Abstract: An existing TDRSS satellite communication system is incorporated, together with low-power ground-based remote transceivers of special design, and additional beamforming and steering elements at the ground terminals, to make possible digital communication between low power field transceivers and satellite ground terminals. The satellite communication system transmits to its ground terminals a composite signal, comprising amplified, phase-coherent signals received by an array of broad-coverage antennas on the satellite. The field transceiver transmits a pseudonoise coded signal spread across all or a portion of the satellite's receive bandwidth. At the ground terminals, the downlinked composite signal is processed by a beamformer to define a narrow, high-gain beam between the satellite and low-power transceiver. Signal processing gain and beamformer gain in combination serve to elevate the received, demodulated signals well above the noise level at the receiver.

Abstract: An information broadcast system having a broadband broadcast system selected from cable and satellite for broadcasting requested information from a selected information source, including the Internet, to one or more selected subscriber stations includes an independent backhaul channel for communicating information request signals from a subscriber station to one or more central processing stations. The system includes a data broadcast station for transmitting requested data from the selected data source and central station via the data broadcast station to the one or more selected subscriber stations. The high-data rate broadcast station forwards requested data from a data source to the data broadcast station. A backhaul satellite communication system, independent of the broadband broadcast system, has a backhaul satellite ground terminal for coupling information request signals from backhaul satellite communication system to high data broadcast station terminal.

Abstract: A vehicle air outlet having an outlet bell, an upstream intruder member, a control shaft secured to the upstream intruder member, and a ball and socket device for mounting the control shaft to the outlet bell. In a preferred embodiment a portion of the control shaft is made to serve as a housing having a fixed hemispherically shaped bearing seat which is integrally formed therein at the closed end of the housing and a slot is formed in the housing to allow the ball supporting struts to extend outwardly from proximate the axial center of the outlet. A spring loaded bearing seat forming a second hemispherical and floating portion of the socket is guided by the housing into engagement with and to capture the is ball in the socket and a closure cap retains the compression spring in position. In a preferred embodiment, a long compression spring is used. This is advantageous over a short spring element where minor changes in compressed length can cause relatively high changes in spring force.

Abstract: A star configured multiple access radio communication system wherein a hub station communicates, in time division multiplex mode, with a plurality of remote subscriber stations by a forward link signal path and the remote subscriber stations communicate with the hub on a return link signal path and wherein all received return link signals are time synchronous, and all signals possess the same time division multiplex structure in which a portion of the signal is dedicated to time synchronization. Each remote subscriber station has a synchronization burst sequence generator, each generated burst sequence is constructed such that the time tracking and synchronization process of each return link is relatively unaffected by all other remote stations. At the hub station there is a delay discrimi-nator for each remote subscriber, each delay discriminator includes a first and a second channel. The first channel has a one symbol delay device, a matched filter, and a squaring circuit.

Abstract: A bicycle rear wheel dropout assembly comprising a wheel dropout body member having a wheel axle receiving slot, a surface for securement of the rear end of a bicycle chainstay, and a seatstay projection a pivot pin projecting laterally from the wheel side of said seatstay projection, the seatstay tube having a lower edge, and means permanently securing said seatstay tube on the projection with said lower edge in engagement with said pivot pin in a predetermined angular orientation for a given bicycle size. In a second embodiment the seatstay projection is spherically shaped and the lower edge of the seat tube has a pivot pin notch with the pivot pin seated in the notch.

Abstract: A vehicle fluidic oscillator for causing a jet of liquid to repeatedly sweep through a selected fan angle has a power nozzle coupled to a source of liquid under pressure, an oscillation chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end with the power nozzle at the upstream end, and an outlet to ambient at the downstream end. A pair of opposed control ports are provided at the upstream end, and sidewalls which diverge from the upstream end and then converge towards the outlet. A pair of control passages connect the downstream end of the oscillation chamber with the control ports, respectively, and a pair of bypass passages, one for each control passage, respectively, connect each control passage with the source of liquid under pressure.

Abstract: A system for the delivery of wireless broadband integrated services digital network (ISDN) using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM).

Abstract: A two-stage liquid spray device having an outlet region with an island and an exit aperture and a fluidic oscillator, driving said outlet region. The improvement for the spray device is operable at low pressure to achieve full-area coverage with substantially uniform droplets and wherein all of the spray droplets land on the desired work surface and do not bounce. The fluidic oscillator includes an oscillation chamber, a power nozzle for introducing a jet of liquid from a source into the oscillation chamber. The oscillation chamber is configured to produce a pair of alternating control vortices which substantially preclude wall attachment of said jet traversing said oscillation chamber thus avoiding a heavy endedness in the oscillatory jet. An outlet from the oscillation chamber to the outlet region, whereby the jet rhythmically sweeps in end pulses to each side of the island and form a sheet at the exit aperture. The sheet is rhythmically waved or swept in the ambient air to form the uniform droplets.

Abstract: A cooling tower having a housing for forming droplets of hot water in an air stream which causes a small portion of the hot water issuing from said oscillating spray nozzles to evaporate and remove heat from the remaining water thereby cooling said remaining water. A sump collects the remaining water and returns the remaining water to the heat source. The low pressure fluidic oscillating nozzles: (a) form large sized droplets of hot water uniformly over a large area, (b) reduce the quantity of droplets of hot water that are less than 2 mm diameter, (c) issue a spray pattern that reduces aerodynamic interference with air flow from said air blower, and (d) reduce sediments getting into the spraying of said hot water. In a preferred embodiment, the fluidic oscillator is a cusped island oscillator having an outlet with diverging sidewalls.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator and method in which a first molded portion comprises a first part having an oscillator circuit silhouette formed in one surface. The oscillator circuit silhouette has a power nozzle, an oscillation chamber, with upstream and downstream ends, a power nozzle at the upstream end adapted to receive a liquid under pressure and an outlet to ambient at the downstream end, and oscillation inducing elements in the oscillation chamber. A closure seal plate part is hingedly connected to the first part such that the closure seal plate can engage the oscillation silhouette. A second molded portion has a recess adapted to forcibly receive the first portion with the closure seal plate engaging the oscillation silhouette. Interfitting protuberances and recesses prevent sliding between the first part and the closure seal part when they are forced into the recess.

Abstract: A runoff water monitoring system for sampling sheet-flow from a generally flat surface having an edge comprises an elongated recess contiguous to the edge and depending below the generally flat surface. An insert in the recess has an upper end and an open frame plate member. A grate member is secured to the open frame and has a downwardly depending sample receptacle attachment sleeve and a grate plate having a predetermined number of sheet-flow metering apertures therein. A sample collection receptacle is releasably secured on the attachment sleeve to receive water flowing through the sheet-flow metering apertures. The sheet-flow metering apertures are preferably rectangular and have a rounded leading or upstream edge and square side and back edges. The sample receptacle over the attachment sleeve which has an endless groove in the sleeve and an endless elastic member is seated in the groove over the open end of the sample receptacle.

Abstract: A high speed data collection processing and distribution system for coupling a plurality of digital data sources to a plurality of digital data processors. The system includes a plurality of segmented parallel data paths and a plurality of nodes connecting said parallel data paths in an endless ring. Each node includes an input connector for connecting the end of one of said segments of parallel data paths on a one-for-one basis; a data multiplexer, a plurality of node parallel data paths in the node corresponding to the segmented parallel data paths, respectively, connected to the input connector and the data multiplexer such that data input to the multiplexer corresponds to respective ones of the segmented parallel data paths. A processor is coupled to said node parallel data paths, and as a second input to the multiplexer a common source of clock and slot signals is independently connected to said control processor in each node, respectively, for controlling the timing thereof.

Abstract: An AC color plasma display system comprises an AC plasma display panel having transversely oriented first and second insulated electrode arrays defining a matrix of display pixels. Linear ribs are in substantially parallel alignment with one of the linear electrode arrays to form gas channels, respectively, aligned electrodes in one of the arrays. A plurality of phosphor layers are on the ribs, and a UV rich gas discharge medium is sealed in the channels. An interface circuit for receiving video signals from one of a selected plurality of video sources produces, in digital form, pixel data, pixel clock, and horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from a gray scale drive system is connected between said interface circuit and AC plasma display panel. The gray scale drive system includes blue, green and red color channels and pixel-by-pixel gray scale control of each color channel.

Abstract: A fluidic flow meter comprising a fluidic oscillator having an oscillation chamber, a power nozzle for issuing a jet of fluid into the oscillation chamber, an outlet for issuing fluid from the oscillation chamber. A bendable fiber optic wave guide loop has a section adapted to lose light as a result of flexing or bending is mounted in a flow path in the oscillation chamber and subjected to oscillatory flow of the fluid. Light is injected into one end of the fiber optic wave guide and a detector senses the oscillatory loss of light in the fiber optic wave guide as a measure of fluid flow through the fluidic oscillator.

Abstract: A bicycle frameset having a front frame portion and a rear triangle swing arm portion, a head tube mounted don the forward end and a seat tube mounted on the trailing end. The rear triangle swing arm incorporates a rigid channel member having a pair of reinforced legs joined by an integral base piece. The lower end of the channel has a shaped edge which is shaped complementary to the shape of the external surface of the bottom bracket. The swing arm bearing and pivot connection to the front frame portion utilizes a clevis-like member bridging the upper ends of the legs of the rigid channel member.

Abstract: A windshield washer system wherein a nozzle is mounted on the hood of a vehicle and issues a jet of washer fluid in the ambient towards the windshield. The nozzle has a housing and a projecting surface, air deflector or tab formed to with or attached to the nozzle housing for aerodynamically assuring that the washer fluid impinges on the windshield in a predetermined area thereon at speeds above a predetermined minimum. In preferred embodiments, the projecting surface, air deflector or tab projects from about 6 mm to about 12 mm above the nozzle housing.

Abstract: A fluidic oscillator comprises a housing having interior walls defining a cylindrical space therein, a fluidic oscillator is mounted in said cylindrical space and has an oscillating chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end. A power nozzle issues a jet of fluid into the oscillation chamber from the upstream end thereof, an outlet formed in the downstream end. A pair of control ports at opposing sides of the power nozzle are coupled to a pair of feedback entranceways in the downstream end of the oscillator chamber and at corresponding opposing sides of the outlet. The control passageways connect each feedback entranceway with the a control port on the opposing sides, respectively. Each control passageway is formed in part by the interior wall and the oscillator element.