Abstract: The present invention is a motor controller. An encoder manipulates the motor controller in a manner that is new and novel. The encoder tracks movement of a material along an assembly line and reports the results of the tracking through electronic signals. Those electronic signals are used to manipulate the motor controller to produce unique and responsive control signals to manipulate the motors, particularly during the acceleration and deceleration of the motors. Other motor control systems have used encoders as a part of a feedback loop, but none allow encoders to exert the level of control over the motors as accomplished in the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention is full-rotational freedom conductor assembly for conducting electricity between a pair of coaxial electrically conductive members. The conductive members are provided with complementary, planar tracks and are relatively rotatable about a common axis thereof. The invention includes a pair or pairs of opposing coupler halves having a planetary axis, with track-adapted profiles. The pairs of coupler halves are rotatably confined between the tracks enabling electrical contact between the tracks of the conductive members. The invention further includes a force source located at least partially between the coupler halves. The force source applies force to each of the coupling halves in a direction substantially parallel to the second common axis. The force is applied to the pairs of coupler halves in a manner that enables the coupler halves to be flexibly retained between the tracks.

Abstract: A coherent laser beam is split into an illumination beam and a reference beam. A portion of the illumination beam is passed through, or reflected off of, a subject to create a subject distribution, and a portion of the reference beam is passed through a pinhole, or reflected off a point-like reflector, to produce a reference distribution. An imaging system is used to form an aerial image of the subject distribution and the reference distribution. The resulting aerial image of the subject distribution exhibits improved resolution, depth of field and field size.

Abstract: This invention results from the realization that a laser can remove the protective layer(s) from the glass or fused silica optical fiber core and cladding more effectively and more reliably than chemical or mechanical means. This invention teaches methods of using laser beams to remove the protective layers of fibers without significantly damaging the optical and mechanical properties of the fiber and without leaving an excessive amount of residual ablation debris on the fiber while providing careful control of the laser energy. This method thereby allows users to safely strip protective layers off sensitive fibers, such as fibers used for fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). This method allows stripping of the protective layers from single fibers and from multi-fiber ribbon cables. It also allows stripping of the protective layers at an end section of the cable or in a middle section (mid-span).

Abstract: A new method and apparatus for moving an excimer laser beam relative to a workpiece to control the wall profile of laser machined features, such as holes and grooves. An excimer laser beam is displaced relative to a workpiece in a substantially circular motion and the substantially circular motion is further displaced relative to the workpiece to correspond to a desired shape.

Abstract: A method for producing an electrical feedthru wherein a thin liquid conductive film is deposited into a shallow trough of an insulating machinable substrate. The conductive film and substrate are fired and then the resulting bound composite is ground flush with the adjacent surface of the insulating machinable substrate. The surface cohesion of the fired composite, and the resulting high quality surface finish of the grinding operation, combined with an elastomeric seal, create low leakage barriers capable of supporting a pressure differential while allowing isolated electrical conduction across a pressure or vacuum envelope. The method produces a space saving feedthru which allows a high signal line density in a limited space, is relatively simple to assemble, allows for disassembly rework, can be ‘designed into’ unique geometries of varied applications, and which has a single O-ring sealing across all traces.

Abstract: A component alignment casing system for connecting circuits, and a method for making or assembling the component alignment casing system is disclosed. The system has at least one surface mountable component which has a plurality of exposed leads, a prepared component which has a plurality of exposed traces, an alignment base onto which the prepared component and the surface mountable component are laid, and a compressive cover that attaches to said alignment base. The alignment base has a plurality of alignment ribs to isolate and align the exposed traces of the prepared component. The prepared component and surface mountable components are electrically connected and attached together, preferably by soldering.

Abstract: A circuit to printed circuit board stored energy connector. The connector precisely aligns and interconnects conductors of “flexible circuits” (including conductive ink circuits (CIC), flexible printed circuits (FPC), and/or flat flexible cables (FFC)) directly to mating contacts on printed circuit boards. The connector is a zero insertion force (ZIF) type, and is a high density surface mount. The connector comprises mainly an actuator with an activation ridge, a deflectable flat spring contact in a spring support module, and circuit alignment features that use the flexible circuit's existing features—the outline and conductors—to accurately align the conductors of the flexible circuit to their corresponding mating spring contacts. The connector also includes circuit locators, a circuit compression flap and conductor alignment notches which work cooperatively to align and interconnect a flexible circuit to its spring contact.

Abstract: This invention results from the realization that a drill bit can be positioned for sharpening without using the flawed tip as a reference point allowing the drill bit to be sharpened with an insignificant level of human judgment and with consistently less flawed results. This inventive method for properly positioning a drill bit to be sharpened involves selecting a drill bit with a substantially helical geometric shape, a feature common to most drill bits. The next step is viewing a drill bit with a digital imaging device. Either an individual or, preferably, a computer determines the geometric shape of the drill bit. An individual or automated mechanism then calculates a sharpening position, relative to a sharpening means, such as sharpening wheels, for sharpening the drill bit based on the geometric shape of the drill bit. Automating this step may involve calibrating the machine by first manually positioning the drill bit and then programming a machine to similarly position all similarly shaped drill bits.

Abstract: A hiccup mode current protection circuit for switched mode power converters for high power applications is provided. The circuit features a comparator for comparing an indicating voltage to a reference voltage and outputting a control signal to a disabling input where the indicating voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage threshold. The control signal also causes a switch to reduce the reference voltage to ensure that the comparator continues to output the control signal regardless of a drop in the indicating voltage. The control signal is maintained by a comparator for only a predetermined time period such that the switch eventually returns the reference voltage to its pre-reduction state, allowing the comparator to discontinue outputting the control signal if the indicating voltage is below the predetermined voltage threshold.

Abstract: This invention results from the realization that a multiple conductor cable connector can be made more compact than previously available connectors by using a more narrow contact for each conductor in the cable, can be made more convenient by enabling all conductors contained in the cable to be connected with a single user motion, and can connect to cable without damaging the mechanical or electrical integrity of the cable conductors. This invention is an electrical connector for connecting multiple conductor cable, ideally flat flexible cable. The inventive electrical connector has a base for holding multiple contacts. The contacts should be positioned substantially in parallel with each other and are located at least partially within the base of the electrical connector. Each contact has at least one cutting edge. The cutting edge is preferably a part of the contact with a sharp edge capable of removing insulation from flat flexible cable.

Abstract: The invention is an electrical connector that provides a connection system that releasably connects the circuit paths of a flexible conductive circuit to a printed circuit board having a corresponding row of contacts, without the need for soldering, crimping or welding operations, or extensive preparation of the flexible circuit before connection. One embodiment has at least one spring contact formed in a cover; at least one rotatable cam; and a base with a circuit alignment window for initial alignment of a flexible conductive circuit introduced into the connector. The cover and base snap together to house the rotatable cam(s).

Abstract: A method and apparatus that uses control of a chaotic system to produce secure digital chaotic communication. Controls are intermittently applied by a transmitter-encoder to a chaotic system to generate the 0 and 1 bits of a digital message. A new control/no control bit stream is thereby created in which a 0 indicates that no control was applied and a 1 indicates that a control was applied. The control/no control bit stream and a prepended synchronization bit stream are transmitted, using conventional transmission technologies, from the transmitter-encoder to an identical receiver-decoder. A chaotic system in the receiver-decoder is driven into synchrony and is subject to intermittent controls based on the control/no control bit stream, thereby causing it to generate the digital message.

Abstract: A voltage threshold circuit for the power factor correction stage of a power conversion system is provide. The circuit features a voltage threshold circuit with a comparator for (i) comparing a predetermined threshold voltage to the output voltage of a power factor correction stage of a power conditioner and (ii) outputting a signal if the output voltage is at least equal to the predetermined threshold voltage. The presence of the signal decreases the predetermined threshold voltage, thereby effectively changing the output voltage above which the comparator continues to output the signal.

Abstract: An antenna comprising a pair of bent monopole elements (a doublet) that are fed in a manner that results in elevation coverage from the horizon to horizon and dual polarization. Two orthogonal bent monopole doublets provide hemispherical coverage with horizontal and vertical polarization. Combining the doublet terminals through a processing circuit will provide polarization diversity and/or angle diversity capability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating density images of an object through the 3-dimensional tracking of protons that have passed through the object are provided. More specifically, the 3-dimensional tracking of the protons is accomplished by gathering and analyzing images of the ionization tracks of the protons in a closely packed stack of scintillating fibers.