Abstract: Transverse-folded antennas arrange a radiator, twist reflectors and a transreflector to generate a radar beam without blocking the beam with a feed element. The arrangement provides signal access at an antenna rear face which facilitates integration of the antenna into an automotive radar system. Different embodiments of the antenna collimate the radar beam with curved twist reflectors and with lenses. Scanning is effected with rotatable twist reflectors and with scanning radiators.

Abstract: A low profile, receiving and/or transmitting antenna is adapted to be mounted onto an interior portion of a building or other structure to receive or transmit radiation through a first dielectric material, such as a window, associated with the building or other structure. The antenna includes a receiving/transmitting horn filled with a second dielectric material and a surface for mounting the antenna to the first dielectric material so that the horn is disposed at a particular angle with respect to a surface of the first dielectric material. A matching layer may be disposed between the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material to provide for a reflectionless match between the first and second dielectric materials.

Abstract: A distributed feedback fiber laser having designed asymmetric power output ports is disclosed. The present invention uses nonuniform grating strengths in a laser cavity of an erbium doped fiber optic material to create nonuniform reflection within the cavity. The stronger the grating strength in a particular section of the cavity, the more reflectivity that section has. This construction results in a fiber laser having two output ports with different output intensities. In a method for creating nonuniform grating strengths within the fiber optic material, photosensitive fiber optic material is exposed to an optical source through a mask. As the fiber optic material is exposed, the grating strength of the fiber is changed. By linearly exposing the fiber optic material to different durations of optical energy, nonuniform grating strengths are created within the fiber.

Abstract: Antenna structures are provided which facilitate the simultaneous radiation of multiple antenna beams. The structures include photonic manifolds that define equal-length optical paths and other optical paths whose lengths progressively change by a selected length .DELTA.L. The manifolds conduct signal pairs to radiative modules. Each signal pair includes a frequency-swept scanning signal s.sub.s and a reference signal s.sub.r whose frequency is a selected one of the sum and the difference of the frequencies of the scanning signal s.sub.s and a respective operating signal s.sub.o. Subsequently, the scanning signals are mixed with the reference signals and filtered to recover phase-shifted versions of each respective operating signal s.sub.o. The phase-shifted versions are radiated to form multiple radiated beams wherein each beam is scanned by changing the frequency of its respective scanning signal s.sub.s. The frequency of the scanning signals is selected to avoid generation of spurious radiated signals.

Abstract: A Yb-doped cladding pumped fiber laser includes a reflective grating located at each distal end of the laser cavity. Each reflective grating can reflect light propagating inside a fiber core and at a desired wavelength range. A plurality of band-rejecting gratings are disposed between the reflective gratings, whereby the band-rejecting gratings can couple light at an undesired wavelength range and out of the fiber core. When the band-rejecting gratings are in an end-to-end relationship, they are separated by a distance of approximately L whereby L=[(.sigma..sub.e.sup.d +.sigma..sub.a.sup.d)ln 1/T]/[n(.sigma..sub.a.sup.d .sigma..sub.e.sup.u -.sigma..sub.e.sup.d .sigma..sub.a.sup.u)], n is a concentration of ions subject to excitation, .sigma..sub.a.sup.d is an absorption cross section at said desired wavelength range, .sigma..sub.e.sup.u is an emission cross section at said undesired wavelength range, .sigma..sub.e.sup.d is an emission cross section at said desired wavelength range, .sigma..sub.a.sup.

Abstract: A method of bonding two electrically conductive substrates together includes the steps of forming a dielectric layer between the substrates, with the layer being formed from a sol-gel solution. Through the application of a constant voltage an ionic depletion region is created in the dielectric layer. After the step of creating the ionic depletion region, the dielectric layer and substrates are heated such that an oxygen depletion region is created in one of the substrates. The sol-gel solution includes sodium aluminoborosilicate having about 75-90 mol % SiO.sub.2, about 5-20 mol % B.sub.2 O.sub.3, about 1-10 mol % Na.sub.2 O and about 0-5 mol % Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.

Abstract: A method of growing a p-type doped Group II-VI semiconductor film includes the steps of forming a lattice comprising a Group II material and a Group VI material and generating a first Group V flux by evaporating a solid Group V source material. The first Group V flux is then decomposed to generate a second Group V flux, which is, in turn, provided to the lattice to p-type dope the growing film. The Group V source material may by arsenic such that the second Group V flux may predominantly include dimeric arsenic decomposed from tetrameric arsenic to improve the incorporation of arsenic into the Group VI sublattice of the lattice.

Abstract: Connections between implanted regions in a semiconductor substrate, such as the sources or drains of adjacent transistors, are made by buried conductive implants rather than upper level metalizations. The presence or absence of a connection between two implanted regions is camouflaged by implanting a conductive buried layer of the same doping conductivity as the implanted regions when a connection is desired, and a field implant of opposite conductivity to the implanted regions when no connection is desired, and forming steps into the substrate at the boundaries of the buried layer or field implant that mask the steps formed between different conductivity regions during a selective etch by a reverse engineer. The masking steps are preferably formed by field oxide layers that terminate at the boundaries of the buried layers and field implants.

Abstract: In a pollutant destruction apparatus employing one or more corona discharge reactors, an automatic control system controls power generation characteristics for corona discharge reactions according to factors such as the types and the amounts of pollutants in an exhaust gas, maximum allowable emissions, engine operating characteristics, drive control characteristics and intelligent vehicle highway system inputs, to achieve improved treatment of the pollutants.

Abstract: An optical display employs a liquid crystal cell with a d.DELTA.n/.lambda. of approximately 0.2-0.8, allowing the cell's optical transmissivity to be modulated by an applied electric field through a dominant non-polarization rotation effect. For visible wavelengths, d.DELTA.n is approximately 0.1-0.4 microns, with a preferred value of about 0.25 microns. Applications include a reflective projection display in which input light is polarized at a greater than 0.degree. and less than 90.degree. angle, preferably about 20.degree., to the input LC directors of a twisted nematic cell; a reflective direct view system in which a quarter-wave plate is substituted for a polarization analyzer; and both a reflective and a transmissive guest-host system in which optical absorption by dye molecules is the dominant modulation mechanism.

Abstract: A welded wire termination for use in thermally and mechanically stressful environments is provided by forming a wire termination tab on a conductive pad to define a tubule for receiving a wire, either stranded or solid. The tubule is tweezer welded to form a welded termination joint between the wire and the conductive tab. The tubule easily captures all of the stranded wires and increases the surface area of the weld to a solid lead. A tweezer weld exerts pressure laterally on the tubule, and thus does not exert a force on the underlying substrate that could damage the substrate. This approach creates only a single electro-mechanical connection from the wire to the conductive pad, which is inherently more reliable than multiple connections such as those that are crimped first then welded.

Abstract: Data is reformatted in a memory external to the processing elements of a processing array, relieving the processing array of this task and allowing it to perform its data processing functions more efficiently. Data is transferred to or from the multi-channel memory in a wordstream format, with individual data words mapped into the proper memory channels and the proper addresses within each channel in a matrix format. The invention is applicable to two-dimensional reformatting for data transfers between an input/output port and the memory, and to one-dimensional reformatting for data transfers between the processing array and either the memory or the input/output port. Logic circuitry within each channel selects the proper data words for that channel from a wordstream, and the associated address for each selected word, according to the respective positions of the data words in the wordstream.

Abstract: A strap device clamps soldered wires to a conductive pad to reduce stress on the solder joints and to prevent the wire from springing off of the conductive pad if the solder joint should fail. This is accomplished by forming a conductive strap on a die into a yoke shape. The ends of the strap are then welded to a conductive pad so that the strap's yoke shape defines an opening between the strap and the conductive pad. A wire is inserted into the opening and soldered to form a solder joint between the wire, the strap, and the conductive pad. The strap reduces the stress on the solder joint by increasing its surface area and by clamping the wire to the conductive pad during the high temperature portion of a thermal cycle. If the solder joint should fail, the conductive strap maintains a electro-mechanical connection between the wire and the conductive pad.

Abstract: Disclosed is a tuned resonant oscillating mass pump, and particularly a pump structure and assembly which can be conveniently and readily mounted inside automotive tires for the purposes of maintaining optimum tire pressure and generating of electrical power from the movement of the tuned oscillating mass in such pumps. The oscillating mass can be a pendulum or a freely moving weight or a ball rolling within an arcuate chamber.

Abstract: Positional accuracy of apertures in nonplanar electrodes is improved with a new fabrication method. This method precedes process steps which establish a photoresist pattern that defines apertures with deformation steps which produce a nonplanar electrode. Thus, the deformation steps do not have an opportunity to spatially alter the photoresist pattern. The improved positional accuracy enhances the performance and lifetime of ion thrusters which include nonplanar electrodes that are fabricated with this process.

Abstract: A tuned resonant oscillating mass pump is shown, and particularly a pump structure and assembly which can be conveniently and readily mounted inside automotive tires for the purposes of maintaining optimum tire pressure and generating of electrical power from the movement of the tuned oscillating mass in such pumps. The oscillating mass can be a pendulum or a freely moving weight or a ball rolling within an arcuate chamber.

Abstract: An optical display employs a liquid crystal cell with a d.DELTA.n/.lambda. of approximately 0.2-0.8, allowing the cell's optical transmissivity to be modulated by an applied electric field through a dominant non-polarization rotation effect. For visible wavelengths, d.DELTA.n is approximately 0.1-0.4 microns, with a preferred value of about 0.25 microns. Applications include a reflective projection display in which input light is polarized at a greater than 0.degree. and less than 90.degree. angle, preferably about 20.degree., to the input LC directors of a twisted nematic cell; a reflective direct view system in which a quarter-wave plate is substituted for a polarization analyzer; and both a reflective and a transmissive guest-host system in which optical absorption by dye molecules is the dominant modulation mechanism.

Abstract: A scalable parallel processing method and apparatus for performing fast multipole method (FMM) scattering calculations. The processing method is preferably implemented on a parallel multi-processor wherein a plurality of processors communicate with each other via a data communications network. The multiple processors work in tandem to solve a particular problem, which in the disclosed embodiment involves simulating an object (or scatterer) mathematically by using the fast multipole method (FMM) to calculate scattering amplitudes. The present invention provides a method and apparatus that organizes and carries out FMM operations in a manner that minimizes or eliminates the effect of time spent on sharing information between processors. According to the present invention, the method, essentially masks certain FMM information sharing tasks by performing them concurrently with other FMM computational tasks.

Abstract: An integrated digital circuit is protected from reverse engineering by fabricating all transistors of like conductivity with a common size and geometric layout, providing a common layout for different logic cells, connecting doped circuit elements of like conductivity with electrically conductive doped implants in the substrate rather than metalized interconnections, and providing non-functional apparent interconnections that are interrupted by non-discernable channel stops so that all cells falsely appear to have a common interconnection scheme. The camouflage is enhanced by providing a uniform pattern of metal leads over the transistor array, with a uniform pattern of heavily doped implant taps from the transistors for connection to the leads; undesired tap-lead connections are blocked by channel stops.

Abstract: A low profile receiving and/or transmitting antenna includes an array of lenses that focuses millimeter wave or other radiation onto a plurality of conventional patch antenna elements. The lenses and antenna elements are physically configured so that radiation at a tuning wavelength impinging on the antenna at a particular angle of incidence is collected by the lenses and focused onto the antenna elements in-phase. Two rotatable prisms may be disposed above the lenses to alter the angle of incidence of incoming or outgoing radiation to match the particular angle of incidence.