Patents by Inventor Van Jerold Winters

Van Jerold Winters 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).

  • Airplane-mounted external fire detection system
    Patent number: 10371575
    Abstract: An aircraft-mounted external fire detection system includes optical circuitry and processing circuitry. The optical circuitry is mounted on an aircraft forward of an engine nacelle of the aircraft, and is configured to optically monitor an exterior of the engine nacelle for a hydrocarbon fire by detecting radiation outside of the visible light spectrum. The processing circuitry is communicatively coupled to the optical circuitry and is configured to use the optical circuitry to determine that the fire has been continuously present for more than a threshold duration, and in response, transmit a warning to an operator terminal of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Steven Wright, Van Jerold Winters
  • Airplane-Mounted External Fire Detection System
    Publication number: 20190011314
    Abstract: An aircraft-mounted external fire detection system includes optical circuitry and processing circuitry. The optical circuitry is mounted on an aircraft forward of an engine nacelle of the aircraft, and is configured to optically monitor an exterior of the engine nacelle for a hydrocarbon fire by detecting radiation outside of the visible light spectrum. The processing circuitry is communicatively coupled to the optical circuitry and is configured to use the optical circuitry to determine that the fire has been continuously present for more than a threshold duration, and in response, transmit a warning to an operator terminal of the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Steven Wright, Van Jerold Winters
  • Airplane-mounted external fire detection system
    Patent number: 9976907
    Abstract: An aircraft-mounted external fire detection system includes optical circuitry and processing circuitry. The optical circuitry is mounted on an aircraft aft of an engine nacelle of the aircraft, and is configured to optically monitor an exterior of the engine nacelle for a hydrocarbon fire by detecting radiation outside of the visible light spectrum. The processing circuitry is communicatively coupled to the optical circuitry and is configured to use the optical circuitry to determine that the fire has been continuously present for more than a threshold duration, and in response, transmit a warning to an operator terminal of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Robert Steven Wright, Van Jerold Winters