Abstract: A launchable countermeasure device and method is disclosed that may be selectively operated to produce one or more of a plurality of countermeasure techniques. The device is compatible with presently existing launch control panels that are connected to an external connection that extends from the watertight hull. Although the signal formats of the launch control panel are different from those of an RS232 or RS422 connection used with a personal computer, nonetheless an interface is operable to accept any of these signal formats. The interface also includes a switch to direct communication from the personal computer to a RS232 port of an internally mounted countermeasure processor. Information downloaded by the personal computer can be used to effect or upgrade different countermeasure techniques such as sonar or incoming torpedo threat countermeasure techniques.

Abstract: A rudder assembly is attached to the nozzle of a jet-powered watercraft by a spring-loaded pivot so as to turn with the nozzle when the craft is steered. The rudder assembly has two flat plate rudders with a baffle plate attached perpendicularly between the rudders. The baffle plate partially covers the nozzle when the watercraft is at rest and is held in position by the spring-loaded pivot. At slow speeds the rudders are parallel to the water jet flow from the nozzle to aid in steering the watercraft. At higher speeds, the force of the water jet against the baffle plate overcomes the spring force to pivot the rudder assembly up and away from the nozzle such that steering is provided by directing the nozzle. In an imminent high-speed collision situation, the panic reaction is to shut off the throttle, which abruptly ends the jet flow from the nozzle.

Abstract: A break-away end cap assembly includes a tube member of predetermined characteristics and an end cap member for releasably securing the open end of the tube member. An annular recessed groove is formed in the inner surface of the tube member. The end cap member includes an outer flange portion having an outer peripheral surface consistent in diameter with an outer diameter of the tube member and a body portion depending from the outer flange portion. At least one recessed opening is laterally formed within the body portion with a pilot hole formed at the base end of each recessed opening. A normally biased spring member is seated in a base of the recessed opening and a retractable pin is positioned over the normally biased spring member.

Abstract: A missile support and alignment assembly for use on a moving vehicle having a fixed missile launch tube mounted thereon. The assembly comprises a missile support assembly including (i) a loading tray for supporting a missile, (ii) a storage structure for supporting the loading tray, and (iii) mounts resiliently connecting the storage structure to the vehicle.

Abstract: A process for generating fly-around boundaries for use by projectiles such as missiles or the like which facilitates the steps of providing original cartographic data representative of at least one geographical position on a landmass and providing a predetermined value for the spacing of a fly-around boundary from the geographical position; digitizing the original data and creating a landmass model in a format which includes latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of the geographical position; inputting the digitized data and the predetermined value into a data analyzer; generating new data representative of the fly-around boundary using the data analyzer based on the predetermined value and the land mass model, preferably by offsetting fly-around segments from the landmass model a distance equal to the predetermined value; and providing a navigational control for receiving the new data and using the new data for controlling the flight path of the missile along the boundary.

Abstract: An improved communication interface for an embedded microcomputer device controller is provided. The interface includes serial communications detection logic/electronics for identifying the nature of external elements connected to the interface, and multiplex logic/electronics for programming and/or reprogramming the embedded microcomputer device controller in response to input signals received from a host device having a serial interface.

Abstract: An attitude and roll stabilizer for towed undersea vehicles includes a vertical joining rod having an upper end and a lower end, a roll control weight mounted to the lower end of the vertical joining rod, an attitude control surface mounted to the upper end of the vertical joining rod, a tow rod pivotally mounted transverse to the vertical joining rod, an actuator member connected to the vertical joining rod between the tow rod and the roll control weight, and a connecting bar connecting the actuator adjacent to the aft end of the tow rod. A change in tow speed of the towed vehicle selectively pivots the tow rod about the vertical joining rod, and is correspondingly compensated for with a counteractive pitching of the attitude control surface and the roll control weight, thereby maintaining the level of the towed vehicle at the altered speed.

Abstract: An appended pod underwater gun mount for a submersible host vessel includes a strut member having a base end fixed to an outer hull of the submersible host vessel and a distal end protruding outwardly from the host vessel, the distal end being angled with respect to the base end, and an ammunition housing moveably fixed to the distal end of the strut member. A train control mechanism is positioned between the strut member and the ammunition housing for controlling the horizontal rotation of the ammunition housing with respect to the host vessel, and a tilt control mechanism is positioned between the strut member and the ammunition housing for controlling the vertical rotation of the ammunition housing with respect to the host vessel. A flexible boot is connected to the ammunition housing and surrounds each of the train control mechanism and the tilt control mechanism to protect the mechanisms from an underwater environment.

Abstract: A transducer shell assembly and bimodal transducer are provided. The transducer shell assembly has a hollow split tube such that a gap extends along its length to define first and second opposing edges. A locking mechanism can lock the first and second opposing edges in a fixed relationship to fix the gap. In terms of the bimodal transducer, an electromechanical driver is coupled to an inside surface of the tube. A first frequency of operation is defined when the gap is fixed, while a second frequency of operation is defined when the first and second opposing edges are free to move with respect to one another.

Abstract: The system and method for calibrating a signal detection threshold circuit is used in a radio frequency (RF) receiver, such as a in an early warning radar (EWR) system, in which a signal detection threshold circuit rejects signals below a predetermined threshold setting and prevents noise signals from causing false alarms. The system and method include setting an initial threshold setting and receiving noise signals in one or more channels. A threshold comparison circuit rejects noise signals below the threshold setting, and a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) detection circuit detects noise pulses above the threshold setting and determines the PRF. An automatic threshold determiner and setter determines whether the PRF has reached a predetermined frequency (e.g., 400 kHz) and lowers the threshold setting until the predetermined frequency is reached. When the predetermined frequency is reached the threshold setting is stored as a noise measurement.

Abstract: A digital data retrieving, organizing and display device for retrieving information from a number of disparate sources relating to development of a complex system including firmware, hardware and software and organizing and displaying on cards the information as selected by an operator. The device comprises a data map, a plurality of card display means, and a control means. The data map defines types of available information relating to the development of the complex system, and includes at least one external card link. Each card display element facilitates the display of a card having a selected type of information relating to the development of a complex system. The control means is responsive to operator input for controlling the data map display means and the card display element to enable the display of a card having a type of information as selected by the operator.

Abstract: A method for the selection of hypotheses for modeling physical phenomena, includes detecting if selected features are present by analyzing actual sensed data and parameter values of an initial physical phenomena model; comparing feature estimating hypotheses to the actual data for determining a belief probability assignment value (bpa) for each of the hypotheses which indicates the likelihood that the selected features exist in the actual data and the likelihood that such selected features cannot accurately be determined as existing due to the presence of noise; selecting a set of the hypotheses most accurately modeling the physical phenomena based on the bpa of each selected hypotheses meeting a predetermined criteria; generating evidential support values and lack of evidential support values for subsets of the set having non-zero subset bpa's; ranking the subsets having non-zero subset bpa's in order of decreasing subset bpa; unioning subsets of the power set for forming unioned subsets and determ

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for generating 2 and 3-dimensional fluid meshes for structural/acoustic finite element analysis in an infinite medium. The method broadly comprises the steps of: enclosing a structure to be analyzed in a block of fluid; determining a bias factor and coordinates for the mesh; and generating at least one of a two dimensional and a three dimensional mesh using the coordinates and the bias factor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a flextensional transducer device comprising a multi-resonant shell and push-pull driving system for driving the shell so as to provide at least two tunable resonant modes, thereby increasing the operational bandwidth of the device. The push-pull driving system is formed by four rings of active drive material grouped to operate as two opposing push-pull pairs. The shell has a dog-bone configuration with two arcuately shaped interior web portions joined to the pairs of rings, end sections joined to the interior web portions, and a central concave section which functions as the primary radiating surface. Upon application of a desired current to the push-pull ring pairs, the interior web portions are caused to vibrate, which vibrations are transmitted to the end sections and the central concave section.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for communicating in a time-varying medium. A transmitter sends transmissions of the same message data separated in time with respect to one another. A single sensor receives the transmissions. Each received transmission is buffered until all of the transmissions that were sent are received. The buffered transmissions are simultaneously processed via multichannel adaptive equalization only when all of the transmissions that were sent are received.

Abstract: A baffle system for mitigating thruster wake deficit is provided in the environment of an underwater vehicle. The baffle system includes at least one baffle member initially housed within a thruster housing of the underwater vehicle and an actuating member for selectively positioning the at least one baffle member into a fluid flow over an outer surface of the underwater vehicle. The baffle members deflect the fluid flow from the thruster into surface contact with the outer surface of the underwater vehicle aft of the thruster housing on a discharge side thereof and directs the fluid flow into the thruster housing on an intake side thereof. The baffles may be as few as two and as many as four, and are selectively introduced into the fluid flow passing over the outer surface of the vehicle to direct the fluid flow accordingly.

Abstract: A quadrifilar helical antenna is provided having a feedpoint for the antenna connecting to individual helical antenna elements. Each antenna element tapers from a maximum width at the feedpoint to a minimum width. The tapered antenna elements provide impedance transformation. The antenna produces a cardioid pattern that corresponds to antennas with constant width antenna elements.

Abstract: A sealed slotted cylinder includes an active transducer assembly, end caps at each end of the assembly, and a boot fused to the end caps and sealing the assembly. The sealed slotted cylinder is made using a dummy insert and a spacer within the dummy insert for spacing the end caps. A boot material made from an uncured rubber is wrapped around the dummy insert and the end caps. This assembly is placed in a mold that fuses the boot material to the end caps by vulcanizing the uncured rubber material. The mold and dummy insert preferably form longitudinal and circumferential boot roll seals on the boot material. A section of the boot is then removed forming an open region, allowing the dummy insert and spacer to be removed. The active transducer assembly can then be inserted through the open region such that the longitudinal boot roll seal engages and seals the slot in the active transducer assembly and the circumferential boot roll seals engage the end of the active transducer assembly.

Abstract: A safety switch is provided to detect when a tube launched which exits the tube. The switch is located within the vehicle having a switch plunger extending to the periphery of the vehicle. The plunger is biased to provide outward pressure against a lever on the exterior of the vehicle. The lever rides within the bore of the launch tube such that, when the vehicle is within the launch tube, the lever contacts the interior bore of the tube. The lever contacting the tube bore prevents the plunger from extending to activate the switch. When the vehicle exits the tube, the lever is free to rotate away from the vehicle allowing the plunger to extend and activate the switch which may be a single or multi-pole switch.

Abstract: A fuzzy logic information processing system and method are disclosed that may be used not only with known or definite data input but also with uncertain data input. The uncertain data input may be represented by a set of values wherein the possibility of any particular or specific value within the set being the true or accurate value is uncertain. The preferred embodiment of the system provides for an extensor to extend or map a representation of the uncertain data into at least one additional dimension related to dimensions of a set of rules used for making fuzzy logic inferences. The set of rules may be provided effectively in a mapped or graphed form. The set of rules and uncertain data are combined, for instance by locating intersection regions, to produce an output set that may be also be described as a map or plot. In a presently preferred embodiment the uncertain inputs and rules are represented mathematically or symbolically and then operated on to produce an output set.