Abstract: A commercial vehicle fleet management system which integrates a vehicle on-board computer, a precise positioning system, and communication system to provide automated calculating and reporting of jurisdictional fuel taxes, road use taxes, vehicle registration fees, and the like. Also disclosed is an online mobile communication system and a system for monitoring carrier vehicle efficiency and vehicle and driver performance.

Abstract: A commercial vehicle fleet management system which integrates a vehicle on-board computer, a precise positioning system, and communication system to provide automated calculating and reporting of jurisdictional fuel taxes, road use taxes, vehicle registration fees, and the like. In a further aspect, there is provided an online mobile communication system and a system for monitoring carrier vehicle efficiency and vehicle driver performance.

Abstract: An RF cable contains an coaxial inner conductor and a coaxial outer shield surrounding the inner conductor in a concentric arrangement. Quarter-wave series sections in the inner conductor and the outer shield severs a direct thermal path along the RF cable, providing low thermal loading for a cryogenic-to-ambient temperature interconnection. The resonant structure of the RF cable permits propagation alternating current and blocks direct current. A method of forming the RF cable comprises depositing metal on a substrate composed of a polymer film having very low thermal conductivity, and winding the metallized substrate into a tubular configuration. The inner conductor may extend laterally beyond the outer shield to provide points of electrical contact.

Abstract: A spacecraft (10) having a cryogenic cooler (24) that maintains different temperatures in thermally insulated and nested enclosures (26, 28, 12). In the coldest enclosure (26), which is maintained, for example, approximately 10.degree. K, low-temperature superconducting (LTS) processors (32, 34) perform bus and payload processing functions at very high speed. The next-coldest enclosure (28) is maintained at approximately 77.degree. K and houses high-temperature superconducting (HTS) electronic modules, such as for power regulation and distribution (40) and a payload sensor processing module (38). The third of the enclosures (12) is maintained at approximately 300.degree. K and houses other modules operating at room temperature, including a transponder (44), power control (46), energy storage (48), a propulsion subsystem (22), a downlink data processing module (49) and the cryogenic cooler (24) itself.

Abstract: A high-speed receiver is disclosed for gathering data from an information signal carried on a superconducting transmission line. The high-speed receiver includes triggers that carry trigger pulses, and a plurality of superconducting sensors magnetically coupled to the transmission line. The sensors respond to the trigger pulses by capturing data from the information signal. The sensors may operate in a variety of capacities, including comparators, A to D converters, and logic functions.

Abstract: A commercial vehicle fleet management system which integrates a vehicle on-board computer, a precise positioning system, and communication system to provide automated calculating and reporting of jurisdictional fuel taxes, road use taxes, vehicle registration fees, and the like. Also disclosed is an online mobile communication system and a system for monitoring carrier vehicle efficiency and vehicle and driver performance.

Abstract: A feed network parallel superconductive tunnel junction circuit that acts as a doubly balanced mixer and can be utilized as a millimeter wave satellite communications link. A quadrature-fed mixer circuit relies on a network of 90 degree couplers to feed signal and local oscillator power to four identical SIS detectors where SIS is a superconductor-insulator-superconductor layer construction. Power applied to either port is split equally to each detector, and the relative phase relationship of the signal and the LO is preserved. By selecting the appropriate polarity of the dc junction bias, the detected IF output of the SIS detectors adds coherently.

Abstract: A high frequency receiver detects and downconverts 50-1,000 GHz radio frequency signals using a receiver consisting of a lens and planar antenna, pre-amplifier, mixer, local oscillator, and IF-amplifier. The insulating dielectric lens is used to focus terahertz radio frequency signals onto the thin film antenna. The preamplifier amplifies these faint signals so that they can be downconverted into an intermediate frequency by the mixer and local oscillator. The mixer is a dual port device which provides isolation of the local oscillator and input signal to avoid saturation of the preamplifier. The IF amplifier boosts the amplitude of the downconverted IF signal produced by the mixer.

Abstract: A multi-layer microstrip structure includes a substrate and a first superconducting layer deposited on the substrate. A first dielectric layer, made at least partially of benzocyclobutene (BCB), is deposited on the first superconducting layer. Additional superconducting dielectric and superconducting layers can be employed. Preferably the superconducting layers are made from niobium. The multilayer microstrip structure is ideally suited for use in passive circuit components of microwave circuits and in multi-chip modules.

Abstract: A superconducting variable phase shifter providing improved performance in the microwave and millimeter wave frequency ranges. The superconducting variable phase shifter includes a transmission line and an array of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID's) connected in parallel with and distributed along the length of the transmission line. A DC control current I.sub.DC varies the inductance of the individual SQUID's and thereby the distributed inductance of the transmission line, thus controlling the propagation speed, or phase shift, of signals carried by the transmission line. The superconducting variable phase shifter provides a continuously variable time delay or phase shift over a wide signal bandwidth and over a wide range of frequencies, with an insertion loss of less than 1 dB. The phase shifter requires less than a milliwatt of power and, if one or more of the Josephson junctions fails, the whole device remains operational, since the SQUID's are connected in parallel.

Abstract: Safety enhanced device and method are disclosed for effecting application of a therapeutic agent. A removable and operationally non-volatile programmable element is used to control operation of a therapeutic agent delivery unit. A computer, operationally independent of the delivery unit, is utilized to establish coded information for programming of the programmable element while removed from the delivery unit. Operation of the delivery unit according to the program then established for the programmable element is simulated at the computer prior to actual programming of the programmable element to insure the integrity of subsequent delivery of the therapeutic agent to a patient by the delivery unit. The programmable element effects independent delivery of therapeutic agents in each of a plurality of channels under the control of the programmable element.