Abstract: In an interrogation vehicle, a receiver of data from a plurality of remote vehicles such as aircraft or maritime vessels in a cooperative collision avoidance system is arranged to receive such data reply signals in reply to interrogation signals. The reply signals are suitably coded in the remote vehicles to provide information in a predetermined plurality of sequential replies from each replying vehicle.

Abstract: A Fabry-Perot interferometer includes a plane mirror and a confocal interferometer tandemly aligned so that the output of the former is applied as an input to the latter. Signals are derived for synchronizing the two interferometers by stopping the scan of the plane mirror unit during a portion of each scan cycle and incrementally advancing the scan position of the scan mirror of the confocal unit so that the confocal unit scans the plane mirror unit in a plurality of successive scans.

Abstract: A circuit is disclosed for detecting ground faults and neutral faults and for providing power interruption in response thereto. The circuit monitors the current flow in the line and neutral conductors and provides a signal to a power interruption circuit in the event that a ground fault or a neutral fault condition is detected. In addition, a signal having a certain frequency is generated and coupled on the neutral line to enhance the probability of detecting neutral faults.

Abstract: A device for detecting the power of incident or reflected waves along a transmission line is described which includes a capacitive pick-up element in series with a summing capacitor between the two conductors of the transmission line. The capacitive pick-up element provides a current sample through the summing capacitor in proportion to the line voltage. A coupling loop positioned in the approximate region of the capacitive pick-up element and in series resonance with the summing capacitor provides a current sample through the summing capacitor in proportion to the line current. The coupling loop is of highly resistive material to maintain the magnitude and phase of the developed line current sample relatively independent of frequency over a relatively broad range of frequencies.

Abstract: An eight-phase modem is described in which a 2900 H.sub.z carrier has eight phases each representing one of eight tri-bit symbols 000 through 111. The phase modulated carrier is restricted for transmission to a frequency band of 2900 .+-. 50 H.sub.z, and the modem can carry four time-division-multiplex 75-baud teletype channels at 250 bits per second at the upper end of a telephone voice channel without interfering with normal voice use of the channel. Or, the modem can carry eight channels at 500 bits per second in a frequency band of 2900 .+-. 100 H.sub.z. The modem operates reliably despite a carrier frequency translation or shift of up to .+-. 5 H.sub.z in the communications path. The modem extracts a carrier cycle spike from the received signal during each symbol period, and uses the spike to synchronize a locally-generated reference signal, and compares each spike with the reference signal to derive the corresponding phase-modulated tri-bit symbol information.

Abstract: An automotive ranging and detecting system wherein clutter returns from out of lane objects at curves in a road are eliminated by adjusting the maximum range of the radar in accordance with the radius of curvature of the path of travel of the vehicle.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to collision avoidance radars, and more particularly to a ranging and detecting system for an automotive radar.2. Description of the Prior ArtConventional non-cooperative radar detecting and ranging systems, wherein a probe signal is transmitted towards a target and is "skin"-reflected therefrom back to the interrogating unit, have typically been impractical for utilization as automotive collision avoidance systems due to undesired signals known in the art as "clutter.

Abstract: Switch for use in low energy circuit and which is arranged to switch a larger voltage than required by driven circuits to insure breakdown of insulating film on switch contacts.

Abstract: An antenna for radiating substantially circularly polarized signals omnidirectionally about and substantially broadside a support mast is provided by conductors wound about the mast. The conductors are spaced from the mast and are equally distributed about the periphery of the mast with signals coupled to the conductors such that the phase of the signal coupled to one conductor is 180.degree. out of phase with the phase of the signal coupled to adjacent conductors and is in phase with the phase of the signal coupled to the alternate conductor. The number of conductors wound about the mast is selected to be twice the mode number wherein the mode number is the number of 360.degree. linearly phase changes of the electric field in one circumference. The pitch angle of the helically wound conductors and the radius of the helix formed by the conductors is selected to achieve substantially, circularly polarized radiation substantially perpendicular or broadside the lengthwise axis of the mast.

Abstract: A support member mounted on an antenna boom includes a pair of upstanding spaced stanchions for supporting a signal feedthrough wire therebetween. An antenna element is pivotally mounted to the support member and has a bifurcated end which conductively connects with the feedthrough wire when the element is rotated from a folded closed position to an extended open position.

Abstract: A spacecraft structure comprises a hollow inner cylindrical member and a plurality of planar bulkheads secured to the outer surface of the inner member and extending radially outwardly from the inner member. A plurality of planar enclosure panels are secured to the extended edges of the bulkheads and each other to form an enclosed spacecraft structure. Suitable payload equipment is secured to the enclosure panels while an apogee kick motor is secured within the inner member.

Abstract: In a cooperative collision avoidance system the detected reply signals to interrogation probe signals are correlated by a digital circuit that processes all the reply signals identifying targets over non-targets ("fruit"). The correlator is capable of detecting all targets in any desired range during a given correlation period and is provided with means to reduce the effect of bridging or straddling adjacent bins in the correlator to minimize thereby the duplication of detected replies which would overload the following processor and cause loss of desired replies.

Abstract: A machine for winding toroidal coils useful as picture tube beam deflection yokes in television receivers includes a coil winding shuttle, a filament storage magazine and structure for selectively varying the angular rate of rotation of the shuttle during the winding of each turn of the coil so as to maintain the feed rate of the filament from the magazine to the shuttle at a substantially constant rate. Additionally, a double chamber magazine and a double acting clamp are provided which respectively permit winding of the entire yoke with two separate coils and winding each coil without displacing the yoke from its winding position.

Abstract: A frequency tunable microwave apparatus including a semiconductor TRAPATT diode generating a microwave signal at its fundamental, second and third harmonic frequencies. Energy is extracted at the second harmonic frequency and a certain impedance loading is provided at the fundamental frequency and third harmonic by a variable impedance hybrid idler circuit. The hybrid idler circuit comprises a distributed transmission line serially connected to a lumped variable capacitor. Variations in the capacitance of the variable capacitor tune the fundamental frequency without substantially varying the impedance loading conditions of the diode allowing energy to be extracted at the second harmonic frequency throughout the tunable frequency range.

Abstract: A machine readable binary encoded label having start, data, and stop sections comprising concentric arcuate or linear bars of two different reflectivities.The annular portions or bars are arranged into a coded array such that no more than four adjacent bars are of the same reflectivity type. The start and stop portions are arranged to provide to a scanner sufficient information to determine the scan rate of the scanner regardless of the rate of scan or dimension of bars merely by the scanning passage over the stop or start portion. Scanning circuits for transmitting data information from the data portion of the label to suitable data processing facilities includes a logic arrangement that automatically synchronizes the scanning circuit to the scanner device which may be a machine operating at a substantially constant scan rate or a hand-held wand operated within a wide range of scan rates.This is a division of application Ser. No. 345,322, filed Mar. 27, 1973.

Abstract: An article such as a plastic credit card contains concealed identifying information. The information is in the form of a series of binary information bits and it is stored in an electronic serial memory. The memory is on an integrated circuit chip imbedded in the credit card with electrical connections to two terminals on opposite surfaces of the card. The stored information bits are read out from the credit card by an apparatus which supplies current to the terminals to energize readout from the serial memory. The information bits read out are in the form of sequential variations in the current flowing to the credit card which are detected and accumulated in a shift register for utilization by a display device or a computer.

Abstract: A time division multiplex private automatic branch exchange includes a common interchange bus, and as many sampling circuits and associated recirculating shift registers as there are telephones. Two telephones are connected to each other through the bus when time-slot-determining outputs of the respective two shift registers actuate transmission gates in the respective sampling circuits. Other pairs of telephones may be connected to each other during other time slots. Additional sampling circuits and shift registers are provided to connect dial tones, ring tones, etc., over the bus to appropriate telephones in the same time division sampling fashion. All sampling connections are made under control of a computer by loading information into time slot stages of the shift registers.

Abstract: In a cooperative collision avoidance system, the reply signals to interrogation probe signals are correlated by a digital circuit that processes all the reply signals identifying targets over non-targets or "fruit." The correlator is capable of detecting all targets in any desired range during a given correlation period.

Abstract: Circuit for electrically recording digital data by identifying the beginning of each cell boundary with a pulse and recording an intercell transition for one binary value and no transition for the other binary value.

Abstract: A digital system utilizing communication satellite links is arranged to minimize the satellite link transmission time delay variation and achieve bit synchronization of the incoming data to a common bit clock at a central tandem switching or collection center.The incoming data bit rate from each subsidiary center is monitored by suitable means such as a threshold detector to determine if the time delay rate is changing relative to the tandem center central timing. Each of the lines from every subsidiary center has minimal buffering means in the tandem center to absorb short-term changes in the input data rate. A message selecting and encoding network is provided in the tandem center for each subsidiary center to generate a return bit rate message to its respective subsidiary center. Each subsidiary center is provided with suitable decoders, logic, and an oscillator to change the data bit rate in response to the control message from the tandem center.

Abstract: A satellite is compensated for torques caused by solar pressure on a solar panel extending from the satellite by an air core coil energized to develop a magnetic torque in opposition to the solar pressure torque. The coil is disposed generally in the periphery of the solar panel mounted externally to the satellite. The energizing current is fixed or varied by ground command or automatically in a closed loop system to compensate for variations in the earth's magnetic field.