Abstract: Individual objects are located according to a coordinate system in time-successive patterns and correlated between patterns. The objects are correlated by assigning identifiers to each in both patterns. The locations are transformed by reorientation to their centroid. The average of the transformed coordinate differences is used to adjust the centroid of the objects in a subsequent pattern and the transformed coordinate differences adjusted for the centroid displacement. A figure of merit is taken as the root-mean-square of the adjusted differences and used to determine which possible combination of correlated objects between two patterns is most likely.

Abstract: A method for enabling a diagnostic system to assess, within time constraints, the health of the host system during operation, and to detect and isolate system faults during maintenance, with reduced potential for false alarms due to intermittent real faults and system noise, and for apparent misdiagnosis of the host system health, by use of a Diagnostics by Confidence Measure Assessment (DCMA) process in which a confidence measure is provided for each system test failure assessment, resulting from both the use of specialized persistence processing on many test results from a single source and the use of specialized corroboration processing on many test results from different sources.

Abstract: A fault-tolerating memory system has a data memory with a large number (M+N) of data storage words each having a length greater than the length of user data to be stored in that word; the extra word length is used for at least an error-detecting-and-correcting (EDAC) code. The user data is stored in a smaller number (N) of the words, with the remaining number (M) of words being used to store a map of which portions, if any, of each word are not usable. The N words of user data storage can include S normal storage words and (N-S) spare words, each for use if one of the normal storage words has too many unusable portions. A portion of each word length can contain at least one spare word portion, to which a block of data can be moved if any bit of a like-sized portion of the normal storage word is unusable.

Abstract: In a television sync signal one or more of the post-equalizing pulses of the vertical blanking interval is/are altered in duration to provide information to a receiving circuit.

Abstract: Apparatus for electronically steering a null in a total radiation-reception pattern provided by a set of angularly disposed (preferably substantially-orthogonally-positioned RF) antennae, uses: first and second N-bit binary attenuator subsystems for modifying the amplitude of a signal provided by an associated one of the pair of antennae, responsive to an associated one of first and second control data signals; a set of look-up tables, receiving null-angle input data, provide the first and second signals as the sine and cosine, respectively, of the input null-angle; and the output of the first and second attenuator means are then combined to provide an output signal in which contributions arriving at the set of antennae substantially at the null angle are substantially reduced. The signal combiner may include at least one polarity reversal circuit, possibly including a transformer and/or switch means, to accommodate nulling to all four quadrants of a full circular response pattern.

Abstract: A waveguide having walls defining an opening. An optically transmissive aperture in one wall allows light from an optical illumination source such as a laser diode array to illuminate the opening in which is located a semiconductor slab positioned to be illuminated. When the array illuminates the slab, the propagation characteristics (phase velocity and attenuation constant) of the waveguide changes. A continuous wave signal passing through the waveguide is thus attenuated and phase shifted. The laser array may be pulsed on and off while still maintaining the altered propagation constant.

Abstract: A control system for the reentry phase of a reentry type vehicle with the vehicle having aerodynamic control surfaces for controlling the attitude of the vehicle during reentry includes an estimating device, such as an extended Kalman filter, for estimating dynamic aerodynamic operational parameters of the vehicle in response to status parameters of the vehicle, a sensing device for supplying the status parameters, an autopilot device for generating a drive command signal in response to the dynamic aerodynamic operaational parameters and an actuator device, which may include an electric motor or smaller hydraulic one than prior systems, for controlling the aerodynamics control surfaces in response to the drive command signal. Computation necessary for estinmating is used to determine a more accurate drive command signal than is typically available from prior systems, thereby permitting a smaller, lighter weight actuator to be used.

Abstract: Radially extending fibers are disposed over a conical surface at predetermined sites. The sites correspond to vertices of a pattern of contiguous congruent isosceles triangles inscribed onto the surface of a sector of a circle which may be conformally mapped onto the conical surface so that vertices of the pattern coincide along the join line meridian of the conical surface. Fibers are disposed between the radially extending fibers in three different directions which respectively correspond with the sides of the triangles. The material obtained exhibits an invariant fiber volume fraction along the axis of the conical surface. The material may be used to reinforce a conical object. Also, an object, such as a preform, having a conical surface and method for reinforcing an object having a conical surface, in accordance with the present invention, are described.

Abstract: A data processor includes an array of a plurality of processing elements haivng ports connected to neighboring elements. Elements at each end of a column have interconnected ports so that data can be sequentially cycled through the column elements. Elements at each end of a row have switchably interconnected ports so that in one mode data can be sequentially cycled through the row elements. The processor further includes a shift register switchably coupled to each row and memory apparatus coupled to the shift registers. The shift registers are switchable such that in a second mode data can be sequentially cycled through the shift registers and the corresponding row elements. The processor also includes an input shuffle matrix for reformatting data for facilitating data storage and recall during processing, thereby increasing overall system throughput.

Abstract: A cover for an elongated antenna window of a nose cone of a reentry type missile includes a four directional composite material. A respective portion of a plurality of fibers are disposed in each of the four directions. The directions are oriented so that the fibers provide increased resistance to expected aerodynamic pressure-induced shear forces, especially during reentry, in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the window. The fibers comprise a refractory ceramic such as silica, boron nitride, alumina, aluminum nitride or a combination thereof having a filler material including a refractory ceramic disposed in the interstices between the fibers.

Abstract: A tri-element carbon based heat shield has an outer layer including a carbon-carbon composite, a middle layer including pyrolytic graphite deposited onto an inner surface of the outer layer and an inner layer including carbon felt or foam having low density and high mechanical compliance. The thickness of each layer is selected for optimizing thermal protection over the expected operating temperature range. Although a carbon-carbon composite has a higher thermal diffusivity (inversely related to thermal insulation efficiency) than pyrolytic graphite, the carbon-carbon is selected as the outer layer in a minimum thickness sufficient to satisfy the structural strength, ablation and recession requirements of the heat shield. The resulting thickness of the outer layer determines the operating temperature range of the middle layer.

Abstract: Radially extending fibers are disposed over a conical surface at predetermined sites. The sites correspond to vertices of a pattern of contiguous congruent squares inscribed onto the surface of a sector of a circle which may be conformally mapped into the conical surface. Vertices of the pattern coincide along the join line meridian of the conical surface. Fibers are disposed along element paths between the radially extending fibers and preferably, a continuous fiber is used. The material obtained is without any seams or discontinuities and exhibits an invariant fiber volume fraction along the axis and circumference of the conical surface. The material may be used to reinforce an object having a conical surface or to fabricate a preform.

Abstract: A cooperative antenna tracking system for use at both ends of a radio link employs conical-scanning-type tracking at each end of the radio link to point a directional antenna guided by a continuous radio signal transmitted from an antenna at the other end of the link. A cooperative system between the two stations avoids pollution of the tracking in each station which might be caused by conical scanning at the other end of the link. Tracking pollution is avoided by time multiplexing tracking intervals between the two stations or by employing a tracker drive signal as a reference signal in a synchronous detector in each station to demodulate its own scanning frequency while sharply discriminating against signal variations produced by a scanning frequency at the other end of the link.

Abstract: A leadless ceramic chip carrier (LCCC) is soldered to mating conductor pads on a circuit board by depositing a layer of solder paste on peripheral contact pads and on an array of central pads on the board. The same solder paste type and melt temperature are used for both peripheral and central pads. the contact pads of the LCCC are placed on the solder layers and the assembly exposed to infrared radiation from above or other energy source. The LCCC body shades the solder on the central pads resulting in the solder layers at the peripheral pads melting first. The solder on the central pads then melts and balls up due to surface tension lifting the LCCC away from the board stretching the melted solder at the peripheral pads which make the electrical connections to the LCCC contacts.

Abstract: A process for preparing reflective pyrolytic graphite by the chemical vapor deposition of graphite on a suitable support from methane or other short chain hydrocarbons at a suitable pressure and temperature followed by annealing the pyrolytic graphite at a temperature in excess of 2600.degree. C. and pressure of 5 to 10 torr.

Abstract: Radially extending fibers are disposed over a conical surface at predetermined sites. The sites correspond to vertices of a pattern of contiguous congruent squares inscribed onto the surface of a sector of a circle which may be conformally mapped into the conical surface. Vertices of the pattern coincide along the join line meridian of the conical surface. Fibers are disposed along element paths between the radially extending fibers and preferably, a continuous fiber is used. The material obtained is without any seams or discontinuities and exhibits an invariant fiber volume fraction along the axis and circumference of the conical surface. The material may be used to reinforce an object having a conical surface or to fabricate a preform.

Abstract: Radially extending fibers are disposed over a conical surface at predetermined sites. The sites correspond to vertices of a pattern of contiguous congruent isosceles triangles inscribed onto the surface of a sector of a circle which may be conformally mapped onto the conical surface so that vertices of the pattern coincide along the join line meridian of the conical surface. Fibers are disposed between the radially extending fibers in three different directions which respectively correspond with the sides of the triangles. The material obtained exhibits an invariant fiber volume fraction along the axis of the conical surface. The material may be used to reinforce a conical object. Also, an object, such as a preform, having a conical surface and method for reinforcing an object having a conical surface, in accordance with the present invention, are described.

Abstract: A magnetically susceptible part motion sensor where the sensor is subject to random accelerative conditions. The sensor comprises a first accelerometer and magnet combination and a second accelerometer and nonmagnetic body combination. The accelerometers are substantially identical and the nonmagnetic body is substantially identical in weight, size and other characteristics to the magnet. Therefore the signal produced by the accelerometers due to random accelerative motion are identical but the first accelerometer produces a signal component corresponding to the passage of the magnetically susceptible part. A differential amplifier is connected to receive the outputs of the two accelerometers and to produce an output signal corresponding substantially only to the passage of the magnetically susceptible part.

Abstract: A process for making a structural ceramic article, such as, an electromagnetic window, is disclosed, wherein the ceramic article is comprised of a densified mixture of not less than 50% by volume aluminum nitride and up to about 50% by volume boron nitride. The ceramic article of the present invention may be used as a shield or protective barrier such as an electromagnetic window for communication or detection devices on high speed transportation or delivery vehicles passing through extremely hostile environments, where it exhibits radar transparency, congruent vaporization kinetics, tailorable dielectric properties, improved thermal shock resistance, improved mechanical toughness and strength, improved spall resistance, improved recession rate, i.e. erosion rate and ablation rate, and high refractoriness.

Abstract: A system for recording a high resolution still video image consists of a memory for storing the image. The memory is addressed so that portions of the high resolution image may be read out to form video sub-images corresponding to a conventional video format, such as the NTSC standard. Each of these standard format sub-images is then stored on a video disk. Upon playback of the video disk to retrieve the images, each of the sub-images is stored in a memory in a fashion such that when all of the sub-images are so stored the entire memory may be read out to produce a reconstituted version of the high resolution video image.