Abstract: A differential output optical fiber displacement sensor includes a structure subject to mechanical displacement over a displacement range. A pair of optical fibers is positioned so that the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber bend inversely to each other over at least part of the displacement range when the structure experiences mechanical displacement. The light transmitted through each of the optical fibers is measured, and a differential calculator determines the difference between the two transmitted light signals.

Abstract: An optical fiber and an optical component, such as a collimating lens, are positioned along an optical axis. An alignment end of the optical fiber is first positioned so that the optical fiber axis is coincident with the optical axis, and visible light passing through the optical fiber is focused upon an imaging light detector, without the optical component present on the optical axis. The optical component is inserted onto the optical axis and coarse positioned using visible light transmitted through the optical fiber and through the optical component to be incident upon a light energy detector. The optical component is thereafter fine positioned using infrared light transmitted through the optical fiber and through the optical component to be incident upon the imaging light detector. The optical fiber and the optical component are thereafter fixed in position.

Abstract: A multiplexing device includes two facing-but-spaced apart optical transmitting plates, with optical reflective filters in facing contact with outer surfaces of the optical transmitting plates to define a reflective beam path therebetween. Light transceivers are associated with each of the optical reflective filters. The optical transmitting plates have greater indices of refraction than the central medium between them, so that the beam path has a low angle of incidence to the optical reflective filters but a higher angle in the central medium.

Abstract: An electronic circuit device for driving a load comprises a load terminal, a control terminal and a power terminal for connection to a source of electric power. The load terminal may be in an emitter or a source circuit of the circuit device, and connects to a power supply return terminal by means of three electric elements connected in parallel, namely, the capacitance of a load, a bias current supply, and a current bypass. A voltage sensor is connected between the control terminal and the load terminal for sensing a voltage drop developed between the control terminal and the load terminal. The voltage sensor it is operative to activate the bypass to conduct current in parallel with current flow of the current source in the situation wherein the voltage drop exceeds a threshold. Thereby, the circuit device drives the load in one direction, and the current source and the bypass drive the load in the opposite correction.

Abstract: An electronically controlled arming unit including a logic circuit that is driven by the pre-existing weapons system signals to control a lanyard locking unit, thus removing the need for an external force to operate the arming unit. The electronically controlled arming unit can be retrofitted to the existing equipment.

Abstract: An athermalization compensation device (26, 126, 226) includes a frustoconical outer ring (51, 251), with opposite edge portions (53, 54, 253) offset radially and axially, and with a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion. An inner ring (52, 252) has a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion. In response to a temperature change, the inner ring exerts on the radially inner edge of the outer ring a force which flexes the outer ring so that the inner edge moves radially and axially in relation to the outer edge, in a manner which changes an axial dimension of the device. In an alternative embodiment, the outer ring has circumferentially spaced slots (264) extending into it from its radially inner edge, and the inner ring has a respective portion (281) disposed in each slot.

Abstract: A cylindrical article is positioned relative to a support surface by supporting the cylindrical article from a first pair of ball bearings contacting the cylindrical article adjacent to its first end, and a second pair of ball bearings contacting the cylindrical surface adjacent to its second end. At least one of the ball bearings is moved relative to the cylindrical article to reposition the cylindrical article. The repositioning may be performed under feedback control of actuators that move the ball bearings. The article may be fixed relative to the support surface after it is properly positioned.

Abstract: A structure (22) is located relative to a reference surface (26a, 42) using an optical target (28) affixed to the structure (22) and having a reflective angular-reference hologram (30) thereon with an effective angular orientation. An alignment light beam (38) is directed perpendicular to the reference surface (26a, 42) and incident upon the angular-reference hologram (30) on the optical target (28), and a signal return of the alignment light beam (38) is received at a measurement location. The angular orientation of the structure (22) is adjusted to achieve a signal return of the alignment light beam (38) corresponding to an alignment of the alignment light beam (38) to the effective angular orientation of the reflective angular-reference hologram (30). Multiple reflective angular-reference holograms (30) may be spatially superimposed upon each other in the optical target (28) or spatially separated from each other on the optical target (28).

Abstract: A collimator positioning system for positioning a collimator on a base member. The positioning system includes a first support rod and a second support rod. The first support rod has a general elongated length with at least two cam surfaces spaced from each other along the length. The second support rod is movable relative to the first support rod to form a variable collimator support area therebetween. The support rods are adapted to be moved relative to each other for varying an angle of inclination or a height of the collimator on the base member.

Abstract: A convertible multipurpose missile launcher includes a launch rail structure on the launcher body with a first-missile launch rail on the bottom side of the launcher body extending in a longitudinal direction. The first-missile launch rail is dimensioned for a first missile. A second-missile launch rail is positioned on the bottom side of the launcher body and extends in the longitudinal direction. The second-missile launch rail is dimensioned for a second missile different from the first missile. The second-missile launch rail includes a stationary second-missile forward launch rail segment, and a movable second-missile aft launch rail segment. The movable second-missile aft launch rail segment is slidable on the launcher body, and preferably on the first-missile launch rail, between a forward position and an aft position and may be locked in these positions.

Abstract: A reconnaissance pod for viewing a scene has a structural backbone extending generally parallel to a pod axis, a forward housing affixed to the backbone, and an aft housing affixed to the backbone. The aft housing is separated from the forward housing along the pod axis. A central housing is mounted between the forward housing and the aft housing along the pod axis. The central housing includes a central body, a window through the central body, and at least a portion of a sensor assembly supported within the central housing from the forward housing and/or the aft housing. A rotational drive assembly has a forward support rotationally supporting the central body from the forward housing, with a forward bearing oriented to permit rotation of the central housing about the pod axis. The rotational drive assembly also includes an aft support rotationally supporting the central body from the aft housing, with an aft bearing oriented to permit rotation of the central housing about the pod axis.

Abstract: A radiation detector, particularly suited for the detection of long wavelength infrared radiation, employs a plurality of multiple quantum well (MQW) superlattices in a unitary stack. The superlattices are electrically connected in parallel, and current outputs are obtained from the parallel connection as an indication of the incident radiation. Electrical contact layers are provided on the opposite sides of each superlattice, with adjacent superlattices sharing a common contact layer. The number of quantum well/barrier layer periods per superlattice is preferably reduced to about 20-30 divided by the number of superlattices in the stack, as compared to a single-superlattice detector with about 20-30 periods. This allows a common bias voltage applied to the superlattices to be similarly reduced by a factor approximately equal to the number of superlattices in the stack.

Abstract: An arc-fault detecting circuit-breaker system includes a normally closed line circuit breaker in series with a protected electrical circuit element whose current flow is to be interrupted upon the occurrence of an arc fault. A detector senses the rate of change with time of the current flow in the protected electrical circuit element. A silicon-controlled rectifier has a gate of the silicon-controlled rectifier in electrical communication with a detector output signal of the detector. The silicon-controlled rectifier shorts the current flow in the protected electrical circuit element in the event that the detector output signals that the rate of change of current with time in the protected electrical circuit element is in excess of a permitted maximum rate-of-change value, thereby activating the line circuit breaker.

Abstract: An optical device is positioned by mounting the optical device in a support formed at least in part of a support material which is capable of controllable and permanent mechanical deformation by a non-force-applying agent. Examples of such support materials include shape memory alloys, composite materials, and materials having a residual stress therein. The optical device is mounted to the support in a first position, and then the support is controllably and permanently locally deformed by the non-force-applying agent to reposition the optical device to a second position. The non-force-applying agent is preferably local heating, as with a laser.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for determining a modulation transfer function of a plurality of radiation detectors (12). The method includes a step of simultaneously illuminating, with a slit illumination source embodied within a phased slit reticle (16b′), a plurality of detector elements that are disposed within a localized area comprised-of rows and columns of a radiation detector array (10). The phased slit reticle has a two dimensional phase characteristic that is a function of a distance between adjacent detector elements. The method includes a further step of determining, from an electrical signal generated by the illuminated detector elements, a line spread function; and a step of determining, by taking a Fourier Transform of the determined line spread function, the modulation transfer function of the detector elements within the localized area.

Abstract: A workpiece (22) having a periphery is centered using a centering apparatus (20) having a workpiece spindle (24, 28) operable to rotate the workpiece (22) about a rotational axis (26), and a centering head (29). The centering head (29) includes a mount (30) movable in a movement direction lying in a plane (40) perpendicular to the rotational axis (26), and generally along a radial line (38) extending outwardly from the rotational axis (26). A swivel head (32) is pivotably supported on the mount (30) and is pivotable about a pivot axis (46) parallel to the rotational axis (26). The swivel head (32) has a pair of bearings (66) spaced apart along a direction lying generally perpendicular to the movement direction, with the bearing axis of each bearing (46) parallel to the rotational axis (26). A distance measuring device (34) is operable to measure the distance between the periphery of the workpiece (22) and a measurement location on the mount (30).

Abstract: Impurities are extracted from a thin-film device structure based on mercury, cadmium, zinc, and/or tellurium, such as HgCdTe, CdTe, CdZnTe, or HgCdZnTe. The impurities are extracted by furnishing a sink medium comprising molten bismuth, and contacting the contaminated structure to the sink medium for a period of time sufficiently long that impurities diffuse out of the structure and into the bismuth for removal. The molten bismuth may additionally contain small amounts of one or more of the major components of the structure (mercury, cadmium, zinc, and/or tellurium) to inhibit loss of these elements from the structure.

Abstract: A method and system of time-to-intercept determination for a radiation source using passively-sensed irradiance data. The invention provides a plurality of noise reduction features to reduce the noise present in the data and improve the accuracy of the time-to-intercept computation. The method includes reducing data noise by defining an acceptable noise level and eliminating any excessively noisy data from the time-to-intercept computation. The method further includes constantly updating the time-to-intercept computation by using irradiance values that are advanced in time. Other features of the present invention includes averaging of irradiance values over a time interval, filtering of the irradiance data received by the method, and triggering at a predetermined time-to-intercept. The invention also includes a time-to-intercept system and processor implementing the above method.

Abstract: An interferometric testing system for testing an optical system includes an interferometer which outputs a light beam and analyzes the returned light beam, and a multiple plane reference mirror which reflects the light beam corresponding to the image point transmitted by the optical system back through the optical system to thereby generate the interference. According to one aspect of the invention, the multiple plane reference mirror reflects the light beam back along the arrival path of the light beam. According to another aspect of the invention, the multiple plane reference mirror comprises a holographic multiple plane reference mirror. The interferometric testing method is also described.

Abstract: An interferometric testing system and method employing a multiple-aperture hologram. In an illustrative embodiment, the inventive optical testing system includes an interferometer which outputs a planar light beam and analyzes a reflected selected light beam. A multiple-aperture hologram generates N image points in an image plane of the optical system responsive to the planar light beam. A retro-reflector reflects a selected one of N light beams corresponding to the N image points transmitted by the optical system back through the optical system to generate the selected light beam. According to one aspect of the present invention, the multiple-aperture hologram includes N apertures generating the N image points and one of the N apertures overlaps at least one other of the N apertures. According to another aspect of the invention, the multiple-aperture hologram intersects a plane perpendicular to an axis defined by the centers of the interferometer and the retro-reflector.