Abstract: An electronic monitoring system is disclosed for detecting the open and closed conditions of containers or cabinets containing confidential or classified information. The electronic monitoring system includes a current sensor that detects the presence of a locking bar secured to the containers. A current sensor located on each cabinet operatively cooperates with the transmitter that transmits a signal to a central location, which provides an indicator of the secured or non-secured condition of the container.

Abstract: An assembly of underwater bodies and a launcher therefor. The assembly is adapted for mounting on a submarine outside the pressure hull. The assembly includes a launcher having a housing for enclosing an underwater body, a body support structure within the housing for supporting the body, a pressure regulator system in communication with the housing for imposing a selected pressure on an interior of the housing, a hatch pivotally mounted on the housing, and an actuator for opening the hatch to permit the body to exit the hatch, and for closing the hatch. The underwater body is a self-propelled body adapted to exit by gravity from the launcher. A release device is disposed on the launcher for releasing the body from the launcher to permit the exit of the body from the launcher by gravity.

Abstract: An electro acoustic transducer has a housing having an axial threaded bore. A transducer driver element is axially aligned in the bore and has a first end mounted on an electrically conductive holder that is axially displaceable by a conductive screw member. A hemisphere on the other end of the driver element contacts a diaphragm for radiating acoustic signals. An electrical connector has a conductive coil spring coupled to the screw member and is electrically connected to the first end of the driver element via the coil spring, screw member, holder, and mounting plug. Another electrical connector is connected to the other end of the driver element via a conductive front plate, diaphragm, and hemisphere in one embodiment or a flexible lead in another embodiment. In both embodiments, the electrical connectors couple electrical driving signals to the driver elements to cause the driver elements to mechanically vibrate.

Abstract: A method and system for processing received sonar signals. The method and system generate bearing data signals based on the received sonar signal. The method and system continuously determine the signal strength of the received sonar signal and also continuously determine the total noise from the received sonar signal in the ocean environment in which the target is located. The method and system provide a sensor gain in response to the determined total noise and the signal strength, and adaptively calculate filter coefficients from the sensor gain and the determined total noise. The method and system also filter the generated bearing data signals using a filter having the calculated filter coefficients.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a broadband transducer which comprises a tail mass located at a first end of the transducer, an active compliant driver section positioned adjacent the tail mass, a first center mass positioned adjacent an end of the active compliant driver section, a first passive compliant member positioned adjacent the first center mass, and a head mass located generally adjacent a second end of the transducer, which second end is opposed to the first end. In one embodiment, the head mass is proximate the second end and another center mass and a second passive compliant members are interposed between the first center mass and the head mass. In another embodiment, a quarter-wave matching layer which forms another mass component and a second passive compliant member component, is interposed between the head mass and the second end.

Abstract: The present invention provides a receiver for underwater acoustic telemetry which combines a decision feedback adaptive equalizer structure with a modified turbo-equalizer structure. The modified turbo-equalizer structure is of significantly reduced complexity because the decision feedback adaptive equalizer structure is operable to process a plurality of data channels to provide a single symbol data output stream for application to the input of the modified turbo-equalizer which uses a decision feedback equalized, interleaver, deinterleaver and a decoder. Either a hard viterbi decorder for single iteration processing or a soft in/soft out decorder such as a MAP decoder for multiple iteration can be used. The iteration provide improved performance compared to a normal DFE and lower complexity compared to the traditional turbo-equalizer.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for predicting and detecting the crossing of two target tracks in a bearing versus time coordinate frame. The method/system use a series of periodic bearing measurements of the two target tracks to determine a bearing rate and a projected intercept with a bearing axis of the bearing versus time coordinate frame. A crossing time tc for the two target tracks is determined using the tracks' bearing rates and projected intercepts. A prediction that the two target tracks will cross results if a first inequality is satisfied while a detection that the two target tracks have crossed results if a second inequality is satisfied.

Abstract: The present invention provides a receiver for underwater acoustic telemetry which combines a decision feedback adaptive equalizer structure with a turbo-equalizer structure. The turbo-equalizer structure is of significantly reduced complexity because the decision feedback adaptive equalizer structure is operable to pre-process a plurality of data channels to provide a single symbol data output stream for application to the input of the turbo-equalizer. The turbo-equalizer structure is also of reduced complexity due to use of a correlator to provide channel response data to the turbo-equalizer. The channel response data is produced by comparing received data comprising a training sequence with a locally produced training sequence.

Abstract: A buoy system bi-directionally communicates in-air and underwater. A buoy having a shell to float on water has an upper portion in air and a lower portion in water. An array of acoustic transducers which is disposed in the lower portion receives acoustic signals and transmits acoustic signals. A dome-shaped retro-reflective coating on the upper portion is vibrated for retro-reflecting impinging laser illumination as data signals in air. An array of photo-detectors on the upper portion are responsive to impinging laser control signals and/or signals which may be transmitted as acoustic signals in water.

Abstract: An integrated motor propulsor includes a rotor which a plurality of rotor blades adapted to rotate about a center axis. An outer ring surrounding the rotor contacts one of the rotor blades and has a field means positioned on the outer ring. A duct is in low friction contact circumferentially outside the outer ring. A stator is positioned in the duct to interact with the field means. The duct also has a plurality of pitch control apparatuses pivotally joined to outboard blades which extend radially outward from the duct.

Abstract: A plasma antenna includes a plasma column formed of an ionizable gas. A modulating carrier frequency produces Hertzian dipoles within the plasma that radiate RF energy at the modulating carrier. The antenna, which produces these dipoles, can be short and still produce significant gain when the modulating carrier frequency and the natural resonance frequency of the plasma are substantially equal. Other aspects of the invention include a method to produce such plasma antenna and a product by process embodiment of the plasma antenna.

Abstract: A tester for testing multiconductor cable having a first tester is connectable to a first end of the multiconductor cable. The first tester produces one or more test signals individually on each conductor of the cable. A second tester is connectable to the second end of the cable at a remote location. The second tester monitors each of the plurality of separate conductors to detect the test signals produced by the first tester. Preferably, a first wireless transceiver is provided for the first tester that wirelessly transmits control signals to automatically coordinate testing procedure control. A second wireless transceiver joined to the second tester wirelessly transmits test result data.

Abstract: A spatial image processor neural network for processing image data to discriminate between first and second spatial configurations of component objects includes a photo transducer input array for converting an input image to pixel data and sending the data to a localized gain network (LGN) module, a parallel memory processor and neuron array for receiving the pixel data and processing the pixel data into component recognition vectors and chaotic oscillators for receiving the recognition vectors and sending feedback data to the LGN module as attention activations. The network further includes a temporal spatial retina for receiving both the pixel data and temporal feedback activations and generating temporal spatial vectors, which are processed by a temporal parallel processor into temporal component recognition vectors. A spatial recognition vector array receives the temporal component recognition vectors and forms an object representation of the first configuration of component objects.

Abstract: A system for launching bodies from a submarine includes a pump for transferring seawater to an elastomeric ejection tank, and a check valve that permits transfer of the seawater to the tank, and closes upon filling of the tank. The valve includes a head and a seat, a stem having fixed thereon the head and a disk having a circular protrusion extending toward the seat, a cup mounted around the stem and having a circular depression in a surface thereof, and radially extending holes disposed in the cup. During valve closure, the disk protrusion enters the cup depression forcing water in the depression to exit the cup through a primary restrictive path of an annular gap between the protrusion and depression and a secondary restrictive path of the radially extending holes, to slow the valve head in movement during engagement with the valve seat.

Abstract: A method for reducing the drag on an aqueous solution in a pipe or hose system such as a snow making system includes the introduction of drag reducing polymers into the aqueous solution prior to circulating the solution in a pipe or hose. In a preferred embodiment, the drag reducing polymers are a mixture of polyethylene oxide in a carrier solution. The introduction of the polyethylene oxide in a carrier solution reduces the overall frictional drag and therefore increases the snow making efficiency by reducing the power needed to pump the water. As a result, it is easier for greater quantities of snow to be made using existing equipment due to the increased flow rate as a result of the lower drag friction. In a preferred embodiment, the polyethylene oxide is approximately 20-30% by weight and is introduced into the water pipe so resulting concentrations are approximately 30-100 weight parts per million (WPPM).

Abstract: A compound electro-acoustic transducer for producing acoustic signals has a plurality of elements. Each element has a piezoelectric disk with electrically conductive plates fixed on the top and bottom sides of the piezoelectric disk. A stud is joined to an outer face of each plate. Conductors can be joined to each stud. The elements can be assembled on a resilient structure to form an array. Elements can be used in the array or individually accessed.

Abstract: A mount for acoustic transducers has a resilient sheet with a plurality of mounting apertures therein. Each mounting aperture has an annular groove formed about the inside surface of the sheet to accommodate one of the acoustic transducers. A pair of rigid, acoustically transparent plates are mounted on each side of the resilient sheet. Each plate has a plurality of communication apertures in it which correspond to the mounting apertures of the resilient sheet. The acoustic transducers are inserted into the mounting aperture of the resilient sheet. The acoustically transparent plates provide structural support for the mount.

Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional object by stereolithography. A solid reinforcing material is mixed with the fluid medium so that at least a part of said solid reinforcing medium is located in the layer of the fluid medium between the top surface of the most recently formed lamina and the top surface of the fluid medium. An acoustic field is then established in the fluid medium such that this acoustic field exists in at least part of the layer of the fluid medium between the top surface of the most recently formed lamina and the top surface of the fluid medium. The solid reinforcing material is thereby moved with said acoustic force field. A three-dimensional reinforced object is thereby produced.

Abstract: An automatic feature selection system for test data with data (including the test data and/or the training data containing missing values in order to improve classifier performance. The missing features for such data are selected in one of two ways: first approach assumes each missing feature is uniformly distributed over its range of values whereas in the second approach, the number of discrete levels for each feature is increased by one for the missing features. These two choices modify the Bayesian Data Reduction Algorithm accordingly used for the automatic feature selection.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating the remaining life of a light bulb, which includes a device for determining cold filament resistance of the light bulb while the light bulb is in a non-operating mode, a comparison device for comparing the cold filament resistance of the light bulb to a reference near an end of its life filament resistance, and a device for displaying an indication of a life expectancy for the light bulb. The system may be integrated into a vehicle or may be portable.