Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to the protection of electronic displays and includes a guard configured to protect a lighting means while providing an expanded field of view. The guard may include a first element and a second element each having at least a top surface and a wall. The lighting means may be positionable substantially between the first element and the second element such that the top surface of the lighting means is below the first top surface and the second top surface to protect the lighting means from incidental impact. A gap between the first and second elements provides a field of view. The field of view may include a substantially orthogonal line of sight to one side surface of the lighting means.

Abstract: A connector system is provided. The system includes a substantially circular interconnecting hub, and a plurality of circuit board bays configured substantially radially around the substantially circular interconnecting hub. Each circuit board bay has a plurality of aligned connectors configured to receive a circuit board. The interconnecting circuit hub has, for each individual circuit board bay, a direct data pathway connecting the individual circuit board bay to all remaining circuit board bays of the plurality of circuit board bays. Each of the plurality of circuit board bays can directly communicate through the interconnecting hub with each of the remaining circuit boards bays.

Abstract: A system and method of detecting entangled photon pairs, each pair including a signal photon and an idler photon, is disclosed. Entangled photon pairs are provided having an entanglement time and an entanglement area selected to substantially increase an associated entangled two-photon cross-section of an associated target medium. The entangled photon pairs are also selected to have an energy distribution between the signal photon and the idler photon to substantially decrease an associated random two-photon absorption cross section of the target medium. The entangled photon pairs are directed to the target medium, and at least one entangled-photon pair being absorbed by the target medium is detected. The techniques for detecting entangled photons may be adapted to accommodate hiding information in entangled photons. That is, these techniques may be used for quantum steganography.

Abstract: A system and method for imaging one or more objects in the presence of unknown phase and amplitude aberrations is described. Multiple images are collected so as to have measurement diversity and processed using a model-based approach to estimate the aberrations. An incoherent imaging model may be constructed to estimate the dependence of the imagery upon the object and the optical system, including the aberrations. A probability density function may then be calculated using the estimated model. Next, a maximum-likelihood estimate may be calculated and optimized, thus yielding a close approximation of the phase and amplitude aberrations. The estimates may then be used to estimate an image of the object or correct the system for future imaging.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for detecting local interference in GPS signals. A plurality of remotely located GPS receivers are capable of receiving GPS signals and producing GPS related data. A monitoring station is capable of storing at least one expected GPS parameter for each of the plurality of GPS receivers. A first processor at the monitoring station is programmed to determine, for each of the GPS receivers, whether said GPS related data deviates from any of the at least one GPS parameter by more than a predetermined range of error, and for issuing a warning in response thereto.

Abstract: A system for connecting circuit boards is provided. A plurality of overlapping spaced apart circuit boards have a plurality of conductive pins passing through holes in the circuit boards. A connector includes a flexible sheet insulator and a plurality of conductive surfaces separated and supported by the flexible insulator. At least one of the conductive surfaces has a hole there through and a bent compliant lead extending there from. The hole engages one of the pins, and the complaint lead connects to one of the circuit boards.

Abstract: A connector is provided. A plurality of parallel pins is mounted in a connector. A circuit board is connected to the connector. Some of the pins are configured to communicate signals from the circuit board and others of the pins are configured to communicate corresponding signal grounds from the circuit board. The pins are organized on the connector such that at least two out of every three of the pins that are configured to communicate signals do not have any neighboring aggressor pins.

Abstract: The present invention provides a number of techniques for laminating and interconnecting multiple substrates to form a multilayer package or other circuit component. A solder bump may be formed on the conductive pad of at least one of two or more substrates. The solder bump preferably is formed from an application of solder paste to the conductive pad(s). Adhesive films may be positioned between the surfaces of the substrates having the conductive pads, where the adhesive films include apertures located substantially over the conductive pads such that the conductive pads and/or solder bumps confront each other through the aperture. The two or more substrates then may be pressed together to mechanically bond the two or more substrates via the adhesive films. The solder bump(s) may be reflowed during or after the lamination to create a solder segment that provides an electrical connection between the conductive pads through the aperture in the adhesive films.

Abstract: A digital demodulation method for a quadrature amplitude modulated signal uses a phase locked loop to generate a local carrier signal. The phase locked loop uses a feedback signal derived from one or more demodulated signals of interest. The loop has a filter characteristic with a stop band within the information bandwidth(s) of the information signal(s). The preferred method generates an error signal from DC components of in-phase and quadrature-phase baseband signals. DC components are preferably isolated using a low-latency, AC rejection filter.

Abstract: A method of and architecture for controlling board elements in an orthogonal system architecture is provided. The method and architecture preferably utilize an internal bus architecture between control boards, such that a first control board can access board elements in its stack via I/O on a second control board and the second control board can access board elements in its stack via I/O on the first control board. Most preferably the internal bus architecture is a HyperTransport bus architecture.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an optical grating sensor configured to detect a phase change in light passing though the system due to a binding event caused by an analyte. The grating sensor may include a light source that may be, for example, a coherent light source. The invention may also include a first diffraction grating having a first period. A micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) may be displaced from the first diffraction grating and may be configured to modulate the light received form the coherent light source. An analyte recognition material may be disposed on the surface of the first grating. A detector may be configured to receive light form the coherent light source after the light has been diffracted from the first diffraction grating and modulated by the MEMS. In another embodiment of the present invention, the grating sensor may be configured to operate in two modes. The first mode may be a mode the detect a phase change in the light due to a binding event.

Abstract: An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a chassis configured to house electronics. The chassis of an electronic device may include a first rail and a second rail substantially parallel to the first rail. The first rail and the second rail may be coupled to the chassis. The first rail may have a first cutout and a second cutout. The second rail may include a third cutout and a fourth cutout. The invention according may also include a housing. This housing may be configured to be removably coupled to the chassis. The housing may include a first side having a first protrusion and a second protrusion. The housing may also include a second side having a third protrusion and a fourth protrusion. The first recess may be configured to receive one of the first protrusion and the second protrusion. The second recess may be configured to receive one of the third protrusion and the fourth protrusion.

Abstract: A fiber optic cable includes multiple optical fibers extending from a low-pressure environment into a high-pressure environment. At a junction region, the optical fibers are substantially free of any coating, while the fibers include a coating in the low- and high-pressure regions. The fibers are metallized in the junction region, and an epoxy layer is bonded to the metallization. A protective, conductive housing is positioned around the cable. The fibers in the low-pressure region are coupled to communications electronics, and the pattern is repeated as needed to form a needed length of communication cable.

Abstract: A system for and method of detecting and characterizing materials using entangled photons is presented. The material may be at a great distances from the detector and may be biological material, complex organic compounds, or inorganic chemicals. The disclosed system and method provide advantages over traditional techniques in that they are largely impervious to atmospheric reduction of probing radiation and in that less probing radiation is required. The reduced probe energy requirement allows for detecting and characterizing sensitive material with significantly reduced material bleaching compared with traditional techniques.

Abstract: A method for forwarding incoming cellular communications to an aircraft is provided. A request is received to divert incoming calls for a cellular telephone number to a communication system on board an aircraft. The request includes at least a temporary identification code representing a cellular telephone aboard the aircraft. A diversion instruction is associated with the cellular telephone number. The diversion instruction represents an instruction to forward an incoming call for the cellular telephone number to the communications system aboard the aircraft. A state of a cellular telephone associated with the cellular telephone number is considered as busy, regardless of an actual state of the cellular telephone. An incoming telephone call to the cellular telephone number is forwarded, consistent with said considering and in accordance with the diversion instruction, to the communications system on board the aircraft.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for detecting local interference in GPS signals. A GPS receiver is capable of determining its GPS coordinates. A memory is capable of storing an initial location of the GPS receiver and a user-defined range of error. A processor is programmed to determine whether GPS coordinates from the GPS receiver differ from the initial location by more than a range of error, and for issuing a warning in response thereto.

Abstract: A method of determining a distance to an object is presented. A first photon and a second photon are simultaneously generated. The first photon is reflected off an object. The second photon is directed to an optical cavity. An arrival of the first photon is correlated with an arrival of the second photon, and the distance to the object is at least partially determined using the correlation.

Abstract: A connector is provided. A plurality of parallel pins is mounted in a connector. A circuit board is connected to the connector. Some of the pins are configured to communicate signals from the circuit board and others of the pins are configured to communicate corresponding signal grounds from the circuit board. The pins are organized on the connector such that at least two out of every three of the pins that are configured to communicate signals do not have any neighboring aggressor pins.

Abstract: Provided are two-dimensional autofocus methods in a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system which include: (1) two-dimensional pulse pair product algorithm including shear PGA, eigenvector phase history (“EPH”), shear PGA/EPH); (2) two-dimensional optimization algorithms including parametric one-dimensional estimate/two-dimensional correction, parametric two dimensional estimate/two-dimensional correction, unconstrained two-dimensional nonparametric and constrained two-dimensional nonparametric methods; (3) a two-dimensional geometry filter algorithm; (4) a two-dimensional prominent point processing algorithm; (5) a one-dimensional phase estimate of higher order two dimensional phase errors; and, (6) a fast SHARP parametric autofocus algorithm.

Abstract: A system for connecting circuit boards is provided. A plurality of overlapping spaced apart circuit boards have a plurality of conductive pins passing through holes in the circuit boards. A connector includes a flexible sheet insulator and a plurality of conductive surfaces separated and supported by the flexible insulator. At least one of the conductive surfaces has a hole there through and a bent compliant lead extending there from. The hole engages one of the pins, and the complaint lead connects to one of the circuit boards.