Abstract: The present invention provides an electro-mechanical energy exchange system with a variable speed synchronous reluctance motor-generator having an all-metal rotor. A bi-directional AC-to-DC electric power converter interconnects the motor-generator with a DC bus. First and second hybrid controllers provide current regulation for the motor-generator and voltage regulation for the DC bus. Use of both feedback and feedforward control elements provides a controller particularly suited for operating high speed devices.

Abstract: A stroboscopic imaging interferometer system includes an environmental chamber having a novel viewing window equipped with a rigidly integrated beam splitter and piezo actuated reference mirror for illuminating a device providing an object beam and reference mirror for providing a reference beam, upon the reflection of both beams, produces interference of the object beam by the reference beam for providing absolute phase observations of the device, that may be a MEMS device under test.

Abstract: A system provides lossless split and merge processes of integer discrete cosine transform (DCT) transformed data such that the discrete cosine transform of one data block may be split into two half length DCT odd and even blocks for merging, with split and merge processes being lossless and are generated in the discrete cosine transformed domain. After splitting, the redundancy existing between the two integer discrete cosine transformed half data blocks allows one to approximately reconstruct the original data block in case one of the discrete cosine transformed half data block is lost during transmission.

Abstract: A filter or lens for a star-tracking telescope includes a clear center portion and an attenuating peripheral portion. The peripheral portion attenuates off-axis images through any radial line extending from a center of the filter or lens to a circumference edge of the filter or lens. The attenuation is for passing on-axis images with high signal to noise ratios, for attenuating off-axis images, and for attenuating but not completely blocking the off-axis images. The telescope with such a filter or lens is well suited for improved star tracking systems, and well suited for reducing off-axis glare in handheld optical apparatus such as binoculars, telescopes, cameras, and eyeglasses.

Abstract: A flexible inflatable hinge includes curable resin for rigidly positioning panels of solar cells about the hinge in which wrap around contacts and flex circuits are disposed for routing power from the solar cells to the power bus further used for grounding the hinge. An indium tin oxide and magnesium fluoride coating is used to prevent static discharge while being transparent to ultraviolet light that cures the embedded resin after deployment for rigidizing the inflatable hinge.

Abstract: An antenna system includes a heptagonal antenna array having one center antenna element and seven circumferentially surrounding antenna elements offering improved near and far sidelobe rejection, which is well suited for mechanically-gimbaled and time delayed electrical steering antenna applications.

Abstract: A ball sports training aid includes a shaft and a slidably engaged replica sports ball assembly with an integral damper that is actuated when a player swings the shaft. Integral swing diagnostics means indicate correct batting, pitching and throwing techniques.

Abstract: An observation lock detector receives I and Q correlations and measurement residuals and transforms the I and Q quadrature correlation outputs based upon computed code phase and carrier phase into transformed I and Q quadrature signals communicated to conventional output lock detectors to provide validity and confidence indicator signals for indicating that the residual estimates are valid for dynamic propagation of the residuals in a navigation receiver for improved performance especially in low signal-to-noise environments such as for use in an ultratight GPS navigation system.

Abstract: A front-end shared Haar transform is particularly adapted for cascade connection to an appended transform for providing lossless transform of an input data set, the appended transforms selected from the group consisting of an appended discrete cosine type-II (DCT-II) transform for forming a lossless DCT-II transform, an appended discrete cosine type-IV (DCT-IV) transform for forming a lossless DCT-IV transform, and an appended Haar transform for forming a lossless extended Haar transform.

Abstract: A flywheel power supply includes a motor-generator having a polyphase stator.

Abstract: A communications system reduces downconverter inaccuracies in time-domain measurements or samples of received microwave communications I and Q complex signals by converting received signal to baseband taking measurements or samples of the I and Q waveforms at differing phase shifts of a demodulating carrier signal for a local oscillator or carrier tracking loop used during downconversion so that I and Q imbalances may be detected and removed by lowpass equivalent averaging for improved characterization of downconverters or for improved signal reception. In the preferred form, the phase shifts are 0 and ?/2 for a conventional measurement, and then at ?, and ?+?/2, with ?=?/4+m?/2 for an integer m for the second measurement where I and Q imbalances and baseband nonlinearities are indicated by differences between the two measured or sampled signals, where ? provides for optimum error detection for reducing the errors by averaging the measurements.

Abstract: A coaxial cable connection includes male and female parts and utilizes one or more of a pressure seal and a spring lock. In some embodiments a non-metallic gasket suitable for forming a pressure seal is included and in some embodiments a spring having a suitable modulus of elasticity is included.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electro-mechanical energy exchange system with a variable speed synchronous reluctance motor-generator having an all-metal rotor. A bi-directional AC-to-DC electric power converter interconnects the motor-generator with a DC bus. First and second hybrid controllers provide current regulation for the motor-generator and voltage regulation for the DC bus. Use of both feedback and feedforward control elements provides a controller particularly suited for operating high speed devices.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lighting system supporting multiple independently controlled zones utilizing a plurality of semiconductor switches coupled to a plurality of transformers to produce a non-sinusoidal power output and controlled by a digital controller that receives feedback from each zone in order to auto-sense the proper voltage for a plurality of connected loads.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exercise system including an exercise device and an interactive game environment. An enclosure receives an exercise device and the exercise device receives a theme element. Sensors, transducers, and a man-machine interface are interconnected by a controller which operates sensory stimulators in response to controller instructions and user, sensor, and transducer signals. Game play is influenced by a user's exercise performance and in an embodiment a first exercise system user competes with a remote second exercise system user utilizing a wide area network that interconnects the controllers of the two exercise systems.

Abstract: A ball sports training aid includes a shaft and a slidably engaged replica sports ball assembly with an integral damper that is actuated when a player swings the shaft. Integral swing diagnostics means indicate correct batting, pitching and throwing techniques.