor speed, valve speed, or valve position feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrell W. Horner, Gerard L. McCoy, Kenneth M. Gallagher, Timothy C. Biss