Abstract: Disclosed is an autonomous rendezvous and docking system and method therefor used for the rendezvous and docking of spacecraft. The autonomous rendezvous and docking system allows spacecraft rendezvous, proximity maneuvering, and docking between a chase spacecraft and a target spacecraft by determining the relative position between the two spacecrafts. The relative position is determined based on the location of target reflections from a reflective target positioned on the target spacecraft. The target reflections are identified by intensity, shape, size and location from various other spurious reflections. This ultimately allows the autonomous rendezvous and docking system to determine the x, y, z, roll, pitch and yaw positions of the target spacecraft in relation to the chase spacecraft.

Abstract: An automatically oriented computer display for a targeting computer used in connection with a shoulder-fired missile launcher. A computer operator member of an air defense team will read a computer display from a handheld targeting computer so as to give directional and distance information of approaching aircraft. An electronic compass rigidly secured to the handheld computer continually updates the directional orientation of the computer display as the computer operator moves. Therefore, the computer operator is able to accurately give directional information to a gunner operating a shoulder-fired missile launcher such that the gunner is ready to assess the hostility of the approaching aircraft as they become visible. An embedded computer is provided to decipher the compass signals so they are readable by the handheld computer. Additionally, a global positioning system receiver is provided to give positional information of the gunner and the computer operator.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the environment of a battery. The device takes the form of a generally flat wafer-like substrate having openings therein for receiving the posts of the battery. The device is arranged so that it is sandwiched between the battery and its connector when the female receptacles of the connector are mated with the posts. Circuitry on the wafer contains a memory for recording information about the battery characteristics. This information can be read from the memory to provide knowledge about battery operating time, number of charge/discharge cycles, number and severity of deep-discharge cycles, total time spent in deep discharge, temperature fluctuations and G-loads applied to the battery. By taking advantage of the existing space between mated battery connectors, no additional mounting hardware or battery modifications are required.

Abstract: An automated gateway system for interfacing a first message handling system with a second message handling system. In the preferred embodiment, the automated gateway of the present invention allows the exchange between a formal system such as the United States Department of Defense AUTODIN message handling system and an informal system such as the International Standards Organization X.400 message handling system. Messages received from a first one of the message handling systems are processed and sent to a message routing unit which determines if the message should be sent to the first or second message handling system. If the second message handling system address exists, an automated gateway user agent validates the address and creates a second message handling system envelope around the entire message and submits it to the second message handling system.

Abstract: An insert device employing electronics is non-intrusively disposed between an electronic mechanism's pins and female connector in order to provide the mechanism with electronic functional capabilities. The insert device is of a shape, size, and character such that normal mating engagement between the mechanism's pins and connector is unaffected.

Abstract: A diagnostic method and apparatus according to the invention locates faulty components in complex real systems in which a high level function can be allocated into lower functional levels with each lower functional level including a plurality of functions. Functional level allocation is repeated until functions correspond to line replaceable units, shop replaceable units, or individual circuit components. A virtual model according to the invention can be defined with parallel functional levels and functions using virtual components so that point-to-point comparison of signals generated by the real system functions on each functional level can be made with signals generated by corresponding virtual components to isolate faulty line replaceable units, shop replaceable units, or individual circuit components. Inputs to the virtual components are the same as the real system inputs provided to the real system functions.

Abstract: A security system for monitoring an area under surveillance includes a transmitter for generating radio frequencies (RF) signals when actuated using an actuator. A sensing station receives the RF signals from the transmitter. A monitoring station generates video signals of the area under surveillance and provides one end of a duplex audio communications system. A control station, coupled to the sensing station and the monitoring station, actuates the monitoring station in response to the RF signals sensed by the sensing station. The control station includes an opposite end of the duplex audio communications system and a display for displaying the video signals.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing a weighted voting scheme for reading and accurately recognizing characters in a scanned image. A plurality of optical character recognition processors scan the image and read the same image characters. Each OCR processor outputs a reported character corresponding to each character read. For a particular character read, the characters reported by each OCR processor are grouped into a set of character candidates. For each character candidate, a weight is generated in accordance with a confusion matrix which stores probabilities of a particular OCR to identify characters accurately. The weights are then compared to determine which character candidate to output.

Abstract: A pulse code modulation (PCM) data enhancer which corrects bit errors using correlations between two particular PCM words received by a receiving unit separated by a predetermined time interval and a method therefor. A primary and a number of secondary pulse codes are stored in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) memory. The primary pulse code is modified, and the modified and secondary pulse codes provide addresses to a memory storing the probability of a transition between the modified pulse code and each of the secondary pulse codes. The probabilities are then accumulated, and the modified pulse code resulting in the greatest accumulated probability is output as an error-corrected data word.

Abstract: An insert device employing electronics is non-intrusively disposed between an electronic mechanism's pins and female connector in order to provide the mechanism with electronic functional capabilities. The insert device is of a shape, size, and character such that normal mating engagement between the mechanism's pins and connector is unaffected.

Abstract: A sensor device in the form of a thin, generally flat substrate which fits between an electrical plug and an electrical outlet while permitting normal mated engagement therebetween. The substrate preferably includes at least one microelectronic device for detecting and storing electrical characteristics of signals flowing from the outlet to the plug.

Abstract: A surge suppression device which fits over the end of an electrical plug and permits normal mating of the plug with the female receptacle. In the preferred embodiment, the device includes a body of metal-oxide varistor (MOV) material where one pin is connected to one plate on the MOV and another plug pin is connected to an opposing plate on the MOV. The MOV breaks down when experiencing excessive voltage levels to shunt potentially damaging voltages between the plug pins thereby preventing the spikes from reaching the protected equipment.

Abstract: A signal conditioning insert device that is particularly suited for use as a small computer system interface (SCSI) terminator. The device is in the form of an elongated U-shaped member that is capable of being sandwiched between two electrical connectors. The substrate has a series of contact strips thereon which engage the contact fingers of the connectors. Conductive traces on the substrate connect the contact strips to components forming a desired signal condition function such as a SCSI terminator circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for separately tracking, identifying and providing DF on LPI RF transmitters. Intercepter circuitry which includes an antenna and a single channel receiver is utilized to receive and down convert LPI RF signals to LPI IF signals. Digitizer circuitry is utilized for down converting the LPI IF signals to LPI baseband signals as well as utilized for converting the LPI baseband signals to digital data. A spectrum analyzer generates power spectrums utilizing the digital data and passes the power spectrums to a signal detector. The signal detector detects signal clusters in the power spectrums and associates the signal clusters from the same LPI RF signals to create pulse descriptor words for the LPI RF signals.

Abstract: A solderless right-angle interconnect is provided for achieving flexible, low-profile and enhanced performance high frequency signal interconnections. The interconnect includes a conductive pin which has a first end electrically coupled to a first transmission path and a second end electrically coupled to a stripline circuit trace which provides a second transmission path. A springy compressible conductive button is located in a recessed chamber at the second end of the conductive pin and partially extends from the end thereof. The second end of the conductive pin further includes at least one tapered edge. A conductive ground layer is further provided for substantially enclosing the interconnect and providing a ground reference thereabout. In a first embodiment, the conductor forming the first transmission path includes a coaxial cable coupled to the conductive pin.

Abstract: A method and apparatus facilitating the exchange of data between application programs written in a higher level language and running on separate heterogeneous computer platforms, without concern for possible differences in internal data formats in the separate platforms. Each message format to be the subject of exchange among heterogeneous computer platforms is preregistered with each such platform by writing and executing a computer program that contains a definition of the message format in the higher level language. Preregistration produces a message description file in each platform, which is used at initialization time to generate a field descriptor tree in each platform. When a message is to be transmitted, it is first translated to a universal meta format, making use of the field descriptor tree, and on receipt at another platform is translated back to the native format of the receiving platform.

Abstract: A compact radar sensor is provided. A monolithic millimeter wave integrated circuit (MMIC) transceiver is provided having a transmitter for transmitting a frequency modulated signal and a receiver for receiving reflected signals thereof. A microstrip patch antenna is provided for transmitting signals within a desired field and receiving the reflected signals from objects therein. A digital signal processor is further provided for analyzing the received signal and providing output signals therefrom.

Abstract: A wafer-like insert has a plurality of holes therein which correspond to pins of an electrical connector. The wafer includes contacts for making electrical connection to the pins, connector shell or electrical components. In such manner, the wafer can be used for a wide variety of purposes such as conditioning signals carried by the pins and grounding selected pin(s) to each other and/or the connector shell. The wafer can be installed in any common electrical connector pair without prior modification or preparation of the connectors and without impairing the normal fit or function of the mated connector pair.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a dual function satellite imaging and communication system (10, 40, 50, 60) using a solid state mass data storage device (30) which generates and stores image data at a relatively low data rate and subsequently transmits the data at a significantly higher data rate. The dual function imaging and communication system (10, 40, 50, 60), which may be incorporated as a body mounted payload of an imaging satellite, provides a single antenna or aperture (28, 54, 62) to perform both the imaging and communication functions and simplify the imaging and communication systems of the imaging satellite by eliminating the requirement for a separately gimballed antenna and/or aperture for each system. Further, the present invention is designed to operate in a low duty cycle mode to minimize its power supply requirements.

Abstract: A high efficiency digital integrate and dump circuit with a digital output is provided for recovering digital information from an analog input signal. The circuit utilizes a method of preprocessing the input signal in such a manner as to eliminate the need for a separate dump cycle. An integration cycle is provided which includes an integrator for performing integration, the output of which provides a constant preprocessing input that is added to the analog input signal for preprocessing purposes. The integrated output is converted from analog to digital with an analog-to-digital converter. The digitized integrated output then undergoes a postprocessing cycle whereby the previously added bi-level preprocessing input's integral is subtracted from the digitized integrated output. The difference between clocked digital integrated output is measured and provided as the integrated response.