Abstract: An applicator for the therapeutic treatment of a patient with electromagnetic energy is provided by a ridge waveguide filled with deionized water and having a sheet of flexible radio frequency transparent material covering the radiating open end. The waveguide with the ridge and filled with water is dimensioned to propagate radio frequency signals in the TE.sub.10 mode.

Abstract: System for the analysis of an optically sensed field, useful, for example, for detecting defects in an object such as a shadow mask of a color kinescope, which permits relatively rapid examination of the article or surface being scanned. An important feature of the system is a detector linear array disposed a selected distance from the image plane of the spatial field permits higher speed sequential convolution of the spatial field at each of a plurality of overlapping segments of given length, situated at uniformly-spaced intervals along a field dimension, with a given type of limited spatial extent kernel function of said given length.

Abstract: A network for initiating oscillations of a low power oscillator circuit at low operating voltages. The oscillator circuit includes an inverter with a quartz crystal connected between its input and output and with impedance means connected in series with the main conduction path of the inverter to reduce its power dissipation. The initiation network includes a switching means which is connected in parallel with the impedance means and which is responsive to the application of an operating potential to the oscillator circuit for momentarily providing a low impedance conduction path in parallel with the impedance means when an operating potential is applied to the circuit.

Abstract: The spatial field is sequentially convolved at each of a plurality of uniformly-spaced intervals along a field dimension with a given type of limited spatial extent kernel function which preferably has a one-octave spatial bandwidth. Convolution combining means derives an output only if the q'th power of the sequential convolutions exceed a threshold corresponding to the just-noticeable presence of spatial frequencies within the spatial bandwidth of the kernel function.

Abstract: A balloon or airship having a hull of flexible material is provided with a deflation opening in the hull and a rigid frame permanently fastened to the edge of the opening. A ring of flexible sheet material has its peripheral edge removably clamped to the rigid frame. A disc of flexible sheet material larger than the central opening in the ring is fastened by an adhesive to the ring all around the central opening in the ring. A deflation tape sewed to the disc near the edge of the upper half thereof has a central free end to be pulled for peeling the adhesive-held disc from the ring to rapidly deflate the balloon.

Abstract: A satellite power system in which solar cells provide power to a load during sunlight hours and also charge, through regulators, rechargeable batteries which provide power during dark periods. In order to prevent the batteries from being overcharged by solar cell current bypassing the regulators (through the load connection) each battery is protected by a redundant protection system including a pair of diodes and switch means normally connecting one of the diodes between the battery and the load. If the one diode fails or shorts, the switch means connects the other diode between the battery and the load; the voltage across the one diode and current therethrough are sensed to determine if the diode has failed.

Abstract: A charge is placed on the floating substrate of an insulated-gate field-effect transistor IGFET by applying, to the source of the IGFET, a signal making a first transition between first (V.sub.1) and second (V.sub.2) voltages and a second transition between the second voltage and a third voltage (V.sub.3) which is intermediate V.sub.1 and V.sub.2. The first transition is of a polarity and magnitude to forward bias the source-to-substrate junction of the IGFET and establishes a first level (L.sub.1) at the substrate region close to said second voltage. The second transition causes the source potential to go to V.sub.3 but the source-to-substrate junction is reverse biased and the substrate potential remains at a level (L.sub.2) which is intermediate L.sub.1 and V.sub.3. Consequently, the source to substrate junction remains isolated for values of signals applied to the source in the range between V.sub.1 and L.sub.2.

Abstract: A signal to be quantized is translated to a charge Q and the latter is multiplied by a fraction f to produce a fractional charge packet fQ. Then, another fractional charge packet is produced by multiplying the remainder Q(1-f) of the charge packet by f. This last step is repeated for succeeding remainder charge packets a sufficient number of times until a total of n-1 fractional charge packets have been produced, where n is the number of quantization levels desired. The successive fractional charge packets are compared with threshold levels of different amplitudes to determine the number of incremental charge packets, each of the same size, to be added to one another to form a quantized charge packet.

Abstract: A range finding method and system comprising an interrogator and a transponder. The interrogator generates a signal with a first portion comprising a carrier signal amplitude modulated by a first two-level iterative pseudo random sequence (PRS) whose level changes coincide with level changes of a first two-level tone of frequency f.sub.T, which phase modulates said first portion. A second portion of the signal is phase modulated by the product of the PRS and said first tone. The transponder tracks the received interrogation signal and then generates and transmits a responsive signal having first and second portions comprised of a carrier signal phase modulated by a second two-level tone phase synchronized with the received first tone. The first portion is further amplitude modulated by a second iterative PRS phase synchronized with the received PRS signal, and the second portion is further phase modulated by the second, phase synchronized PRS.

Abstract: Electronic means, including an analog-to-digital converter responsive to samples of the output from an analog angle sensor directly coupled to an immersed oscillated transducer, is used to trigger the energization of the transducer at each of a predetermined number of equal increments in angle position during each cycle of oscillation of the transducer, with the triggered angle positions during a certain half-cycle of oscillation being interlaced with the triggered angle position during the other half-cycle of oscillation.

Abstract: A preselected axis other than the axis of maximum moment of inertia of a momentum stabilized spacecraft is oriented for alignment with the total angular momentum vector of the spacecraft by rotating one or more rotors to a critical rate of rotation. The rotation of the rotor or rotors is maintained at the critical rate to effect the desired rotation. The axis of the rotor or the effective angular momentum vector of the resultant momentum of a plurality of rotors is aligned with the axis of the desired spacecraft orientation. Energy dissipation assures stability by dissipating energy on the spacecraft body at a faster rate of dissipation than the rate of energy dissipation on the rotor.

Abstract: Apparatus for converting rotary motion of a screw into linear motion includes three circumferentially spaced nut segments each resiliently mounted for displacing in a radial direction normal to the screw axis. A thin flat plate spring member provides a resiliency to the nut segments in a direction normal to the screw axes. The nut segments include a set of parallel triangular screw threads with the roots undercut and the crests removed for averaging out the contact between the nut segments and the screw to an area along the pitch diameter of the screw.

Abstract: A phase shifter comprises a transmission line having a second terminated transmission line extending therefrom. A single diode is coupled across the second transmission line. The diode is switched between two operating states which changes the effective electrical length of the second transmission line and introduces a phase shift to a signal propagating in the first transmission line.

Abstract: A dual-spin spacecraft having a momentum wheel spinning relative to a platform to provide bias momentum utilizes cross products of inertia (POI) existing in the platform between the spinning axis and the transverse axes to achieve nutation damping. When the platform is rotating or is displaced from a reference the cross products of inertia are also rotating or are displaced causing thereby degradation of the optimum nutation damping time constant. Two or more phase shifting networks are provided to be sequentially coupled into a control loop to shift nutation signals to effect optimum nutation damping at selected positions of the rotating or displaced platform without substantial nutation damping time constant degradation.

Abstract: The ratio of the intensity of two light beams is determined by an apparatus which includes a chopper wheel for chopping one of the light beams, a photodetector for detecting the intensity of both light beams applied simultaneously thereto, and a logarithmic amplifier for amplifying the current produced by the photodetector. The AC component of the logarithmically amplified current represents the ratio of the intensity of the two light beams.

Abstract: An airborne weather radar system displays on a display screen a weather map in the form of a matrix of spots of intensity with N possible intensity levels ranging from a lowest level to a highest level where N>2 and where the intensity levels correspond to respective data signals provided by the radar system. The intensity control on the weather radar system is operator controllable to cause data signals corresponding to all intensity levels except the lowest to be converted to signals corresponding to the highest level. Therefore, only the highest and lowest intensity levels are displayed.

Abstract: A memory array of cells produces output signals having either one of a high value (i.e. V.sub.H) or a low value (i.e. V.sub.L). The difference between V.sub.H and V.sub.L is significantly less than the operating voltage (e.g. V.sub.DD) applied across the memory cells and V.sub.H and V.sub.L are offset towards one of the voltage rails (e.g. V.sub.DD or ground ). The memory cell output signals are compared to a reference signal (V.sub.R) derived either from a "dummy" cell or from a memory cell being sensed, where V.sub.R has a value which is less positive than V.sub.H but more positive than V.sub.L. The reference signal and a memory cell signal, are applied to a sense amplifier which is responsive to a relatively small difference between the two signals and which can produce an output (V.sub.O) which is approximately symmetrical with respect to the mid point (V.sub.DD /2) of the operating voltage. A signal (V.sub.H) more positive than V.sub.R causes V.sub.O to be more positive than V.sub.DD /2 and a signal (V.

Abstract: A radio receiver includes a phaselocked loop including a main phase detector which accomplishes both carrier extraction and demodulation of an FM orderwire signal. The loop bandwidth characteristic is made suitable for de-emphasis of the FM orderwire audio signal, and the output of a quadrature phase detector is applied as a divisor to an analog divider in the phaselocked loop to cause the bandwidth of the phaselocked loop to remain substantially constant despite changes in input signal level.

Abstract: System for displaying computer generated information on a display screen such as a standard television raster by mapping memory bits onto corresponding points of the raster. The information is applied serially to the television circuits in synchronization with the sweep rate of the television. Horizontal and vertical synchronization signals are also generated to control the receiver sweep circuits.

Abstract: A power supply which incorporates a feedback network for maintaining an output parameter at a nominal value, includes apparatus, which, upon a change in an environmental parameter provides a signal to the feedback network to alter substantially the output parameter from its nominal value. Such a power supply is useful in a cathode ray tube type display system subject to damaging voltage breakdowns at high altitudes.