Abstract: A radar system embodies a subsystem having an amplitude and phase modulator circuit, an amplitude and phase demodulator circuit electrically connected to and feeding the modulator circuit, and a pulse generator electrically connected to and feeding the demodulator circuit. A single traveling wave tube is utilized in the transmitting portion of the subsystem.

Abstract: A scanning mirror position sensor operable from the back side of a scanning mirror which utilizes the front side of the mirror for scanning a scene to be interrogated or displayed. A rectangular uniformly distributed light source is reflected from the back surface of the scanning mirror across a plurality of parallel photo voltaic diode structure bars which may have a gray coded aluminum mask thereon. The outputs of the diode structure bars energized through openings in the aluminum mask may energize sense amplifiers and output logic to provide a continual and accurate mirror position value.

Abstract: A system utilizing a tapped or recirculating delay line to effectively slow down a time duration limited signal such that it may be sampled at a slower rate yet preserve all the inherent information in the signal which may have a bandwidth higher than the inverse of the sampling rate. In the systems of the invention a selected number of delayed signal replicas are formed and sampled at selected intervals consistent with the A/D (analog to digital) converter capability. The delay per tap or the delay of the recirculating delay section is made larger than the time duration limited period and the output sampling interval is made equal to the delay per tap (or of the recirculating delay section) .+-. the input sampling interval all divided by the number of samples per signal replica.

Abstract: An electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) system for overcoming the effect of sidelobe repeater or stand off jammer type electronic counter measures (ECM). A primary monopulse type antenna is divided into four quadrants for transmission and reception with the received sum and difference signals being combined in a ferrite modulator. When ECM is detected, the reception pattern is switched so that only the difference signals from the modulator are utilized for the received energy. The power at the receiver in response to only difference signals, relative to the conventional power, allows a threshold to be established to allow blanking of the radar display in a narrow azimuth region about the true azimuth position of the jamming source. The displayed azimuth region that is affected by the jammer, is reduced to only a few degrees on either side of the jammer position.

Abstract: A system for measuring unambiguous target range for targets at high velocities in which target range and doppler frequency data from three sequential transmission dwells of radar returns are stored, each dwell having a different pulse repetition frequency (PRF). The dwell storage unit which includes three sets of dynamic registers is loaded and unloaded serially with respect to range and supplied to a 17 path doppler frequency correlator. After the three dwell storage registers have been loaded with a basic PRF plus jitter, the range interval unfolding is performed by a recirculation process in each of the registers. During recirculation the data is applied to a correlation unit, the purpose of which is to insure that the velocity of the target satisfies a 17 path algorithm across three adjacent dwells in at least one of five range azimuth profiles or paths.

Abstract: A laser range finder utilizing a mode locked laser for measuring target range with a high degree of accuracy and simplicity by measuring the time of flight of a transmitted pulse utilizing the pulses in the laser cavity for clocking a range counter. The laser consists of mirrors with at least one being semi-reflective, an amplifying medium and a suitable method of mode locking. A switch is provided outside of the cavity for transmitting a gated train of ultra short pulses or a single pulse to a target. The return signal is processed, detected and sent to an electronic circuit which uses the detected signal to stop a counter at the proper range count. The pulses inside the cavity are detected after they pass through one of the mirrors to provide the range counting pulses as well as to energize the switch outside of the cavity at the proper switching time.

Abstract: The charge comparator, in accordance with the inventon, illustrated as a p-channel device utilizes charge-transfer devices (CTD) that provide positive feedback to a preceding storage well so that when a small charge is transferred over a charge barrier and then under a floating electrode, the resultant voltage increase on the floating electrode is fed back in a positive sense and effectively raises the bottom of the preceding storage well. This action quickly results in a larger charge transfer over the charge barrier into the well under the floating electrode and the system becomes regenerative. Thus, the entire preceding storage well charge is transferred over the barrier into the potential well beneath the floating electrode and a digital 1 is created. If this regenerative operation is not triggered, as a result of the input signal not reaching a reference level, a digital zero output is provided.

Abstract: A liquid crystal field sequential color display is formed by presenting three monochromatic images corresponding to the three primary colors, that is, red, green and blue, consecutively in a repetitive sequence and at a rate greater than the flicker fusion frequency for human vision. Each field contains a monochromatic image showing how the intensity of the primary color to which it corresponds varies over the entire image area. The black and white imaging techniques typically used for forming the intensity pattern for each field are transformed into the required sequential monochromatic image patterns through the use of colored filters in one embodiment or colored light in another embodiment. The novel result is obtained by the combining of flat panel liquid crystal display technology with color display technology. This invention disclosure shows a practical method for combining these techniques into a device that will form a full color image.

Abstract: Accurate pointing of an infrared receiver or transmitter is provided by boresighting using a special beamsplitter and visible spectrum transmitting optics. The beamsplitter reflects the infrared signal and transmits visible light which permits sighting through the receiver field optics for accurate boresighting or pointing.

Abstract: Control for overlapping instruction execution in an arithmetic unit is provided by stepping a sequence of instructions through a plurality of registers connected in cascade and separately decoding each instruction in a register for control of a corresponding stage in one or more data processing paths, each comprising stages through which data being processed is stepped, each stage corresponding to only one register of the control pipeline. The output of the decoder of each instruction register controls the required operations in the corresponding stage of the data pipeline. Automatically indexed indirect addressing is provided by use of pointers for data sources and destinations as required in the execution of every instruction in order to facilitate highly iterative and structured operations on blocks or arrays of data.

Abstract: A time sampling adaptive clutter processor that samples on a scan to scan basis rather than on an area basis and in response to signals received from the object being interrogated develops a mean level value and a standard deviation value. The mean value and the standard deviation value may be provided by recursive type filters operating with scan to scan memories. The mean level value is then combined with the standard deviation value to provide a threshold that provides improved clutter detection especially with a condition in which a clutter variation from scan to scan is less than the clutter variation between areas in any one scan. The system may also include a valid target control to eliminate the detrimental effects on the threshold that may be caused by targets being tracked.

Abstract: A flyback type power supply in which dissipation losses associated with switch transition time are substantially eliminated by performing all switching operations at or near zero current by the use of a plurality of resonant circuits. In a first resonant circuit an intermediate storage capacitor is resonantly charged through an inductor and a first switch until, after a half sinewave of charging current, the voltage on the capacitor is twice the input supply voltage. The capacitor is then discharged through a second switch and the primary inductance of a flyback transformer having rectifiers on the secondary that are back-biased initially so as to provide a resonant current buildup in the primary winding with an amplitude that follows a sinewave function, the primary voltage following a cosine function.

Abstract: A fiber optic device to produce either single or multiple delayed light pulses from a single input light pulse for testing of a range determining unit such as a laser range finder. The optical range tester includes a coil of an optical waveguide such as a single optical fiber, input and output focusing lenses and a multiple tapping unit for extracting or sampling light energy from the fiber at a number of predetermined points along the coil to provide different time delays. All of the sampled output beams are combined optically so that they leave the device on a common optical axis so as to be sensed by an optical detector in the laser receiver. The optical range tester in accordance with the invention, may be utilized either as a portable unit or as a built-in test unit. The range tester may provide a minimum range return, a nominal return and a range resolution return and may include extinction filters to allow a determination of effective transmitter to receiver gain.

Abstract: A system for detecting the presence of clutter utilizing an area overlap technique that effectively rejects scintillating position clutter near the boundaries of the area clutter map ACM cells. A first area clutter-mapper system is provided with its area ACM cells at a first position and a second clutter-mapper system is provided with its ACM cells in a second position with each cell displaced by about one-half ACM cell dimension in range and azimuth to overlap the original ACM cell boundaries. All of the clutter returns which were divided among the original set of ACM cells occur in one of the area overlap ACM cells so that when the clutter scintillates between ACM cells for any selected detection criterion, it is identified as clutter rather than a moving target. Separate detection history counts for clutter-identification and inhibit code for clutter rejection are provided in both the first and second clutter overlap map units.

Abstract: A system to automatically regulate input light and television camera tube gain to maximize scene viewing continuity while protecting against overloads. An electro-optical input assembly, an image intensifier, SEC vidicon and video pre-amplifier produce required video signals. The signals are fed along a common path comprising a keyed clamp and field gating circuit, parallelly connected peak and average detectors, detector output weighting, amplifying and attenuator circuits. The path branches to a control function stage and a high voltage power supply to form a fast vidicon accelerating voltage adjusting loop. The path also branches to iris threshold and dead zone stages, to cause an iris motor to control the iris position in accordance with ambient durational and transient light conditions.

Abstract: An improved laser illuminator for target designation, such as for a target-seeking missile or object in flight or from a tracking target station, that simultaneously provides output pulses of high peak power at a low pulse repetition rate to meet the maximum range requirements of the designation or tracking system and provides output pulses of low peak power at a high pulse repetition rate to provide the high tracking error signal information rates needed at close ranges. The illuminator operates either for active or semi-active guidance of a missile to a target or for tracking an object or target from any suitable station in either an active or semi-active mode. In one arrangement in accordance with the invention, a laser oscillator is controlled in series with an amplifier arrangement to selectively provide the high power and the low power pulses which are transmitted as a common pulse train.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved signal processor that is insensitive to the type of clutter that is encountered by utilizing multiple parallel range sample intervals which vary in length from minimum to maximum so that the optimum sample size is provided for clutter or different range extents. By utilizing the correct range sample interval for the clutter, the detection threshold is accurately set as a result of an improved sample mean. The detection system includes a plurality of mean level processors operating in parallel in response to signal samples varying from minimum to maximum length in range and a selection circuit that selects the largest amplitude value of the clutter signal for use as the mean value in a signal comparator. When the mean value is the same for two or more sample sizes, one arrangement in accordance with the invention utilizes the larger sample size as the mean value.

Abstract: A clutter tracking and cancelling system, for use in a MTI radar system, comprising an auxiliary channel consisting primarily of a phase detector and a canceller. The phase detector provides an output which represents the phase difference between the IF and the coho output, while the output of the canceller, which responds to the phase detector output, represents clutter MTI residue from one transmission to the next. Clutter MTI residue from several successive range bins is smoothed and integrated to provide a control output which is used to shift the phase of the coho frequency, which is supplied to the phase detector in the conventional main MTI channel, to set the mean clutter velocity at zero velocity in order to produce optimum clutter cancellation in the main MTI channel.

Abstract: An improved video clutter processor utilizing a multiple moment detector that provides a constant false alarm rate regardless of the probability distribution of the radar clutter. The processor provides an adaptive threshold that is a function of multiple moments to compensate for variation in parameter of a selected number of parameter probability distributors. In accordance with the invention either moments around the origin may be combined to establish the threshold or central moments may be combined for the threshold level. In one arrangement of the invention, digital delay lines store the quantized sample video and the second, third and fourth powers of the quantized video which are the mean values about the origin are estimated by dividing the sum of the quantized videos by a number equal to the number of combined values to provide the moments about the origin.

Abstract: Control for overlapping instruction execution in an arithmetic unit is provided by stepping a sequence of instructions through a plurality of registers connected in cascade and separately decoding each instruction in a register for control of a corresponding stage in one or more data processing paths, each comprising stages through which data being processed is stepped, each stage corresponding to only one register of the control pipeline. The output of the decoder of each instruction register controls the required operations in the corresponding stage of the data pipeline. Automatically indexed indirect addressing is provided by use of pointers for data sources and destinations as required in the execution of every instruction in order to facilitate highly iterative and structured operations on blocks or arrays of data.