Abstract: A signal processing in the element (SPRITE) thermal imaging system (20) is provided which has automatic gain control, level control, and delining. An array of SPRITE detectors (22) generate a plurality of analog signals which are proportional to the flux of infrared light received by each of the detectors (22). A digital scan converter (137) processes the analog signals and generates a resultant digital output (188) which contains digital image data for image production. A first plurality of sample-servo control loops (278, 280, 282, 284) provides automatic gain control using the digital output (188) and a second plurality of sample-servo control loops (286, 288, 290, 292) provides automatic level control using the digital output (188). A deliner is provided for normalizing differences which result from variations between detectors (22).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and device for providing a graphical user interface between an individual soldier and a computer-based warfare system worn by him. The graphical user interface is made up of icon-based visual control and information screens that the soldier views on a display and manipulates with a computer mouse-like device. The interface allows the individual soldier to: view information gathered by a variety of sources, including sensor components, radios, and satellites; process information using a variety of input devices and software utilities; and, act on that information using weapons, communications devices, and the like. The graphical user interface organizes information into three distinct "combat task" groups and provides the soldier with easily understood pictorial icons to select. By tailoring the information to a particular situation, the graphical user interface allows the soldier to view critical data without being overwhelmed by too much information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring heat in a spacecraft. The apparatus includes a flexible heat pipe having a first section, a second section, and a flexible section. A first member of a spacecraft is coupled to the first section of the flexible heat pipe, and a second member of the spacecraft is coupled to the second section of the flexible heat pipe. The first member of the spacecraft is in a rigidly fixed relationship to the second member of the spacecraft. A method of using a heat transport system for transferring heat in a spacecraft is also provided. The method includes providing a flexible heat pipe having a first section, a second section, and a flexible section, coupling the first section of the flexible heat pipe to a first member of a spacecraft, and coupling the second section of the flexible heat pipe to a second member of the spacecraft rigidly fixed with respect to the first member.

Abstract: Digital information is delivered on-demand through satellites and other predominantly broadcast transmission systems to local subscribers by fragmenting each digital item into a sequence of ordered fragments and sequencing them based upon the incidence of subscriber requests. Linear and fractal sequencers are used to schedule the fragments when the incidence of requests is respectively below and above a threshold. The linear sequencer responds to the first request by scheduling the item's fragments in order at successive time intervals and responds to each successive request by adding only those fragments that the existing schedule cannot accommodate. The fractal sequencer computes a full fractal sequencing pattern, in which the fragments are scheduled with broadcast periods less than or equal to their fragment numbers, and based upon the incidence of requests deletes the fragments in the full pattern that are not required to satisfy the subscribers' requests.

Abstract: A spacecraft having a spacecraft body and a heat radiator attached to the spacecraft body. The heat radiator is in thermal contact with the spacecraft body and the heat radiator moves from an initial position to a deployed position where heat is emitted therefrom. The predetermined deployed position is located at an angular position .theta. as measured relative to the initial position, wherein .theta. ranges from approximately 135.degree. to less than 180.degree..

Abstract: An optical device assembly includes a planar optical filter and a planar sensor having an optically active area. The optical filter and the sensor are joined together with a gap therebetween by a standoff structure extending between the optical filter and the sensor. The standoff structure is positioned at a location outside of the optically active area of the planar sensor. The standoff structure includes a standoff element, a first bonding element between the standoff and the filter, and a second bonding element between the standoff and the sensor. The two bonding elements each preferably comprise a cold-weldable indium bump. If the standoff structure, the filter, or the sensor is made of a material to which indium does not readily cold weld, a bonding pad of a material such as titanium/nickel can be inserted to facilitate the cold welding.

Abstract: A flywheel hub includes an annular hoop and a pair of compliant diaphragms which are connected by the hoop. The diaphragms have apertures to receive a flywheel shaft and the hoop is sized to receive an annular rim. The diaphragms achieve their compliance principally with a serpentine, radial cross section. The hub is preferably realized with fiber and matrix composites. Because the compliant hub tends to match radial expansions of adjoining flywheel components, joint integrity between components is enhanced. In addition, the hub permits the rim to position its center of mass on the rotational axis to reduce rim vibrations. Axial spacing of the diaphragms provides moment stiffness to limit and control the rim deflection caused by, for example, gyroscopic precession forces.

Abstract: An electrically conductive substrate (20) is etched by providing an etchant solution having finely divided, electrically conductive particles (40) mixed therein. The electrically conductive particles (40) are made of a material that is cathodic to the substrate (20) and does not dissolve into the etchant solution, with a preferred such material being graphite. The substrate (20) is placed into the etchant solution having the particles (40) therein so that the particles (40) contact the substrate (20), and etched for a period of time sufficient to remove a desired amount of the substrate material. The substrate (20) may be provided with an apertured mask (24) prior to being placed into the etchant solution.

Abstract: A solid state array has a plurality of radiation detector unit cells, wherein each unit cell includes a bias-selectable two color photodetector in combination with either a second bias-selectable two color detector (10, 11) or a single photodetector (10', 11'). Each unit cell is thus capable of simultaneously outputting charge carriers resulting from the absorption of electromagnetic radiation within two spectral bands that are selected from one of four spectral bands and three spectral bands.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a microwave filter (10) for controlling the degenerate resonant modes of a spherical cavity resonator (12). The spherical cavity resonator (12) has an inner spherical surface (14) which defines a spherical cavity (16). A first and a second set of tuning elements (18) extend inward from the inner spherical surface (14) of the resonator (12) into the spherical cavity (16). One of the first set of tuning elements is located near an electromagnetic field peak, either a radial electric field peak or a surface magnetic field peak, of at least one of the degenerate modes for tuning a resonance thereof. One of the second set of tuning elements is located between electromagnetic field peaks, either radial electric or surface magnetic field peaks, of degenerate modes in at least one pair of the degenerate modes for intercoupling thereof.

Abstract: A method for selecting a set of four target bearings from a plurality of bearing measurements to optimize rapidity, accuracy and stability of a target track solution in a bearings-only target motion algorithm. Four bearings are selected to generate the deterministic solution by first selecting a candidate bearing set, then computing a set of "n" solutions from the candidate set and others adjacent thereto. Motion parameters are then computed, and any solution exhibiting parameters outside a user defined deviation from the mean is discarded. The mean target parameters of the remaining solutions may again be computed, and further culling out performed, until the desired distribution is achieved. An optimal solution is chosen as the solution from the remaining sample space that is closest to the mean in target range, course and speed.

Abstract: A method for interactively displaying flight information in an air traffic control system. Flight information lists are displayed relative to associated geographic fixes, and further flight information is displayed pursuant to user selection of an item on a flight list.

Abstract: A processing method and apparatus that process magnetometer data derived from an array of magnetometer sensors and outputs the position or location of a magnetic dipole. In the method and apparatus, (a) a set of actual magnetic field measurements of a magnetic dipole is collected using the array of magnetic sensors. Then (b), a location for the magnetic dipole is hypothesized. Then (c), a set of estimated magnetic field measurements is determined that would be formed by a magnetic dipole at the hypothesized location. Then (d), the actual magnetic field measurements are compared with the estimated magnetic field measurements. Steps (b) through (d) are repeated for all hypothesized locations within the detection range of the array of magnetic sensors. The position or location of the dipole is displayed for viewing on a display.

Abstract: A portable integrated circuit die testing system that offers a cost-effective solution for electrically testing bare, unpackaged, integrated circuit chips or die. The system provides for direct electrical interconnection of die of various sizes and thicknesses to an automatic tester without wire bonding or packaging of the semiconductor chip or die. The system includes an X-Y table that is adjustable in horizontal X and Y directions. A contact platform is disposed above the X-Y table that has an opening therein, and is movable in a vertical direction relative to the X-Y table. An adjustment member is coupled to the contact platform for finely adjusting the movement thereof in the vertical direction. A die holder is secured to the X-Y table for holding the die that is to be tested, and in response to movement of the X-Y table. A vacuum connection is provided for drawing a vacuum on the tested die to secure it in the die holder.

Abstract: Recesses (46) are etched into the finished peripheral boundaries of a structure formed of a generally planar electronic circuit (40) on an upper surface (42) of a wafer (44). Bonding pads (48) are deposited in the recesses (46) and interconnected to the electronic circuit (40). External leads (52) are attached to the bonding pads (48), such that the external leads (52) lie below the plane of the electronic circuit (40).

Abstract: A submicron emitter heterojunction bipolar transistor and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed. The fabrication process includes lattice matched growth of subcollector, collector, base, emitter, and emitter cap layers in sequential order on a semi-insulating semiconductor substrate. An emitter cap mesa, an emitter/base/collector mesa and a subcollector mesa are formed. Dielectric platforms are formed extending the base/collector layers laterally. Sidewalls are formed on the sides of emitter cap mesa and the sides of the extended base/collector layers and undercuts are etched into the emitter layer and the upper portion of the subcollector layer. This forms an overhang on the emitter cap mesa with respect to the emitter layer and an overhang on the base/collector layers with respect to the upper portion of the subcollector layer.

Abstract: An optical amplification system directs a diffraction-limited signal beam through a series of crossings, at substantially less than 90.degree. crossing angles, with a number of non-diffraction-limited pump beams in a photorefractive medium. The pump beams are e-polarized while the signal beam travels down the crystal medium's c-axis and is polarized in the same plane as the pump beam polarization, resulting in an energy transfer from the pumps to the signal beam while leaving the signal beam diffraction-limited. The photorefractive medium is preferably a series of BaTiO.sub.3 :Rh crystals that are aligned parallel to the angled edge of a wedged-shape prism through which the pump beams are transmitted, with the crystals cut so that their C-axes are parallel to the signal beam.

Abstract: A loop four-wave mixing phase conjugator that can be used with depolarized signal beams comprises a polarization separator, a polarization mixer, an optical diode, a gain medium and relay optics that together form a unidirectional laser resonator. In operation, the polarization separator separates a signal beam .epsilon..sub.1 into orthogonally polarized signal beam components .epsilon..sub.11 and .epsilon..sub.12 and directs them to a nonlinear medium. The components propagate through the nonlinear medium and emerge as loop beam .epsilon..sub.2, with orthogonally polarized components .epsilon..sub.2 and .epsilon..sub.22. The polarization mixer mixes the energy from the two orthogonally polarized loop beam components, and relay optics direct the loop beam components back to the nonlinear medium at an angle with respect to the input beam. The loop beam components intersect and optically interfere with signal beam components .epsilon..sub.11 and .epsilon..sub.22 in the nonlinear medium to form gratings.

Abstract: A continuous-time tunable Gm-C architecture for a .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator includes a tunable resonator and a low bit rate, high sample rate quantizer connected in a feedback loop. The resonator shapes the quantization noise spectrum so that the bulk of the quantization noise occurs outside the signal spectrum. A tunable Gm cell tunes the resonator's resonant frequency to maximize the modulator's SNR. The tunable Gm cell includes a fixed Gm cell having transconductance G.sub.f, a current divider and a recombination circuit that together effectively multiply G.sub.f by a factor .alpha., where -1<=.alpha.<=1, without effecting the cell's common mode current I.sub.cm. A positive current source supplies I.sub.cm, while maintaining a common mode resistance of R/2 and a theoretically infinite differential mode resistance. Thus, the resonator's resonant frequency can be varied from DC to approximately 1 Ghz while maintaining a stable common mode operating point and improving the modulator's quality factor.

Abstract: An optical system is provided that produces bright, high contrast head-up display images which are not adversely affected by the direct exposure to sunlight of the system's virtual image source. The optical system comprises a light source system which projects a focused light beam to a segmented, electronically-addressed polymer-dispersed liquid crystal ("PDLC")-type film, which serves as a primary image source. Selected segments of the image source are made transmissive while other selected segments scatter light. Accordingly, the portions of the focused light beam incident to transmissive segments are transmitted to form a real image, while the balance of the focused light beam is scattered. A stray light-blocking means, such as a lens/aperture combination, is employed to block the scattered light. The real image is projected onto an unsegmented, electronically-addressed PDLC-type film serving as an image screen.