Abstract: Touchscreen control panel apparatus that highlights a control key to which the operator slides touch and actuates the associated control function upon touch release from the highlighted key. Highlighting is deleted from a key when operator slides touch therefrom without releasing touch. Parameter values are adjusted by touching a control key associated therewith and thereafter sliding touch anywhere on the touchscreen to effect parameter value change.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a target position within a selected range segment includes a range gate generator which provides a range gate signal that enables a detector for a time interval corresponding to the range segment and a signal generator, responsive to the range gate signal, which provides a signal having an amplitude which varies with time. The output signal of the signal generator is sampled by a sample and hold circuit. A control signal generator enabled during the range gate interval couples a switching signal to the sample and hold circuit which, upon the reception of a target reflected signal, causes the sample and hold circuit to switch from the sampling mode to the hold mode. The signal amplitude in the hold mode is a representation of the target position within the range gate.

Abstract: The rudder order bias integrator of a marine autopilot is reactivated upon substantial completion of a turning maneuver in response to heading error, heading rate and the derivative portion of the rudder order signal. Upon reactivation, the integrator time constant is ramped from a predetermined small value to the normal large time constant of the integrator.

Abstract: A limited scan antenna wherein radiating element and phase requirements are reduced by positioning the radiating elements to radiate through a radial waveguide. The longer wavelength in the radial waveguide relative to the free space wavelength permits a wider actual separation, while maintaining grating lobe suppression. Wave refraction at the interface of the radial waveguide with free space is a function of the guide wavelength and determines the maximum scanning capability of the antenna.

Abstract: The pulsed input light source of the fiber-optic sensor array is divided into a plurality of input light sources for the respective sensors of the array by a network of low-loss single mode fixed ratio fiber-optic couplers. The input light is applied to the input fiber of a first fixed ratio coupler, the output fibers thereof providing the input fibers of further fixed ratio couplers and so forth until the light is divided into the appropriate number of sources. The divided light sources are applied to the input fibers of the variable ratio fiber-optic coupler sensors of the array through differing lengths of optical fiber so that the input light pulses impinge upon the sensors of the array at different times. The output fibers of the sensors are coupled to multimode busses through low-loss taps.In an alternative embodiment for highly imbalanced ratio fiber-optic coupler sensors, the pulsed input light is applied to the input fiber of a first sensor.

Abstract: Temperature, pressure and liquid level parameters are sensed by the variable ratio fiber optic coupler sensor wherein the optical coupling ratio varies in accordance with stress applied to the coupler encapsulant resulting from application of the parameter being sensed. Such use of the coupler sensor is particularly advantageous in fuel tanks, which are subject to spark hazard. Vertical arrays of such sensors are utilized to determine levels of liquids in such fuel tanks. Various sensor configurations are disclosed.

Abstract: The horizontal stabilizer position is provided to the automatic flight control system software where it is passed through a second order Chebychev motion filter to provide horizontal stabilizer rate. A threshold and hysteresis function detects when the motion exceeds 0.08.degree. per second. While the stabilizer motion exceeds the threshold, a displacement detector determines when the stabilizer position has exceeded 1.degree. since the motion was first detected. When the 1.degree. change in position has occurred while the rate was exceeded, a motion flag is transmitted to the warning system. A sign change detector determines when the output of the motion filter changes sign. A holding latch responsive to the stabilizer position and to the threshold and hysteresis function latches the stabilizer position when the 0.08.degree. per second rate is exceeded. The difference between the latched position and the current position is applied to a threshold detector to determine when the difference exceeds the 1.

Abstract: A system for adaptively positioning nulls in the pattern of an antenna utilizing an auxiliary antenna in conjunction with a correlation receiver to determine the gain in amplitude and phase of the antenna pattern at the location of the interfering source. This gain is then utilized with the known gain at the peak of the main lobe of the antenna to compute coefficients of sinusoidal perturbation functions applied to the phase function of the antenna to establish a null in the direction of the interfering source.

Abstract: An optically driven signal generator utilizes optical switches having a common output port and input ports alternately coupled to first and second potentials of opposite polarities. Optical pulses, with interpulse periods commensurate with a desired output frequency, sequentially operate the switches so that electrical signals of opposite polarities are alternately coupled to a common output port in a manner to establish a continuous electrical signal at a frequency that is commensurate with the interpulse periods.

Abstract: A glare reducing shield usable with a touchscreen display includes a shade positioned above the display and a circular polarizer mounted within the shade and above touch-screen display. The circular polarizer is mounted at a height sufficient to permit activation of touch finger control functions on the touch-screen display. Reflections from the circular polarizer are reduced by shaping the circular polarizer to direct light reflected therefrom to light absorbing material coating the inner surfaces of the hood.

Abstract: A dynamic vibration absorber for reducing vibrations of a platform induced by an oscillating mass mounted thereon is provided by mounting a mass of equal mechanical resonant frequency as that of the oscillating mass and oscillating this mass in a manner to establish an equal and opposite vibration of the platform, thereby cancelling the vibrations induced by the oscillating mass. In one embodiment, a signal from the oscillating mass representative of the frequency and amplitude of its mechanical oscillation is phase shifted and utilized as a driving signal to the drive motor of the absorber mass. In another embodiment, electrical signals representative of the platform vibrations are detected to provide phase and amplitude vibration error signals. These error signals are applied to a reference signal coupled to the drive motor of the canceller mass causing the oscillations of the canceller mass to induce vibrations in the platform which counter the vibrations induced by the oscillating mass.

Abstract: A cladded optical fiber is secured in a slot in a substrate which is ground and polished to access the evanescent field. A thin electro-optically active layer of PLZT is deposited on the top of the fiber substrate. A pair of parallel electrodes is then deposited on top of the crystal PLZT film. An electric field distribution parallel to the electro-optical film is generated at the center of the electrode gap by applying a voltage to the electrode pair so as to effect a phase shift of the light wave propagating in the fiber.

Abstract: An optical sensor system utilizes time multiplexing of two optical signals developed from a common light source. Relative amplitudes of the two optical signals are varied as a function of a measured parameter, time multiplexed, and coupled to a common optical transmission path. At the receiving end of the optical transmission path the two optical signals are converted to electrical signals by the same detector, thus eliminating sensitivity to source gain, interconnect fiber loss, and detector gain as sources of calibration error.

Abstract: An apparatus for moving a module in a guide channel includes levers which cooperate with cams associated therewith and contacting edges extending from the guide channels to apply forces for positioning the module. These forces are coupled to movable wedges, guided by wedges fixed to the module, which contact the walls of the guiding channels to clamp the module. Clamping forces are maintained by compressible elements such as Belleville washers or suitable springs coupled to the wedges fixed on the module.

Abstract: A global positioning system (GPS) receiver includes a phase locked loop that locks to the carrier signal from the GPS satellite at an offset frequency in order to recover the GPS data. The loop includes a phase shifter driven by a system clock through a synchronous clock inversion circuit. The phase of the system clock is periodically inverted synchronously with respect to the clock in order to compensate for the offset loop frequency so that the loop does not lose lock because of the offset error.

Abstract: A capacitor is charged and discharged through switch selectable resistors from regulated DC voltage supplies and clamping diodes to provide the bias signal to control the rise and fall times of the RF output pulse of a PIN diode attenuator. An isolation buffer isolates charging and discharging transients from the bias signal. An adjustable AC gain and adjustable DC offset inverting amplifier provides the isolation buffered signal to a high impedance, very low output AC impedance source for driving the bias input of the PIN diode attenuator. The DC offset is provided by an adjustable regulated voltage source coupled to the inverting amplifier.

Abstract: A system for identifying a received signal includes a comparator wherein random variables defining the signal are compared to upper and lower thresholds established in accordance with a statistical cube defined by the statistics determined for each random variable by processing a multiplicity of the received signals.

Abstract: A scanning spectrometer scans the spread spectrum of sunlight and low level luminescence or fluorescence past a slit to provide the spectrum scanned in the time domain. An image intensifier responsive to the light energy passing through the slit is gated on when Fraunhofer lines are coincident with the slit. A photodetector responsive to the image intensifier detects the intensified total energy within each Fraunhofer line.

Abstract: Blooming inhibition in an intensified television camera having an image intensifier is effected by applying periodic electrical pulses to the photocathode of the image intensifier of an amplitude that absorbs into the photocathode of the image intensifier excessive electrons in the photocathode and in a space charge adjacent the photocathode resulting from a bright light point in the scene. The pulses are of such short duration that sensitivity of the camera is not significantly reduced. The periodicity of the pulses is such that a plurality of the pulses are applied during each raster line scan. Alternatively, one pulse may be applied during each raster line retrace.

Abstract: An apparatus for electronically narrowing the beam width of interrogation transmissions of an interrogator utilizes three beams of the four beam system not used as the main beam for the transmission of suppression pulses. One side of the main beam is suppressed by the first sidelobe suppression pulse of the interrogation pulse sequence and then the other side of the main beam is suppressed by the second sidelobe suppression pulse within the interrogation pulse sequence. In another mode of operation, the interrogation beam width is controlled by transmitting a suppression pulse on a beam positioned 180.degree. from the main beam. This electronic narrowing of the interrogation beam width reduces the number of overlapping replies received by the interrogator and enables the interrogator to properly sort out and not lose or misinterpret replies received by proximity transponder equipped aircraft.