Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method of processing a signal is described that includes receiving a signal having an encoded digital packet, wherein the digital packet includes packet data and a packet frame, wherein the packet frame includes a common digital signal that is common to each one of a plurality of digital packets. The method further includes sampling a signal associated with the received signal to provide a sampled signal. The method further includes performing a channel characterization by contrasting a signal representative of the sampled signal with a signal representative of the common digital signal. A corresponding system is also described.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method of processing a signal is described that includes receiving a signal having an encoded digital packet, wherein the digital packet includes packet data and a packet frame, wherein the packet frame includes a common digital signal that is common to each one of a plurality of digital packets. The method further includes sampling a signal associated with the received signal to provide a sampled signal. The method further includes performing a channel characterization by contrasting a signal representative of the sampled signal with a signal representative of the common digital signal. A corresponding system is also described.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method of processing a signal is described that includes receiving a signal having an encoded digital packet, wherein the digital packet includes packet data and a packet frame, wherein the packet frame includes a common digital signal that is common to each one of a plurality of digital packets. The method further includes sampling a signal associated with the received signal to provide a sampled signal. The method further includes performing a channel characterization by contrasting a signal representative of the sampled signal with a signal representative of the common digital signal. A corresponding system is also described.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a method of processing a signal is described that includes receiving a signal having an encoded digital packet, wherein the digital packet includes packet data and a packet frame, wherein the packet frame includes a common digital signal that is common to each one of a plurality of digital packets. The method further includes sampling a signal associated with the received signal to provide a sampled signal. The method further includes performing a channel characterization by contrasting a signal representative of the sampled signal with a signal representative of the common digital signal. A corresponding system is also described.

Abstract: A ship is constructed of a skeleton, including a hull, horizontal decks, and vertical support posts, all permanently joined together. At least some of the interior walls are made of a composite material of reinforcement embedded in a plastic matrix. These non-structural interior walls are semi-permanently attached to the skeleton with attachments, so that they may be readily rearranged to reconfigure the interior of the ship. The majority of the apparatus and infrastructure of the ship is affixed to the skeleton but not to the non-structural walls.

Abstract: A system and technique for directing intensity modulated electromagnetic energy. The inventive system (10) includes an intensity modulated source of electromagnetic energy (12). Individual elements (22) in an array of energy directing elements (15) are activated in sync with the modulation of energy source (12). In a particular implementation, the source (12) is a laser. The intensity of the laser is reduced during each successive field per frame. The energy directing elements (15), in this case--light directing elements, are implemented with an array of digital micromirrors. The light source (12) is modulated in intensity in accordance with a fixed modulation scheme. The mirrors (22) are selectively activated relative to the light source modulation scheme. Hence, the invention provides a gray scale output while allowing the time between mirror flips to be constant.

Abstract: Platforms on a vessel in motion are stabilized relative to one another and relative to the vessel. Primary sensors sense the position and orientation of the vessel's center of mass, which it uses as a common reference. Secondary sensors sense local platform motion to compensate for positional variations due to the vessel flexing or other localized motion. A computational system processes secondary position information relative to the common reference and calculates adjustments required to stabilize the localized platforms. By using secondary sensors in conjunction with the primary sensors, the platforms are stabilized in real time without accumulation of position error over time and are capable of being synchronized to each other.

Abstract: A system and technique for directing intensity modulated electromagnetic energy. The inventive system (10) includes an intensity modulated source of electromagnetic energy (12). Individual elements (22) in an array of energy directing elements (15) are activated in sync with the modulation of the energy source (12). In a particular implementation, the source (12) is a laser. The intensity of the laser is reduced during each successive field per frame. The energy directing elements (15), in this case, light directing elements, are implemented with an array of digital micromirrors. The light source (12) is modulated in intensity in accordance with a fixed modulation scheme. The mirrors (22) are selectively activated relative to the light source modulation scheme. Hence, the invention provides a gray scale output while allowing the time between mirror flips to be constant.

Abstract: A digital micromirror device projection system employs an array of digitally operable micromirrors that are individually and selectively tiltable between ON and OFF positions. The array of mirrors is illuminated by a high intensity light source, and light reflected from those mirrors selectively driven to the ON tilted position is reflected to a projection lens for projection onto a screen. Concomitantly, light reflected from those of the mirrors in the OFF position are blocked by a system stop. The system stop is formed by a wedge-shaped bundle of optical fibers positioned immediately adjacent the mirror array. The fiber axes are all mutually parallel and are perpendicular to the mutually parallel planes of those of the mirrors that are tilted to the ON position so that the illuminating light is incident upon the mirrors in a perpendicular relationship and is retroreflected back through the optical fibers to the projection lens of the system.

Abstract: A novel rear projection screen that displays images with substantially uniform brightness over a wider field-of-view than prior rear projection screens, comprising a first diffusing assembly for diffusing the image and a second diffusing assembly for further diffusing the image from the first diffuser. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second diffusing assemblies comprise an input diffusing screen and a fiber optic array, respectively, with an output diffusing screen used at the output end of the fiber optic array. A preferred flat panel tiled display system that incorporates the present invention includes a plurality of collimated light sources, with respective liquid crystal display assemblies that impart images onto the collimated light beams. An imager images the image-bearing light beams onto the rear projection screen described above so that they are displayed in a tiled arrangement.

Abstract: A silicon dioxide etch stop layer (30) is formed on an inner surface (28b) of a monocrystalline silicon semiconductor layer (28), and a silicon carrier wafer (52) is bonded to the etch stop layer (30). The exposed outer surface (28a) of the layer (28) is uniformly thinned to approximately 4 micrometers. Vertical interconnects or vias (49) are formed through the layer (28), and microelectronic transistor driver devices (42) and storage capacitors (47) are formed on the outer surface (28a) of the layer (28) in connection with the respective vias (49). A substrate (12) is adhered to the outer surface (28a) of the layer (28), and the carrier (52) is removed. Reflective metal back electrodes (20) are formed on the insulating layer (30) in connection with the respective vias (49).

Abstract: A silicon dioxide etch stop layer (30) is formed on an inner surface (28b) of a monocrystalline silicon layer (28), and a silicon carrier wafer (52) is bonded to the etch stop layer. The exposed inner surface (28a) of the monocrystalline layer (28) is uniformly thinned to approximately 4 micrometers. Front electrodes (20) in the form of heavily doped areas, and microelectronic transistor driver devices (42) for the electrodes (20) are integrally formed on the outer surface (28a) of the monocrystalline layer (28). A front plate (12) is bonded to the outer surface (28a) of the monocrystalline layer (28), and the carrier (52) is removed. The central portion of the etch stop layer (30) is removed from the inner surface (28b) of the monocrystalline layer (28), and the exposed central portion (28c) of the layer (28) is uniformly thinned to approximately 400 angstroms using plasma assisted chemical etching.

Abstract: A photosensitive layer of a liquid crystal light valve is made of a single crystal silicon wafer (14,70) bearingan irregular pattern of diodes (50a,50b, 60a,60b). The diodes are varied in size, shape and location so as to improve resolution, reduce interaction between the diode spatial pattern and the spatial pattern of input data, and, in one embodiment, to eliminate a difficult masking step. A masking step is eliminated by co-depositing a metal vapor and a silicon dioxide vapor to form random islands of cermets (50a,50b), each comprising an island of metal surrounded by a body of silicon dioxide. In other embodiments a pseudo-random mask is employed having an irregular pattern of holes (76) of varied sizes and locations.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display cell for AC operation including a first field effect transistor switch for switching video information to a first storage capacitor and a second field effect transistor switch for switching the voltage of the first storage capacitor to one side of a liquid crystal cell. The second transistor is connected to be switched on by a common signal, for example, a vertical sync signal, and the top plate voltage applied to the liquid crystal cell is alternated in synchronism with the common signal, resulting in a doubling of the effective potential applied across the liquid crystal cell.

Abstract: An improved LCMOS display device employing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having an epitaxial silicon layer lying over an implant-generated dielectric layer. MOS device and capacitor elements used to activate the display are formed and interconnected in the epitaxial silicon. The implant-generated dielectric layer and underlying silicon substrate also serve as capacitor elements, thereby simplifying the structure and fabrication of the display device and providing improved operation through improved isolation of the MOS device elements formed in the epitaxial silicon from the substrate.

Abstract: An on-substrate driver circuit for a display line of a liquid crystal display having an amplifier connected in conjunction with an amplifier input capacitor, a sample/hold capacitor and three switches. The circuit operates in a first compensation mode wherein the first and second of the switches connect both a null reference voltage and the amplifier output voltage to the amplifier input capacitor, effectively nulling out or compensating for offset between the turn-on threshold, and hence the output, of a plurality of amplifiers on the display. After compensation, the circuit is switched to an operational mode wherein the first and second switches are open and a third switch connects the analog display signal to the sample/hold capacitor. A second preferred embodiment employing a double buffer including two consecutive, serially connected amplifier stages as described is also disclosed.

Abstract: Contacts between polysilicon conductors on the surface of a silicon wafer and doped regions underlying them in the wafer, rendered defective by the growth of a thin intervening oxide layer between conductors and diffusions, are repaired by depositing dots of aluminum on the conductors in the contact areas and annealing the wafer so as to drive traces of the aluminum through the conductors and the intervening oxide into the underlying doped regions in the wafer.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal imaging display comprising a liquid crystal layer formed over the top surface of a MOS integrated circuit, the reflectivity of the pixel control electrodes is enhanced by means of a polycrystalline silicon layer formed over the MOS integrated circuit and polished to have an optically smooth surface over which the pixel control electrodes and the liquid crystal may be placed. Contrast ratios on the order of 100 to 1 are achieved.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal imaging display comprising a liquid crystal layer formed over the top surface of a MOS integrated circuit, the reflectivity of the pixel control electrodes is enhanced by means of a polycrystalline silicon layer formed over the MOS integrated circuit and polished to have an optically smooth surface over which the pixel control electrodes and the liquid crystal may be placed. Contrast ratios on the order of 100 to 1 are achieved.