Abstract: A passive, remote sensor including an optical subsystem for receiving electromagnetic radiation scattered off a surface. A detector is responsive to electromagnetic radiation received by the optical subsystem and generates a composite signal comprising a DC current component and an AC current component. A filter extracts the DC current component from the composite signal. A light emitting device is driven by the DC current component. A detector is responsive to the light emitting device and is connected to the first detector to subtract at least a portion of the DC component from the composite signal producing a modified signal. An amplifier is responsive to the modified signal detects vibrations of the surface to be detected.

Abstract: An aureolegraph includes a reflective screen with an aperture therein, a lens for focusing an image onto the screen, an imager for imaging the image on the screen, and a light trap for preventing light passing through the aperture in the screen from passing back out through the aperture.

Abstract: An improved system and method of decoding a phase modulated encoding of a pair of optical beams is preferably achieved by generating a plurality of optical fringes from the pair of optical beams, sampling each optical fringe and generating a set of at least three phase offset signals from each sampled optical fringe, each generated signal having a unique and known phase difference relative to each sampled optical fringe, and by deriving a quantitative representation of the phase encoding of the pair optical beams from information provided from each set of generated signals. Optionally, the quantitative representation is converted into an electric signal.

Abstract: A laser displacement measurement system including a radiation source for transmitting radiation to a target, an R.F. transmitter oscillator for modulating the amplitude of the radiation at a first frequency, a detector for sensing the radiation reflected from the target, an R.F. local oscillator for providing an R.F. signal at a second frequency, a first mixer circuit, responsive to the oscillators for providing a local I.F. signal which is the difference between the first and second frequencies, a second mixer circuit, responsive to the detector and the R.F. local oscillator, for providing a reflected I.F. signal which is the difference between the second frequency and the modulation frequency of the reflected radiation, and a phase detector, responsive to the local and reflected I.F. signals, for detecting a first phase difference between the signals representative of the distance of the target.

Abstract: An improved three-dimensional imaging system for imaging an object having a number of resolvable elements including: an amplitude modulated radiation source for transmitting radiation to the object; at least one photoelectric image detector; a gating circuit for synchronously enabling at least one of the detectors during at least three portions of the period of the modulated radiation source for detecting radiation reflected from the object; and a 3-dimensional image computer having a first routine for calculating the phase angle between the transmitted radiation and the reflected radiation and a second routine, responsive to the calculated phase angle, for calculating the range of the number of elements of the object with respect to each other.

Abstract: A radiosonde balloon launching system including a silo for housing an array of radiosonde balloon modules and for sheltering radiosonde balloons during inflation, a base for containing radiosonde balloon inflation and launch apparatus and a device for shielding the silo until the radiosonde balloons are ready to be launched.

Abstract: A radiosonde balloon launching system including a silo for housing an array of radiosonde balloon modules and for sheltering radiosonde balloons during inflation, a base for containing radiosonde balloon inflation and launch apparatus and a device for shielding the silo until the radiosonde balloons are ready to be launched.

Abstract: A module for automatically launching a radiosonde balloon having a battery powered radiosonde tethered thereto, the module including a housing for the radiosonde balloon and radiosonde; and an automatic balloon inflation and launch apparatus.

Abstract: A radiosonde balloon launching system including a silo for housing an array of radiosonde balloon modules and for sheltering radiosonde balloons during inflation, a base for containing radiosonde balloon inflation and launch apparatus and a device for shielding the radiosonde balloons until they are ready to be launched.

Abstract: A radiosonde balloon launching system including a silo for housing an array of radiosonde balloon modules and for sheltering radiosonde balloons during inflation, a base for containing radiosonde balloon inflation and launch apparatus and a device for shielding the silo until the radiosonde balloons are ready to be launched.

Abstract: A synchronously gated high speed CCD imager system having a predetermined frame time includes: a CCD interline transfer array including a plurality of photoelectric collection quantum wells for collecting photoelectrons from an object; a plurality of storage wells associated with the collection wells; an anti-blooming circuit for diverting photoelectrons from accumulating in the collection wells; and switching means for transferring the photoelectrons accumulated in the collection wells to the storage wells and enabling the anti-blooming circuit during synchronized portions of the frame time to divert photoelectrons from accumulating in the collection wells and for disabling the anti-blooming circuit to enable the collection wells to collect photoelectrons during another portion of the frame time.

Abstract: An optical measurement system includes: at least one optical beam transmitter; at least one optical beam detector for receiving the optical beam from the transmitter; modulation means for modulating the intensity of the transmitted optical beam; processor means for detecting the fractional and integer phase difference between the intensity modulation of the transmitted beam and the beam received by the receiver; and a calculator device for converting the integer and fractional phase difference into a distance between the transmitter and detector.

Abstract: A frequency division, energy comparison, source detection signal processing system which decomposes a wide-band signal into a plurality of narrow frequency band components, generates the energy envelope of each of those narrow band components, determines the envelope correlation coefficients, and detects the presence of a source contributing to the wide-band signal from the correlation coefficients.

Abstract: A high-resolution synthetic aperture, adaptive optics system includes an imaging system having a plurality of optical elements including at least a primary mirror which is a section of the aperture to be synthesized, and a detector for receiving the radiation collected by the primary mirror; and a device for rotating the primary mirror section through a number of angular positions about the aperture being synthesized to obtain a plurality of component images of an object, at least one from each of the positions; a device for sensing distortion of an incident wavefront; and a device responsive to distortions of the wavefront for locally adjusting at least one of the optical elements to correct distortions in the wavefront.

Abstract: A high-resolution synthetic aperture telescope system includes a primary mirror which is a section of the aperture to be synthesized; and a device for rotating the primary mirror section through a number of angular positions about the aperture being synthesized to obtain a plurality of component images of an object, at least one from each of the positions.

Abstract: A frequency division, energy comparison signal processing system for detecting the presence of, and separating the contributions from, sources that compose a wide-band sound signal, in which the system divides at least part of the wide-band sound signal into a number of discrete narrow frequency band components, generates the energy envelope of each of those components, normalizes the envelopes, multiplies each normalized envelope with each of the other normalized envelopes to obtain a plurality of envelope correlation coefficients for each frequency band, and then identifies from the correlation coefficients a sound source seed frequency band component and then, using the seed, identifies the remaining frequency components of a sound source.

Abstract: A frequency division, energy comparison processing system which decomposes a wide-band signal into a plurality of narrow frequency band components, generates the energy envelope of each of those narrow band components, and compares a function of each energy envelope with the same function of each of the other energy envelopes to obtain a pattern of the function comparisons indicative of at least one of the sources contributing to the wide-band signal.

Abstract: A high-sensitivity pulsed radiation detection system which receives pulses of radiation from a target area and includes a charge-coupled device having an array of photosensitive elements and an apparatus for receiving backscattered radiation from the target area. The apparatus repeatedly scans, across at least one row of the array, the back-scattered radiation from a plurality of regions within the target area. The photosensitive elements accumulate charges and are arranged in rows and columns. The detection system further includes a circuit for synchronizing the apparatus for scanning with the radiation pulses for accumulating in the same photosensitive element of the row charges representing the same region during successive scans.

Abstract: A precision drive system including a base plate; track means and an air bearing means movable relative to one another, one of the means being fixed to the base plate and the other being movable for carrying an object to be moved relative to the base plate; means for moving one of the track and air bearing means; means for driving the moving means; and a control circuit including a power circuit for operating the means for driving; a velocity sensor for detecting the velocity of the movable one of the track and air bearing means, and a velocity feedback circuit for introducing velocity error signals into the power circuit to correct velocity; a position sensor to detect the position of the movable one of the track and air bearing means and a position feedback circuit for introducing position error signals into the power circuit to correct position.

Abstract: A curved glass X-Ray reflector having a curve depth d' including a glass plate having a stiffness S.sub.1 ; a backing plate having a stiffness S.sub.2 and a curved surface with curve depth d; and bonding means for joining the glass plate to the curved surface, the resulting curved glass reflector having curve depth d', where d' is equal to d/R and R is the ratio of (S.sub.1+ S.sub.2)/S.sub.2 ; and a method of making such a reflector.