Abstract: An electrical/magnetic current sensing system includes a first collection mechanism configured to convert an electric field into surface charge, a second collection mechanism comprising a magnetic reactive material, and a sensor coupled to the first and second collection mechanisms. The sensor comprises an odd number, greater than or equal to three, of unidirectionally-coupled non-linear over-damped bi-stable elements. Each element comprises a resistive load, an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with a bipolar junction transistor differential pair, a cross-coupled OTA, and a non-linear OTA. Each element may comprise fully differential inputs and outputs. The sensor may be contained in a microchip or on a printed circuit board. A resident time difference readout device may be connected to the sensor, and may be configured to perform a power spectral density calculation. The sensor may include a resistance to voltage circuit connected between the second collection mechanism and the elements.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of selecting an image filtering technique, receiving an image from an image source, processing the received image to provide a processed image, and displaying the processed image to a user. Processing the received image includes the steps of adjusting the received image to provide an adjusted image, filtering the adjusted image according to the selected image filtering technique to provide a filtered image, and adjusting the filtered image. The image filtering technique may be selected from histogram equalization, band-pass filtering, adaptive enhancement filtering, or other techniques. The method may be used in an image processing system having memory, a processor, and a display.

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of chamber holders having openings therein, and an exposure chamber positioned in each chamber holder. Each exposure chamber includes a mesh portion and a top end cap. One exposure chamber contains a mesh bottom and one contains a closed bottom. Each chamber holder is positioned within an opening contained within a base portion. One exposure chamber may extend beyond the lower boundary of the base portion. A top portion may be secured to the base portion to contain the chamber holders. A pump, with connected supply hose, may be coupled to the top portion. The supply hose is routed through the chamber holders such that a supply hose opening is adjacent to each chamber holder. The system may include a water quality sensor and a passive sampling device coupled to the base portion. A deployment system may be connected to the top portion.

Abstract: A method involves calculating a closest point of approach (CPA) between a vehicle and a moving obstacle, determining the CPA is within a pre-determined distance from the vehicle at a point in time along the vehicle path, calculating a projected obstacle area (POA) for the moving obstacle, and modifying the vehicle path so the vehicle avoids the POA. The POA is a polygonal region between the boundaries calculated by determining a first point in time along the obstacle path that the moving obstacle is within the pre-determined distance, determining a second point in time along the obstacle path that the moving obstacle is within the pre-determined distance, creating a first line on one side of a midpoint line based upon a pre-determined angle of uncertainty, and creating a second line on the other side of the midpoint line based upon the pre-determined angle of uncertainty.

Abstract: A method includes generating at least one matrix representing a two-port, generating gain, noise, and stability functions of a system comprising the two-port, a generator connected to one port of the two-port, the generator having a generator reflectance, and a load connected to the other port of the two-port, the load having a load reflectance, and optimizing the gain, noise, and stability functions. The two-port comprises a non-reactive multi-port modeled by an orthogonal matrix, and at least one amplifier connected to the non-reactive multi-port. The orthogonal matrix is parameterized using an exponential map of skew-symmetric matrices having components restricted to an interval from ?? to ?. The gain, noise, and stability functions are generated using the generated matrix, the generator reflectance, and the load reflectance, The gain, noise, and stability functions are parameterized by the skew-symmetric matrices.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of comparing a first body of text with a user-created summary of the first body of text, creating rules based on the comparison of the first body of text with the user-created summary of the first body of text, selecting one or more summary rules for generating a computer-created summary of a second body of text, and applying the selected summary rules to the second body of text to generate a computer-created summary of the second body of text. The first body of text may be a user-corrected summary of a computer-created summary of the first body of text. The rules may be selected based on previous use, frequency of use, context of the body of text, or most-specific applicability. The rules may be iteratively applied to generate a summary. A method is also provided for generating a heading for a summary of text.

Abstract: A method of tuning threshold voltages of interdiffusible structures. The method includes a step of situating an interdiffusible structure in a path of a laser and a step of illuminating the interdiffusible structure with laser energy until a desired threshold voltage is obtained.

Abstract: A device includes a plurality of channel-capture circuits. Each circuit may include an array of N non-linear oscillators, wherein N?3, circularly connected to each other in series such that unidirectional signal flow occurs between the oscillators. Each circuit may be configured to capture a respective channel signal from a wideband signal containing a plurality of channel signals and convert its captured channel signal to a lower frequency. Each oscillator may include an oscillator input configured to receive an output signal from another oscillator, an oscillator output configured to provide an output for an input of another oscillator, a frequency capture input configured to receive at least a portion of the wideband signal, at least two amplifiers, and a control capacitor coupled to the output of the amplifiers. An analog-to-digital converter may be coupled to the output of each channel-capture circuit.

Abstract: A method includes passing a portion of an optical signal through an aperture of a sensor having a sensing element, wherein the portion of the optical signal that passes through the aperture is an inner portion of the optical signal and the portion of the optical signal that does not pass through the aperture is an outer portion of the optical signal; producing a sensed signal by sensing the outer portion of the optical signal with the sensing element; and controlling the source of the optical signal using the sensed signal. A system for implementing the method includes an optical energy source and a sensor having an optical sensing portion and an aperture therein. The system may also include an optical isolator, a detection element, and a controller for controlling the optical energy source. The system may be used within a MEMS-based system.

Abstract: An antenna includes a support structure and radiating element. The radiating element includes a dielectric planar substrate having a first and a second surface, at least two conductive spiral arms extending outward from and spiraling about an axis of rotation formed on the first surface, and a feed conductor extending outward from and spiraling about an axis of rotation formed on the second surface. The feed conductor may be substantially aligned with one of the conductive spiral arms. When the support structure is placed upon a substantially planar surface, the radiating element is positioned at height h from the planar surface, wherein height h is about one-fourth the wavelength of the antenna's operating frequency. The antenna may produce an omni-directional antenna pattern in azimuth and a broad antenna pattern in elevation, with both patterns having nulls near the horizon. An external reflector may be operatively coupled to the antenna.

Abstract: A method includes the steps of receiving a present route for a vehicle based on a present vehicle location and a vehicle destination, receiving obstacle information from a sensor of a sensor array, the received obstacle information including information about at least one moving obstacle, and determining if the received present route is valid based upon the received obstacle information. If the received present route is invalid, the method determines a revised route based upon the received present route, the received obstacle information, and/or the vehicle destination. A system incorporating the method may include a sensor array, a communication link, a processing module, and a navigation module. The system and method may be used to control the route of a vehicle such as an unmanned surface vehicle that may be land-based, water-based, or air-based.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling TCP/IP access includes receiving a request from a requestor for data transmission over a satellite communication channel, determining whether the request for data transmission has collided with a separate request for data transmission, if the request for data transmission has collided with a separate request for data transmission, then accepting the request for data transmission, else, temporarily denying the access to the satellite communication channel, determining the priority of the requestor and the number of users on the satellite communications channel, determining the access to the satellite communication channel of the requestor based on the priority of the requestor and the number of users on the satellite communication channel, and monitoring access to the satellite communication channel based on the priority of the requestor and the number of users on the satellite communication channel.

Abstract: A system includes a first Fabry-Perot interferometry channel and a second Fabry-Perot interferometry channel serially and optically coupled to the first Fabry-Perot interferometry channel. One channel of the first and second Fabry-Perot interferometry channels has a greater tuning range than the other channel of the first and second Fabry-Perot interferometry channels. The Fabry-Perot interferometry channel having the lesser tuning range has a greater tuning precision than the Fabry-Perot interferometry channel having the greater tuning range. The system may be included in a MEMS-based system, such as a MEMS spectrometer.

Abstract: In various embodiments, geodesic mining systems and methods are disclosed. For example, a method for forming and adapting a geodesic adaptive network may include embedding a set of rules into a two-dimensional adaptive network having N-rows and M-columns with rule independent variables embedded in a first column of the two-dimensional adaptive network and rule dependent variables embedded in the last column of the two-dimensional adaptive network, where N and M are positive integers greater than two, and repetitively selecting a pair of rows of the two-dimensional adaptive network having common dependent attributes using a random process, then adapting the two-dimensional adaptive network based on the selected pair of rows.

Abstract: A method for object recognition includes generating a set of rules, using multiple systems to recognize a target object, applying the set of rules to a set of responses to determine an output, and displaying the output to a user. Each rule contains predicates and a consequent, each predicate comprising a rule token identifier and a rule probability of recognition. The rule token identifiers are generated from multiple systems. Each rule token identifier represents a system recognized object. Each rule is derived by associating a range of rule probabilities of recognition for one or more rule token identifiers to a known object. The range of rule probabilities of recognition is determined by at least one system and by combining multiple rule probabilities of recognition. Each system produces a response having a response token identifier and a response probability of recognition. Responses are combined to form the sets of responses.

Abstract: A method involves digitizing an analog Global Positioning System (GPS) signal received directly from an antenna, storing the digitized analog GPS signal into data buffer storage units, and transmitting the data buffer storage units over a network. The GPS signal received directly from an antenna may be an unprocessed GPS signal. The method may include receiving and queuing the data buffer storage units, converting the digitized analog GPS signal from the data buffer storage units into an analog GPS signal, and transmitting the analog GPS signal to a GPS receiver. The data buffer storage units may be UDP packets and may be multicast over an IP network. The data buffer storage units may be ATM cells and may be transmitted over an ATM network. The analog GPS signal may be converted from electronic to photonic form, or vice versa, prior to storage in the data buffer storage units.

Abstract: A system includes a first circulator, a second circulator connected to the first circulator and a load, a third circulator connected to the second circulator, and a filter connected between the first and third circulators. The filter modifies the phase and amplitude of a first signal from the first circulator to produce a modified first signal. The modified first signal amplitude may be equal to the amplitude of a second signal from the second circulator. The phase of the modified first signal is about 180 degrees out of phase with the second signal phase. The third circulator circulates the modified first signal towards the second circulator. The first signal comprises a coupled signal from the first circulator. The second signal comprises a signal reflected from the load and a coupled signal from the second circulator. The filter may be a passive network having lumped, distributed, and resistive elements.

Abstract: A polarimeter includes a multi-wavelength source for generating electromagnetic waves having at least two different wavelengths, means for separating electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic waves including electromagnetic waves generated by the multi-wavelength source and electromagnetic waves received from a sample contacted by the electromagnetic waves generated by the multi-wavelength source, a fixed waveplate, wherein the fixed waveplate is configured to convert one polarization state to multiple polarization states that allow for calculations of linear and circular polarization components of the electromagnetic waves, a free space coupler, a beam splitter, and more than one detector. The polarimeter may be used in a method for high-speed measurement of linear and circular polarization components of electromagnetic waves.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a dual-suspension system for MEMS-based devices includes: etching the geometry of an upper spring system, a lower spring system, and a proof mass into a substrate; applying a protective barrier to cover at least the exposed portions of the first layer of silicon; etching through portions of the protective barrier and handle wafer to define the shapes of the upper spring system, lower spring system, and proof mass; removing the remainder of the protective barrier; and removing the first layer of oxide from the areas in contact with the upper spring system and removing the second layer of oxide from the areas in contact with the lower spring system. Electrical contacts may be created on the substrate. A wafer may be bonded to the support structure on a side of the substrate. A MEMS-based device fabricated from the method is also provided.

Abstract: A system includes a body portion having rear portion having a fluid intake port and a nose portion having a fluid discharge port. The body portion contains an omni-directional vibratory device, a pump, a fluid conduit that is coupled to the pump and the fluid discharge port, and a power source that is electrically connected to the vibratory device and the pump. The body portion may also contain control circuitry and two end caps rigidly fixed therein, wherein the fluid conduit passes through each end cap. The vibratory device and the pump may be activated by a sensor such as a hydrostatic pressure sensor, an accelerometer, or an altimeter. The body portion may also contain communications circuitry that remotely controls the vibratory device and the pump. The body portion is configured to house a payload such as a sensor system, a battery pack, or a ballast for anchoring.