Abstract: An RLG OPTICAL NOISE INJECTOR places a random signal on a PZT driving one mirror controlling the optical path length (OPL) of a ring laser gyro (RLG) and the negative of the signal on a PZT driving a second mirror controlling the OPL. The OPL is therefore maintained constant while injecting random noise into the phase of the counterpropagating beams to avoid dynamic lock-in. Static lock-in may also be avoided by superposing an oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the first PZT and the negative of the oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the second PZT.

Abstract: A normally white twisted nematic liquid crystal display which uses multigap liquid crystal cells where the gaps are selected to have a cell gap which is less than that which would produce a maximum transmittance during an on-state and thereby provides for reduced hue variation over viewing angle.

Abstract: An organically modified sol-gel method of preparing substantially crack-free aluminosilicates films is provided. Chelated aluminum alkoxide and polydimethylsiloxane are mixed in a 1:1 ratio by weight in a solvent and refluxed at approximately the boiling temperature of the solvent to produce a sol-gel liquid including polymerized aluminosilicates. The sol-gel liquid is cooled to room temperature. Additional solvent is added to the sol-gel liquid to reduce its viscosity. A substrate is coated with the reduced viscosity sol-gel liquid. The coating of sol-gel liquid on the substrate is dried to produce an organically modified aluminosilicates sol-gel film. The sol-gel film is heated, to enhance polymerization of the sol-gel film and to evaporate residual solvent, and then cooled.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for enhancing the satellite based navigation systems which includes providing an aircraft with an interrogating radar for interrogating beacons disposed at a predetermined location in front of a runway wherein the beacons are radar-activated passively powered runway beacons.

Abstract: A transmission medium consists of a dielectric waveguide shielded by a metal guide. The guide is particularly suitable for providing low insertion loss, convenient transfer of power from one such transmission line to another and for the trouble free handling of high power levels at many hundreds of watts. This type of transmission medium may be used to provide low loss combination of power signals that is low loss, compact while containing the solid state power amplifying elements (MMICs) and capable of high power.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display is provided which has improved wide angle viewing characteristics. The liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal matrix. A non-planar fluorescent lamp positioned on a first side of the liquid crystal matrix has a center which traverses the fluorescent lamp in at least one longitudinal direction. A distance between the first side of the liquid crystal matrix and the fluorescent lamp center in a first portion of the fluorescent lamp is less than a distance between the first side of the liquid crystal matrix and the fluorescent lamp center in a second portion of the fluorescent lamp.

Abstract: An enhanced modular avionics system for communication and processing in an air transport aircraft including a modular avionic cabinet having a first scsi bus for a first processor and associate memory wherein the first scsi bus extends across a first portion of the cabinet and a second scsi bus for connection to a second processor and associate memory which extends across a second portion of the cabinet where the first portion of the cabinet and the second portion of the cabinet together equal the entire cabinet and there is no overlapping between the first portion and the second portion. Also shown is an extended bus which extends the entire length of the cabinet. The extended bus is located a predetermined distance from the top edge of the cabinet, while the first and second buses are located in a parallel line with each other and with the extended bus, the same predetermined distance from the bottom edge of the cabinet.

Abstract: The use of hydrocarbon fuels for cooling hypersonic aircraft and missile structures and engines is accomplished by passing fuel through cooling channels in the vehicle. A multicomponent hydrocarbon fuel having a pyrolyzing component which cracks in a supercritical temperature range (above 900.degree. F.) and thus absorbs heat is used in combination with a diluent fuel or fuel component which reduces the rate at which cracked hydrocarbons recombine in the cooling channels, thus causing coking which can clog cooling channels and also release heat to the structure to be cooled. The cracked fuel having absorbed heat and remaining in it's cracked state is in a condition to burn more quickly and energetically in the combustion chamber along with the hot diluent fuel, thus providing an efficient use of the heat absorbed in the cooling process and increasing the performance of the vehicle.

Abstract: A system for preventing theft of cargo from a cargo area of a truck is disclosed. The system includes a lock for locking shut a door to the cargo area of the truck when the lock is engaged. The lock allows the door to the cargo area to be opened when the lock is disengaged. A receiver receives a signal from a remote location. The lock is controlled in response to the signal received from the remote location such that the lock is disengaged when the signal received from the remote location is indicative of predetermined information.

Abstract: An optical O-plate compensation device, in accordance with the invention, uses an inorganic thin film which is grown by physical vapor deposition at oblique incidence. The resulting thin film exhibits a biaxial form birefringence and performs, in a liquid crystal display (LCD), in a similar manner to uniaxial films with its extraordinary axis oriented obliquely at about 45.degree. with respect to the surface of the film. The invention makes possible a significant improvement in the gray scale properties and contrast ratios of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) over a wide range of viewing angles.

Abstract: A differential amplifier with improved offset cancellation is disclosed. The differential amplifier has a floating current source coupled to the drain terminals of the differential pair for providing complementary currents to cancel the offset voltage. In this way, the tail current in the differential pair is not affected by the offset cancellation and remains constant, while the common-mode offset is not worsened by the injected current.

Abstract: A data distribution device transfers digitized audio and digital data between memories of processors in a multi-processor communications system on a sample bus without protocols or handshaking between the source and destination processors. The device is capable of dynamic reconfiguration of its distribution pattern when peripherally commanded and has individual control over all memory read, chip select and write lines. Through an indirect register addressing scheme the present system has the ability to read from an address within any single memory and then write to an address within any or all other memories of the processors within the communications system.

Abstract: A suspended microstructure process assembly includes a first microstructure assembly, with a temporary substrate having a first surface and a first microstructure fabricated on the first surface; a second microstructure assembly, including a final substrate having a second surface and a second microstructure fabricated on the second surface; connecting elements for joining the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly with a predetermined separation and alignment; and a removable bond temporarily securing the first microstructure assembly to the second microstructure assembly until the temporary substrate is removed. The connecting elements may be electrically conductive contacts or electrically nonconductive spacers. Electrically conductive contacts may be supplied to the first microstructure from a back side of the first microstructure assembly. The first microstructure fabricated on the first surface may incorporate a removable layer to enable multiple level suspended structures.

Abstract: An extended memory mapping and selecting scheme for a microprocessor structured with multiple internal address lines. The internal address lines are coupled to external memory devices via a dual port RAM which enables the addresses of the external memories to be mapped and translated into the internal address lines for access by the microprocessor. The memory addressing capability is effectively enhanced by allowing the limited number of internal address lines to address larger external memories having a greater number of address locations.

Abstract: A thermal insulation system comprising an insulator core formed of ceramic material and, an outer layer integrally connected on an inner surface to a first side of the insulator core, the outer layer comprising a woven material impregnated with a ceramic matrix. In one embodiment, a thermal insulation blanket is formed having a flexible insulator core formed of ceramic fibrous materials, an outer layer integrally connected to one side of the insulator core, and an inner layer connected to a second side of that core. The inner layer is formed of woven material. In a second embodiment, a thermal insulation tile is formed including a rigid insulator core formed of ceramic material and an outer layer integrally connected to an inner surface to a first side of insulator core. The outer layer comprises a woven ceramic material impregnated with a ceramic matrix.

Abstract: An attenuator of electromagnetic radiation, such as radar, is described wherein a single attenuator sheet in the nature of "spacecloth" is placed in front of a plurality of reflective layers wherein each of the reflective layers is tuned to reflect a narrow band of radiation of a selected frequency and transmit other frequencies; and each of the reflective layers is spaced from the attenuation layer at a distance of one-fourth of the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation to which it is tuned. In a preferred embodiment each of the reflective layers comprises elongated narrow conductive areas arranged in spaced apart columns and rows in a generally non-conductive area.

Abstract: A twisted/splayed O-plate compensation device, in accordance with the invention, is comprised of an organic liquid crystal polymer thin film and possibly one or more other birefringent layers. The O-plate thin film is a birefringent medium with its optical symmetry axis, on average, oriented obliquely with the surface of the film. Within this constraint, the direction of the material's optical symmetry axis is allowed to vary continuously along the axis normal to the film surface. Such films may be fabricated by applying thin layers of chiral doped nematic or semectic liquid crystal monomer solutions in inert solvents to transparent substrates. The carrier solvents are then evaporated and the monomers polymerized by UV irradiation. Compensation devices may also be comprised of multiple layers of twisted/splayed O-plate material in conjunction with A-plates, C-plates, and simple O-plates. Fabrication techniques for twisted/splayed O-plates are described.

Abstract: A converter for converting a single-ended input V.sub.IN to a differential output signal V.sub.OUT through positive and negative output terminals is disclosed. The converter comprises a fully differential amplifier with one of its input terminals coupled to the single-ended input and its other input terminal coupled to a fixed voltage. The converter also has a first resistor ("R.sub.1 ") coupled between the single-ended input and the positive input terminal of the fully differential amplifier, a second resistor ("R.sub.2 ") coupled between the fixed voltage and the negative input terminal of the fully differential amplifier, a third resistor ("R.sub.3 ") coupled between the positive input terminal and the negative output terminal of the fully differential amplifier, and a fourth resistor ("R.sub.

Abstract: A composite signal recognizer, separator, and FM demodulator apparatus for processing received radio signals. The receiver utilizes N demodulators to process a received signal, where N is equal to or greater than the number of co-channel signals or perceived interference. Detailed in both cross-coupled and cascaded fashion, the receiver first tracks to a predominant (stronger) signal, and regeneratively improves track on other (weaker) signals by subtracting the predominant signal or the predominant noise portion from the input of further demodulation stages.

Abstract: A monolithic O-plate optical compensator device, in accordance with the invention, comprises a plurality of thin-film compensation layers which are deposited on a single substrate. As used herein, the term "monolithic" is meant to imply that the O-plate and other thin-film compensator layers are formed by depositing (e.g., via solvent casting or vacuum deposition) one layer on top of another layer; with or without the use of surface modification treatments such as adhesion layers, alignment layers, and the like.