Abstract: In a polychromatic liquid crystal display, apparatus and method for improving the off-axis viewing characteristics are described. The angle of view can be expanded by appropriate selection of the thickness and the birefringence parameter of the liquid crystal material as a function of the color of the liquid crystal display pixel. In order to improve further the angle of view, retardation films are used to reduce the angular dependence of the radiation. The retardation films reduce the background light leakage by compensating for the change in retardation of the liquid crystal display at angles other than normal to the display. The reduction in the background light leakage results in improved contrast ratio and chromaticity.

Abstract: A contrast enhancement filter for color displays, particularly adapted for color CRT tubes of the shadow mask type. A transparent plate has applied thereon absorptive areas, each area dyed with a primary color corresponding to the color dots of the CRT display face and a plurality of such color areas randomly disposed over each color dot. Since the absorption areas are spacially independent, each color area acts independently of the others. The filter provides bandpass efficiency comparable to monochrome filters, and has a broad viewing range essentially independent of angle of vision. In a further embodiment, colored oriented fiber-optic elements are disposed over the phosphor dots in a predetermined array, allowing the filter plate to replace a conventional faceplate and filter combination structure, while providing a selective viewing angle of high contrast. The filter is suitable for any light-responsive display screen, also including liquid crystal elements.

Abstract: A composite liquid crystal electroluminescent electro-optical display device utilizing single-cell construction. Backlighting is furnished by a low-intensity, low-power-consumption integrally formed electroluminescent light source cooperating with a liquid crystal element with commonly excited electrodes. The integral electro-luminescent light source replaces the requirement for a transflector. The invention offers substantially improved contrast while minimizing physical size, power dissipation and construction complexity.

Abstract: A windshear warning system having an adjustable threshold to avoid triggering nuisance windshear alerts wherein the magnitude and duration of the shear are not sufficient to endanger an aircraft that is flying a landing approach at greater-than-normal approach speed. The present invention provides for variable detection times in either a variable threshold windshear detection or a fixed threshold detection system. A measurement of angle or attack is used to deduce the aircraft's approximate weight from which a normal landing approach speed may be calculated. The difference between the computed landing approach speed and the actual approach speed is used to calculate an add-on differential to the windshear system detection threshold.

Abstract: A path capture forcing function generator utilizes integrations from an initial altitude rate error signal and an initial altitude error signal to provide an altitude rate signal and an altitude signal which are compared to the altitude rate error and altitude error signals to provide path rate error and path error signals to the autopilot. In the process of providing the altitude rate and altitude error signals an altitude acceleration signal is established which is used as a feed forward predictor for expected normal acceleration of the aircraft.

Abstract: The detent signals produced by the rotation of a selector switch knob are counted and stored in a first register, the contents of the register including a sign position designating the direction of rotation of the selector switch knob. The contents of the first register are periodically combined with the contents of a second register, permitting an operator to insert any desired numerical value in the second register. In order to expedite the insertion of a desired numerical value in the second register, when the rate of detent signal generation exceeds a preselected value, a numerical value, greater than the rate of detent signal generation, is combined with the contents of the second registr. Two algorithms are disclosed that permit the numerical value added to the second register to increase at a rate greater than the increase in detent signal generation. In this manner, a large numerical value can be entered in the second register without excessive rotation of the selector switch knob.

Abstract: A precision variable attenuator includes quadrature hybrid circuits, each having a first pair of isolated ports corresponding to the input and output ports of the attenuator. The second pair of isolated ports each are terminated with variable impedances in a manner to provide equal reflection coefficients at each port. Signals incident to the input port are coupled to the second pair of isolated ports and reflected therefrom to be coupled to the output port.

Abstract: An electronics box includes a cover and a bottomwall spaced from the cover by opposed sidewalls of the box. A motherboard having circuit card connectors thereon is mounted in the electronics box adjacent the cover. The box further includes in-line connectors mounted adjacent the motherboard with the in-line connectors interconnected with the connectors in the motherboard. The bottomwall and sidewalls include circuit card edge guides formed therein for retaining circuit cards connected to the motherboard.The arrangement of the in-line connectors adjacent to the motherboard provides for relatively direct and short runs for the interconnecting harness cable, thereby minimizing the amount of space within the box devoted to internal interconnect cables.The in-line connectors provide for straight-line connection or disconnection, making possible direct mounting with a simple jackscrew arrangement.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display, the optical transmission of the liquid crystal medium as a function of applied electric field varies with temperature. In order to ensure that the temperature of the liquid crystal medium can provide a practical response time, a heating element, along with a sensor element and a thermostat, establishes the temperature of the liquid crystal display in an appropriate range. The output signal of the sensor element is digitized and is used as a first portion of a memory unit address. A second portion of the memory unit address is provided by digitized command signals either from an operator or from the processing apparatus controlling the image of liquid crystal display. The logic signals stored at the location determined by the first and second address portions identify an electric field (applied voltage) that provides compensation for temperature and compensation for non-linear characteristics of the liquid crystal medium.

Abstract: An aircraft navigation system is disclosed for use in missions involving unfamiliar terrain and/or terrain having hostile forces. The navigation system includes an inertial navigation system, a map of the terrain with elevational information stored in a digitized format as function of location, a typical energy managed or narrow (radar or laser) beam altimeter, a display system, and a central processing unit for processing data according to preselected programs. The data processing system includes an operational mode (software program) for relating the continuing sequence of altimeter readings with the changing aircraft position on the digitized map. In this manner, the true position of the aircraft can be determined with respect to the digitized map and can be displayed on a plan view of the map. When the correct position of the aircraft with respect to the digitized map is known, a display of the map and the aircraft can provide presentations useful to the navigation of the aircraft, e.g.

Abstract: A computer system monitor and controller is provided which, in response to certain command input signals, logic signals and sensor input signals, shuts off power to a computer either immediately or after the computer's operating system has accomplished a controlled shutdown procedure.

Abstract: A method for controlling the wire loop height of wires installed during the manufacture of an electronic module with a wire bond machine provides for making adjustments based on the wire loop height adjustment resolution of the wire bond machine itself, rather than on an electrical performance specification tolerance for the module.

Abstract: In the navigation display of the electronic flight instrument system, the arc mode and Rose Nav mode of a navigation display require computation of parameters for a greater surface (modified Edit) area than the Edit area for each display scale. When the icons representing selected navigational features are included on the navigation display, the retrieved and stored icons can be positioned external to the viewable Edit area. Because access to a dictionary defining the position of the icons is sequential and because the display buffer storage unit from which the screen display is created has a limited capacity, the arc or Rose Nav display can include features in the non-viewable modified Edit area while not including important features in the Edit area. An algorithm is described that determines when a feature with which an icon is associated is in the Edit area and selects the data associated with those features in the Edit area to be stored in the display buffer storage unit.

Abstract: A protective cover for a flight instrument filter glass mounted in a cockpit instrument panel having a display screen mounted in the display unit. The display unit includes a chassis and a frame-like bezel mounted on the chassis in front of the filter glass. The bezel masks the peripheral interface between the filter glass and the display unit opening. The bezel includes a front surface adjacent to the front of the filter glass and a rear edge spaced from the front surface and adjacent to the instrument panel. The protective cover comprises a faceplate portion having a sidewall and a lip spaced from the faceplate and extending from the sidewall in a direction parallel to the plane of the faceplate. The space between the lip and faceplate being approximately equal to the space between the front surface of the bezel and rear edge of the bezel for retaining the faceplate in spaced relationship from the filter glass.

Abstract: The electric motor contemplated by this invention includes an armature having two opposed faces mounted on a shaft. The armature is mounted on the shaft intermediate of the ends of the shaft. A pair of commutators are mounted on the shaft adjacent to each of the opposed armature faces. Each of the commutators includes a plurality of commutator bars, each of which has its circumferential width offset relative to the circumferential width of the commutator bars on the other commutator. Alternately or in combinatrion, with the commutator bar offset the brushes in operative engagement with each of the commutators are arranged with their circumferential width offset, relative to the circumferential width of the brushes in operative engagement with the opposite commutator. The electric motor can also be provided with a redundancy capability by a circuit arrangement in which one of the commutators is held as a backup in the event of a failure of the windings of the other commutator.

Abstract: A three dimensional interconnected modular integrated circuit and method of manufacturing same are provided wherein the modular circuit comprises individual planar integrated circuits which are connected together and to an interconnect chip for mounting on a lead line package resulting in an increase in available integrated circuit surface area for a given footprint area.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing optocoupler devices is provided wherein individual light emitting chips are mounted to a plurality of photodetector chips still in wafer form such that testing of the emitter detector pairs may be accomplished prior to dicing of the photodetector chip and mounting of the emitter detector pairs.

Abstract: A JFET circuit generates an adjustable current having a temperature coefficient proportional to I.sub.DSS where I.sub.DSS is the drain current of a JFET when its source and gate are shorted. The JFET has a source terminal coupled to a source of supply voltage. An adjustable resistor is coupled between the gate and source terminals of the JFET. A reference current is supplied to the resistor, which reference current is proportional to the JFET's pinch-off voltage. The desired current appears at the drain of the JFET.

Abstract: A power MOS switching device is provided wherein certain protective circuits in a control portion thereof remain functional when a ground connection to said control portion is lost.

Abstract: An AGC circuit including a precision voltage clamp and method by which a receiver output voltage may be referenced to virtualy any level desired. The circuit and method of the present invention provide an extremely precise AGC and fast clamp ideal for use in RGB data transmission in a fiber optic receiver.