Abstract: Disclosed herein are expandable interbodies with modular endplates. An expandable interbody has an outer column, an inner column threadedly coupled and translatable relative to the outer column along the longitudinal axis, and an expansion ring to adjust a body length of the expandable interbody. The expansion ring has a plurality of teeth, and the outer column has at least one arm for engaging a tooth of the plurality of teeth to lock the expansion ring. The inner column and/or outer column can include a connector for connection to a modular endplate that has a substantially hollow core. The modular endplate includes a plate with a set screw entrapped therein. The modular endplate has an aperture to receive the connector of the inner and/or outer column.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for scanning operations for co-located satellite antennas are described. For instance, a set of co-located satellite antennas may transmit a set of component transmit signals to form a beam, where a first line segment at a boundary of the beam is tangential to a first sphere having a surface that encompasses Earth, where a location on the first line segment tangential to the surface of the first sphere is above a surface of the Earth by a threshold altitude. The set of co-located satellite antennas may receive a set of component receive signals including reflected energy of the beam. A central processor may apply a set of beamforming coefficients to the set of component receive signals to obtain a receive beam signal and may process the receive beam signal to obtain a signature associated with an object within a limb of the Earth.

Abstract: A system for communications may include an antenna array, where an inter-element spacing of antennas of the antenna array may be different across the antenna array; antenna managers that are coupled with respective antennas and configured to transmit and receive ranging signals used to measure parameters representative of distances between a respective antenna and the other antennas; a calibration unit that determines positions of the antennas based on the measured parameters and positions of reference antennas; and a communications manager that communicates with a terminal according to beam coefficients determined for the antenna array based on the determined positions of the antennas.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices communications are described. A terminal may be identified with a geographic region. First beam coefficients may be determined for an antenna array having interelement spacing of antennas that is different across the antenna array. The first beam coefficients may be used to form a first beam for the terminal, where a coverage area of the first beam may encompass the geographic region. The first beam may be used to communicate with the terminal. Based on a utilization of the first beam exceeding a threshold, second beam coefficients may be determined for the antenna array. The second beam coefficients may be used to form a second beam, where a coverage area of the second beam may be different than the coverage area of the first beam. The second beam may be used to communicate with the terminal.

Abstract: An antenna array may be associated with forming discovery beams within a geographic area, where each discovery beam may be formed by a corresponding set of antennas of the antenna array and cover a discovery area within the geographic area. Preambles transmitted from terminals within a discovery area of a discovery beam may be detected using the antenna array. Based on detecting a preamble using a discovery beam, a presence of a terminal in a corresponding discovery area may be determined. Based on determining the presence of the terminal, signals detected at a second set of antennas of the antenna array may be processed according to beam coefficients to obtain a beam signal of a communication beam that includes a beam coverage area encompassing a position of the terminal. Each detected signal may comprise a respective component of a signal transmitted by the terminal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for co-located satellites with ground based processing are described. A set of co-located satellites may be configured to collect a set of return link signal components, where each co-located satellite includes a first payload configured to receive a respective return link signal component including one or more return link signal transmitted from one or more terminals and a second payload configured to transmit a representation of the respective return link signal component. One or more ground stations may be configured to receive the representations of the respective return link signal components. A central processor may be configured to apply a set of beamforming coefficients to the representations of the respective return link signal components received by the one or more ground stations to obtain one or more return link beam signals corresponding to one or more return link beams from the set of co-located satellites.

Abstract: An antenna system of a satellite may consist of an antenna receiver that is coupled to a plurality of flexible couplings. The couplings may each be affixed to one or more antenna elements. The couplings may be deployed in space in an uncontrolled manner. Additionally, the spacing between the couplings, and in turn the antenna elements, may be spaced in an uncontrolled manner. The antenna elements may have no pointing requirements. The antenna system may receive training signals and associate an antenna element to a time of arrival based on the training signal. Upon receiving a data signal, the antenna system may apply coefficients determined from the association of the antenna element to the time of arrival to the data signal to discover wanted signal coherence among the antenna elements.

Abstract: A process for preparing fertilizer from fish, and a fertilizer prepared from said process, is disclosed. The fertilizer is for use on soil and plants. The process involves hydrolysis of fish with a phosphorus containing acid, preferably an inorganic phosphorus based acid, under normal ambient conditions. Typically, phosphoric acid is used. The fertilizer prepared from the disclosed process contains 1 to 10% by weight of the phosphorus based acid.

Abstract: A process for preparing fertilizer from fish, and a fertilizer prepared from said process, is disclosed. The fertilizer is for use on soil and plants. The process involves hydrolysis of fish with a phosphorus containing acid, preferably an inorganic phosphorus based acid, under normal ambient conditions. Typically, phosphoric acid is used. The fertilizer prepared from the disclosed process contains 1 to 10% by weight of the phosphorus based acid.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods, apparatuses and compositions directed to producing a chemical or biological barrier to protect human or animal subjects from insect pests.

Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.

Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having structure for isolating circuit sections having at least one differing characteristic. The structure includes a chip guard ring for each circuit section having the at least one differing characteristic. Providing multiple chip guard rings allows for isolation of circuit sections and prevention of ionic contamination, but without increased expense and size. In addition, it is practicable with any IC. The invention also may include an interconnect for electrical connectivity about a chip guard ring.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having structure for isolating circuit sections having at least one differing characteristic. The structure includes a chip guard ring for each circuit section having the at least one differing characteristic. Providing multiple chip guard rings allows for isolation of circuit sections and prevention of ionic contamination, but without increased expense and size. In addition, it is practicable with any IC. The invention also may include an interconnect for electrical connectivity about a chip guard ring.

Abstract: An improved analog to digital converter is disclosed incorporating a flash converter and a charge-sharing pipelined chain converter. The invention incorporates three important circuits including a novel voltage reference steering circuit, a novel high performance low power comparator circuit and a novel digital calibration for compensation circuit. The low power is accomplished by turning on compare circuits only when comparing (controlled by timing circuits that are common to all comparators) and by a low power RAM that properly aligns the converted data. The converter operates in a pipelined manor and requires multiple sample and hold circuits for the compare circuits. The improved analog to digital converter incorporates test and calibration to compensate for variations experience during operation and manufacture of the improved analog to digital converter.