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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8080966 | Motor control architecture for simultaneously controlling multiple motors A motor control architecture is provided that simultaneously controls multiple motors. The motor control system includes memory, a plurality of motor control processors, and a communication controller. The motor control processors are each responsive to control sign... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8056432 | Active control stick assembly An active control stick assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the active control stick assembly includes a housing assembly, and a control stick support body mounted within the housing assembly for rotation about two substantially orthogonal and co-planar rotatio... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8015889 | Ballscrew with an integral high-efficiency thrust bearing A linear actuator includes a thrust bearing that is integral to the actuation member. The actuator includes a translation member and an actuation member. The actuation member is responsive to a drive force to rotate. The translation member is configured to translate... | 09/13/2011 |
| 7852183 | Power drive unit electromagnetic latch A no-back device for a power drive unit is configured such that, during operation of the power drive unit, the no-back device does not supply magnetic or frictional force against power drive unit rotation. The no-back device is implemented either redundantly or no-r... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7812596 | Two-dimensional position sensing system A position sensing system includes a plurality of two-axis anisotropic magneto-resistive (AMR) sensors to determine the position of a user interface. A magnetic member is coupled to the user interface, which is movable to a position along a random path. The pluralit... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7610828 | Flight control surface actuator assembly including a free trial mechanism A flight control surface actuator includes a mechanism that enables the actuator translation member to be selectively decoupled from the actuator rotating member. The actuator includes an actuation member, a translation member, an extension member, and a locking mem... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7608951 | Fully redundant spacecraft power and attitude control system An energy storage flywheel system for a spacecraft is implemented with a fully redundant rotating group and gimbal actuator. In particular, the gimbal actuator, motor/generator, primary bearings, and secondary bearing actuator are each implemented with a pair of red... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7607611 | Flight control surface actuation system with redundantly configured and lockable actuator assemblies A flight control surface actuator assembly includes a pair of flight control surface actuators and a pivot arm. One of the flight control surface actuators is coupled to a flight control surface and a static airframe structure, the other flight control surface actua... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7556224 | Distributed flight control surface actuation system An aircraft flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of flap actuators, and a plurality of slat actuators. The actuators receive actuator position commands from an actuator control unit and, in response, move flaps and slats between stowed and de... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7549605 | Electric flight control surface actuation system for aircraft flaps and slats An aircraft flight control surface actuation system includes a plurality of electric motors-driven flap actuators, and a plurality of electric motor-driven slat actuators. The motor-driven actuators receive activation signals from flap and slat actuator controllers ... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7486042 | Component position determination circuit using a brushless DC motor commutation sensor A position determination circuit uses the commutation sensor of a brushless DC motor to determine the position of an actuator and/or actuated component 125. The commutation sensor supplies a rotational position signal representative of the rotational position... | 02/03/2009 |
| 7456594 | Electric motor brake engagement holdup system An electric motor system includes a motor brake control circuit that uses current induced in the motor stator from generated back EMF to keep the motor brake energized and in its disengaged position, should electric power be lost to the motor system. When the motor ... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7407137 | Dual voltage integrated power and attitude control system and method An integrated power and attitude control system and method for a vehicle efficiently supplies electrical power to both low voltage and high voltage loads, and does not rely on relatively heavy batteries to supply power during the vehicle initialization process. The ... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7400110 | Smart power converter A smart power conversion and control system and method converts source AC power at a first voltage level to DC power at a second voltage level that is less than the first voltage level. Upon receipt of a command signal, a portion of the system is enabled to further ... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7357093 | Submarine ejection optimization control system and method A submersible vehicle object ejection control system stores a plurality of pump speed command profiles. Each pump speed command profile is based on vehicle depth, vehicle speed, type of object being ejected, maximum noise emission magnitude during object ejection, a... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7335999 | Fluid actuated rotating device including a low power generator A fluid-powered actuator assembly is modified to include a low power generator. The low power generator rotates in response to a drive force received from the actuator assembly, and thus only generates electrical power when the actuator assembly is operating. The lo... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7251550 | Aircraft accessory monitor Methods and apparatus are provided for monitoring an aircraft accessory. The apparatus comprises a processor associated with said aircraft accessory, a transducer coupled to said processor and operable to produce parametric data relating to said aircraft accessory a... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7197958 | Energy storage flywheel retention system and method An energy storage flywheel system includes a flywheel assembly that is rotationally mounted in a housing assembly, and one or more actuator assemblies. The actuator assemblies are configured to selectively engage and disengage the flywheel assembly. When the actuato... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7194975 | Unmanned underwater vehicle health monitoring system and method A health monitoring system for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is disposed within a submerged docking station. The health monitoring system receive signals representative of performance of the docking station equipment and uses the data to determine the health ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7185857 | Thrust vector actuation control system and method A thrust vector actuation control system and method is configured to allow self-testing of the entire actuation system and/or its individual system components. The control system also provides real-time, continuous monitoring of actuation system status, and allows s... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7183742 | Unmanned underwater vehicle fuel cell powered charging system and method A charging system for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is disposed within a submerged docking station. The charging system includes a battery, a fuel cell, a fuel source, and a charge controller. The battery supplies electrical power to an electrical distributio... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7119520 | Energy storage flywheel test control system A system and method for removing energy from the rotating group in an energy storage flywheel system during flywheel system testing includes one or more sensors is operable to sense operational parameters of the energy storage flywheel and to supply a sensor signals... | 10/10/2006 |
| 7111522 | Energy storage flywheel system containment vessel A containment vessel used to enclose an energy storage flywheel system during certification testing of the energy storage flywheel system includes a plurality of concentrically disposed vessels. One or more intermediate shields are freely disposed within an outer sh... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7077072 | Unmanned underwater vehicle turbine powered charging system and method A charging system for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is disposed within a submerged docking station. The charging system includes a battery, one or more generators, and a charge controller. The battery supplies electrical power to an electrical distribution bu... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7078880 | Energy storage flywheel voltage regulation and load sharing system and method A system for regulating the voltage in an electrical distribution system includes a plurality of flywheels, motor/generators, and controllers. Each of the motor/generators is coupled to one of the energy storage flywheels and to the electrical supply system. The mot... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7000560 | Unmanned underwater vehicle docking station coupling system and method A docking station for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) includes a tether control system to minimize movement of the docking station when the UUV is docking therein. The docking station is a submerged station that is tethered to a floating structure via a tether ... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6957800 | Valve assembly having a linear motor actuator A valve actuator assembly that is implemented in a fully-electric configuration includes two rails and an armature that is moveably disposed between, and electrically coupled to, each of the rails. The armature is configured to couple to a valve element and is movea... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6948377 | Method and apparatus for detecting the strain levels imposed on a circuit board A device for detecting strain levels imposed on a circuit board includes an apparatus mounted on the circuit board, an amplifier for detecting a change in the impedance of the apparatus and generating an output signal representing the change in the impedance of the ... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6921998 | Energy storage flywheel auxiliary bearing system and method An energy storage flywheel system includes a shaft, one or more primary bearing assemblies, and one or more secondary bearing assemblies. A secondary bearing control circuit determines the operability of the primary bearing assemblies and, based on this determinatio... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6882072 | Energy storage flywheel system with a power connector that integrally mounts one or more controller circuits An energy storage flywheel system that includes a power connector extending through the flywheel housing assembly and is hermetically sealed thereto. A circuit board, on which is mounted at least a motor/controller circuit, is coupled to the power connector adjacent... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6845952 | Flywheel prognostic health and fault management system and method A prognostic health and fault management system and method that accurately determines the health and rate of degradation of one or more flywheel systems, by comparing actual and simulated responses of flywheel systems to supplied command signals. Based on the determ... | 01/25/2005 |
| 6779759 | Integrated power and attitude control system and method An integrated power and attitude control system that includes a plurality of flywheels and a controller. The controller receives power commands and attitude commands and determines the optimum set of flywheel acceleration and gimbal velocity commands to supply to ea... | 08/24/2004 |
