Abstract: A method for electrically coupling an anti-tamper mesh to an electronic module or device using wire bonding equipment and a device made from the method. Stud bumps or free air ball bonds are electrically coupled to conductive mesh pads of an anti-tamper mesh. Respective module pads have a conductive epoxy disposed thereon for the receiving of the stud bumps or free air ball bonds, each of which are aligned and bonded together to electrically couple the anti-tamper mesh to predetermined module pads.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a stackable integrated circuit layer and a device made from the method are disclosed. A stud bump is defined on the contact pad of an integrated circuit die and the stud-bumped die encapsulated in a potting material to define a potted assembly. A predetermined portion of the potting material is removed whereby a portion of the stud bump is exposed. One or more electrically conductive traces are defined on the layer surface and in electrical connection with the stud bump to reroute the integrated circuit contacts to predetermined locations on the layer to provide a stackable neolayer.

Abstract: A method for providing a known good integrated circuit die having enhanced planarity from a prepackaged integrated circuit die having a surface warpage such as in a ball grid array (BGA) package is provided. A partially-depackaged integrated circuit package is affixed to a substrate with a spacer element there between such that the active surface of the die within the partially depackaged integrated circuit die is “bowed” slightly upwardly to define a convex surface. The exposed encapsulant on the now-convex surface of the mounted, partially-depackaged integrated circuit package is then lapped or ground away to a predetermined depth so that an integrated circuit die is provided having an enhanced planarity and surface uniformity.

Abstract: The invention is a frequency modulated (FM) inertial sensing device and method which, in one embodiment, comprises an accelerometer having a proof mass coupled to a nano-resonator element. The nano-resonator element is oscillated at a first predetermined frequency, which may be a first resonant frequency, and is altered to oscillate at a second frequency, which may be a second resonant frequency, in response to a resultant force produced by the acceleration of the proof mass. The degree of change in nano-resonator element output frequency is sensed and processed using suitable processing circuitry as a change in acceleration.

Abstract: A LIDAR device and method for determining the range of a target surface using a threshold detector circuit that differentiates the laser return signal to define a differentiated signal. The signal level crossing point or threshold is representative of the peak amplitude of the return signal. The device and method compare the signal level crossing point to a predetermined threshold level to determine the range of the target surface in a LIDAR system.

Abstract: A high-speed processor core having a plurality of individual FPGA-based processing elements configured in a synchronous or asynchronous pipeline architecture with direct processor-to-memory interconnectivity that avoids the latency and bus contention delays of FPGAs using conventional bused memory. The high-speed processor core has one or more memory structures such as SDRAM or QDR electronic memory and is electrically coupled directly to one or more FPGAs using an access lead network to provide a pipelined set of FPGA-based processor elements for processing one or more predetermined operations such as one or more detection algorithms at line rates.

Abstract: The thermoelectric detector comprises an infrared absorber pixel structure supported by two electrically connected beams made of a thermoelectric material. One end of the thermoelectric beam connects to the infrared absorber pixel structure; the other end connects to the substrate. The detector comprises a microlens for collecting and focusing infrared radiation on the detector. Infrared radiation is incident on the infrared absorber pixel structure results in a temperature gradient along the length of the thermoelectric legs, and generating an electrical voltage proportional to the gradient. A low noise SIGe BiCMOS readout integrated circuit is coupled to the detector to provide a background limited detector having improved detectivity.

Abstract: An artificial synapse array and virtual neural space are disclosed. More specifically, a cognitive sensor system and method are disclosed comprising a massively parallel convolution processor capable of, for instance, situationally dependent identification of salient features in a scene of interest by emulating the cortical hierarchy found in the human retina and visual cortex.

Abstract: A wave energy generation system. A boom element having a float element on a terminal end is reciprocatably mounted on a rotatable turret element on a watercraft. The boom element is configured to drive a linkage element which in turn drives an energy generation element. The float element rises and falls due to marine swells, the boom element reciprocates upwardly and downwardly, driving the energy generation device or element. The energy element may be an electrical generator or air compressor. One or more energy storage elements may be provided such as a battery element or air pressure storage element. The energy generator element or energy storage means or both may be used to drive a propulsion element which may be in the form of an electric motor or air motor.

Abstract: A physically uncloneable function (PUF) sense and response module fabricated from a stack of integrated circuit chip layers. At least one of the PUF chips in the stack has a unique identifier resulting from random effects of fabrication processes. The PUF chip generates the fingerprint at power-on resulting that in turn is used to generate a private key. The private key generates a public key used to communicate with the outside world. The encrypted data from the outside world is decrypted with the private key. The public key is stored for comparison with pubic keys generated at subsequent power-up operations. If the key changes, tampering is indicated and a predetermined tamper response event is generated such as the erasing of the contents of a memory.

Abstract: An energy-harvesting buoy is provided comprising an air-pressure generator, such as a piezo-electric generator, or any other generator that can harvest energy from an air pressure. The energy harvesting buoy consists of a first float and a second float. An air pressure is created when relative vertical motion occurs between the first float and the second float which drives an air pressurization means such as a piston driven air pump using a linkage member pivotably mounted between the respective floats. The generator uses the air pressure from the air pressurization means to drive the generator to generate electrical power.

Abstract: A device for in-situ thermal imager calibration having a rotatable lens curtain with an aperture for the lens of a thermal imager to observe a scene. The lens curtain includes a balancing weight and blocking portion having a thermally uniform interior calibration surface that is rotatably disposed such that when the UAS is in level flight, the lens views the scene through the aperture. When the UAS is laterally rotated about its flight path, the lens curtain maintains its absolute position relative to the Earth by virtue of the balance weight and the lens rotates within the lens curtain for viewing a thermally uniform interior surface for calibration.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mirror compiler is provided for each protected device or circuit resulting in a program that is embedded into the protected device's source code. The mirror compiler can be configured to have multiple selectable compilation parameters offering the programmer flexible options for mirrored power cancellations. In the preferred embodiment, the mirror compiler comprises a digital-to-analog converter and a digital-to-analog load to sink current. These elements serve to define a complement of the normal (i.e., unprotected) programmed device's output current. The digital-to-analog load currents are output and thus act to cancel the expected variations in the currents of the protected programmed device.

Abstract: A sensor suite comprising a LIDAR transmitter and receiver element and a visible imager element. The transmitter operates with a plurality of selectable beam-forming optics or a tilt-tip element. A Risley or counter-rotating prism set element permits beam-steering with lower size, weight and power (SWaP). The optics for the system may be configured in a Cassegrain-type configuration in cooperation with a plurality of beam-splitting elements to permit predetermined spectrums of the received electromagnetic spectrum to be provided respectively to the LIDAR receiver and the visible imager. One or a plurality of laser illuminator analysis spectrometers are provided for the detection of incoming laser illumination from an external source which may be in the form of a micro-lamellar spectrometer element.

Abstract: A micro-image acquisition and transmission system is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the system is comprised of an image acquisition chip comprising an electronic imager, control electronics and a micro powered rotary stage comprising a transceiver array that acts as a hub to optically link a group of distributed image acquisition chips. A preferred embodiment is further comprised of a transceiver array chip comprising one or more micro-powered rotary stages having a transceiver array assembly disposed thereon. The micro-powered rotary stage is supported by a micro-brush bearing.

Abstract: A cap chip or high density reroute layer for use in a stacked microelectronic module. A first set of electrically conductive reroute layers are defined on a sacrificial substrate. One or more stud bump columns are defined on an exposed conducive pad on a conductive reroute layer. One or more active or passive electronic elements, or both may be electrically coupled to one or more exposed conductive pads. The layer is encapsulated in an encapsulant and the stud bump columns exposed by removing a portion of the encapsulant. A second set of electrically conductive reroute layers is defined on the layer and electrically coupled to the stud bumps. The sacrificial substrate is removed to provide a cap chip or reroute layer.

Abstract: A signal processing method and device for measuring the input rate of an FM micro-gyro having a modulation frequency FM and having an oscillator sense element having a nominal frequency FOSC is disclosed. In a first aspect of the invention, the method comprises defining a first time interval TWN and a second time interval TWP and measuring the first time interval and the second time interval by counting the number of periods of a predetermined reference frequency. The nominal frequency of the oscillator sense element FOSC is measured along with the modulation frequency FM. From these measurements, the proof mass period NW is calculated. The time difference ?t is calculated from the above measurements. The method then comprises calculating a modulation M that produced the measured ?t, preferably using an iterative method. From the above, the input rate ? is calculated by dividing M by a sensitivity S of the FM micro-gyro.

Abstract: A micro-connector fabricated from a semiconductor material is disclosed. The micro-connector has one or more low resistance regions having a predetermined low resistance through its thickness. Opposing surfaces of the semiconductor layer have one or more complementary and opposing receiving volumes and one or more complementary mating elements defined on each of the respective surfaces within the low resistance regions for the receiving of a solder ball bond from, for instance a stackable microelectronic layer or component. The solder ball bonds of a separately provided electronic element can be inserted through the mating elements and into the volume and mechanically affixed and electrically coupled to the micro-connector on each of the surfaces for the electronic coupling of a first electronic element to a second electronic element.

Abstract: A gravity-stabilized sensor mount is disclosed having a base member pivotably coupled to a multi-axis gimbal with damping means disposed between the base member and one or more gimbal elements. The gimbal assembly is coupled to a connecting member which may, in turn, be coupled to a moving platform such as a land vehicle, aircraft or marine vessel. The base member may have a payload such as a sensor system mounted on it and is provided with counter-balances so that the base member remains level in two horizontal axes with respect to the surface of the Earth regardless of the vertical orientation of the connecting member.

Abstract: A device and method for the acquisition, processing and optimized transmission of video image data. The display output of an electronic viewing device is split by means of a beam-splitting element. A split portion of the image is detected by a detector and its output digitized. Regions of interest in the split image may be identified by eye-tracking or image saliency processing means to define salient regions in the split image. The salient regions in the split image are transmitted to a remote receiver at a higher resolution than the non-salient regions in the scene whereby video transmission bandwidth is reduced and optimized.