Abstract: A beam-forming network for an emitting array antenna having at least NB input ports connected to respective beam ports of the beam-forming network and at least NOSA>1 output ports, for associating to each output port a linear combination of input signals from respective input ports; a set of at least NOSA lossless single-mode networks, each having an input port connected to a respective output port of multi-beam network and at least NNOSAOSA>1 output ports, for associating to each output port a signal obtained by weighting an input signal from the input port; and a set of at least NNOSA?NNOSAOSA lossless multi-mode networks, each having at least NNOSAOSA NOSANOSA input ports, each one connected to an output port of a respective single-mode network, and at least NENOSA>1 output ports connected to respective antenna ports of the beam-forming network, for associating to each output port a linear combination of input signals from respective input ports.

Abstract: The wheeled vehicle enables heavy loads that are mounted on low-height legs to be lifted and transported. Indeed, it is provided with a plurality of wheeled modules (6, 7, 19) that are articulated to each other and have large-diameter wheels. The means for raising the load are centrally placed relative to the longitudinal axis of the wheeled modules. The raising thereof by central jacks makes it possible to lift the load (3) and the loading platform (20) thereof, the ends of which rest on each of the end wheeled modules (46, 47) by way of articulated jacks that control the height of the loading platform (20). Application to the transfer of hoods for waste containers to be stored.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel polypeptides which are recognized by anti-Trichinella antibodies. Said polypeptides can be used particularly for detecting anti-Trichinella antibodies and in trichinosis prevention.

Abstract: A satellite communication system including a multibeam satellite for generating a plurality of feeder beams and a plurality of user beams over a region of interest, a plurality of spatially-separated gateway stations for providing feeder links to said multibeam satellite via respective feeder beams; and a control for operating said gateway stations and multibeam satellite such that: in nominal conditions, NGW gateway stations exchange data with K user beams, each of the gateway stations allocating a fraction of its bandwidth to each of the user beams; and in case of fading, data are switched from faded to unfaded gateway stations, whereby none of said user terminals experiences service outage. A method of performing satellite communication using the satellite communication system, and a multibeam communication satellite payload for carrying out the method are provided.

Abstract: An Uplink Power Control method of adjusting an operating point of a High-Power Amplifier (HPA) of a ground-to-satellite emitter (GWj, GWk, GWl) as a function of propagation attenuation, characterized in that the method includes the steps of: a) determining an optimal Output Back Off value of the High-Power Amplifier which, for an operational propagation attenuation level, maximizes a Signal over Noise plus total interference ratio at the satellite taking into account contributions from cochannel and cross-polar interferences, intermodulation interferences and thermal noise; and b) setting the operating point of the High-Power Amplifier at the optimal Output Back Off value. A ground-to-satellite emitter comprising a High-Power Amplifier (HPA), a control means (PROC) for adjusting an operating point of said High-Power Amplifier by carrying out such a method.

Abstract: A radio-frequency power amplifier with envelope tracking, having a power RF amplifying device for amplifying a RF signal and a switching DC/DC converter for providing the power RF amplifying device with a DC power supply at a voltage level (VSUPP) proportional to an envelope of the RF signal, wherein the switching DC/DC converter has a reversed buck topology. Advantageously the switching device is a N-type GaN Field Effect Transistor having its drain connected to the ground.

Abstract: An Uplink Power Control method of adjusting an operating point of a High-Power Amplifier (HPA) of a ground-to-satellite emitter (GWj, GWk, GWl) as a function of propagation attenuation, characterized in that the method includes the steps of: a) determining an optimal Output Back Off value of the High-Power Amplifier which, for an operational propagation attenuation level, maximizes a Signal over Noise plus total interference ratio at the satellite taking into account contributions from cochannel and cross-polar interferences, intermodulation interferences and thermal noise; and b) setting the operating point of the High-Power Amplifier at the optimal Output Back Off value. A ground-to-satellite emitter comprising a High-Power Amplifier (HPA), a control means (PROC) for adjusting an operating point of said High-Power Amplifier by carrying out such a method.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for predicting whether a sample contains enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) of at least one of EHEC O157:[H7], O145:[H28], O103:[H2], O111:[H8], O121:[H19], O26: [H11], O45:[H2] or O104: [H4] serotypes, and for identifying said serotypes, through detection of gene espK in association with at least one of the genetic markers Z1151, Z1153, Z1154, Z1155, Z1156, Z6065, Z2098, ureD or espV and/or through detection of serotype-specific CRISPR sequences.

Abstract: An Automatic Identification System—AIS—receiver comprising at least one processing section (PS1, PS2) for synchronizing, demodulating and detecting AIS messages contained in a received signal, said processing steps being carried out separately for a plurality of frequency sub-bands (SB1, SB2, SB3) spanning an AIS channel (CH1, CH2); the receiver being characterized in that: said sub-bands overlap with each others; and said or each processing section is adapted for synchronizing, demodulating and detecting said AIS messages within each sub-band on the basis of timing error and carrier frequency estimations obtained from filtered replicas of said received signal, propagating along respective auxiliary signal paths.

Abstract: A solar array system includes at least one solar array and at least one solar array regulator. The solar array regulator has an input port to be connected to the solar array, and an output port to be connected to a power bus. The solar array comprises a switching voltage converter comprising a step-down (PC1) and a step-up (PC2) power cell connected in cascade; and a control circuit for driving said voltage converter in a step-up, a step-down or a direct energy transfer mode, depending on an input control signal and on at least one feedback signal (SILF) indicative of an operating condition of said switching voltage converter; characterized in that said at least one feedback signal (SILF) is indicative of an intensity of an electrical current (IL) flowing between said step-down and said step-up power cells, whereby the control circuit implements an internal current feedback control.

Abstract: A configurable Turbo-LDPC decoder having A set of P>1 Soft-Input-Soft-Output decoding units (DP0-DPP-1; DPi) for iteratively decoding both Turbo- and LDPC-encoded input data, each of the decoding units having first (I1i) and second (I2i) input ports and first (O1i) and second (O2i) output ports for intermediate data; First and second memories (M1, M2) for storing the intermediate data, each of the first and second memories comprising P independently readable and writable memory blocks having respective input and output ports; and A configurable switching network (SN) for connecting the first input and output ports of the decoding units to the output and input ports of the first memory, and the second input and output ports of the decoding units to the output and input ports of the second memory.

Abstract: A reconfigurable reflector for electromagnetic waves, comprising: a rigid support element (10) having a front surface (13); an elastically deformable reflective membrane (30) lying over the front surface of said rigid support element; and a plurality of linear actuators (20) for deforming said reflective membrane by operating on predetermined points thereof; wherein said linear actuators are embedded within said rigid support element, and have shafts (22) protruding by the front surface thereof for operating on predetermined points of said elastically deformable reflective membrane. Preferably, the rigid support element comprises a reflector dish having a sandwich structure having a honeycomb core (11) made of CFRP or aluminum, in which the linear actuators are embedded by conventional potting techniques. Antenna system comprising such a reconfigurable reflector, possibly operating as a subreflector (SR), and spacecraft telecommunication.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (100) for calibrating the temperature of a fiber-optic temperature sensor, with which an optical fiber (10) of a fiber-optic temperature sensor is to be provided. The device (100) comprises a device body (101) having a passage (109) through which the optical fiber (10) is to pass, and a means for transferring heat energy. The device (100) further comprises at least one portion (160a), referred to as a first fixed point, which is made from a first material having at least a first predefined temperature at which the state thereof changes. The first fixed point (160a) is thermally connected to the optical fiber (10) when the optical fiber (10) is provided with the device (100). The heat-transferring means is arranged in the device body (101) such that, during the actuation thereof, the heat-transferring means exchanges heat energy with the first fixed point (160a) so as to cause a change in the state thereof at the first predefined temperature.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device having light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating device having photovoltaic diodes. The exemplary method includes depositing a first conductive medium within a plurality of channels of a base to form a plurality of first conductors; depositing within the plurality of channels a plurality of semiconductor substrate particles suspended in a carrier medium; forming an ohmic contact between each semiconductor substrate particle and a first conductor; converting the semiconductor substrate particles into a plurality of semiconductor diodes; depositing a second conductive medium to form a plurality of second conductors coupled to the plurality of semiconductor diodes; and depositing or attaching a plurality of lenses suspended in a first polymer over the plurality of diodes. In various embodiments, the depositing, forming, coupling and converting steps are performed by or through a printing process.

Abstract: A radio-frequency power amplifier with envelope tracking, comprising: a power RF amplifying device for amplifying a RF signal; and a switching DC/DC converter, comprising a switching device and a rectifying device, for providing said power RF amplifying device with a DC power supply at a voltage level proportional to an envelope of said RF signal; wherein said switching device is a RF power transistor; characterized in that said rectifying device, and preferably also said power RF amplifying device, is also a transistor of a same technology, connected as a two-terminal device. Preferably, said power RF amplifying device is also a transistor of said same technology. A low-pass filter can also be provided for reducing the bandwidth of the envelope signal on which the PWM signal driving the DC/DC converter depends.

Abstract: The invention concerns a waveguide filter (200NP) for microwaves, characterized in that it has, at least on part of its length, a cross-section having two mutually non-parallel opposite sides (111, 111?), for example trapezoid. The use of such a shape enables the power threshold for forming self-maintained electron avalanche discharges to substantially increased and satisfactory filtering properties to be obtained. The invention also concerns the use of such a filter in a high-power microwave transmitter operating in X and Ka bands, in particular for space applications.

Abstract: A sequential switching shunt regulator cell comprising: a power line (PL) for connecting a power source (SA) to a power bus (PB); a shunting (SSW) switch for shunting said power line; and driving means (DM) for opening or closing said shunting switch depending on an error signal (MEA) indicative of a voltage level of said power bus; characterized in that it also comprises: a non-redundant rectifier (D3) connected in series to said power line for disconnecting the power bus from the shunting switch when the latter is closed; and a fault detector (FD) for detecting a short-circuit fault condition of said non-redundant rectifier, and for opening the shunting switch in reply to said condition. Advantageously, the rectifier can be a synchronous rectifier. A solar power regulator comprising a plurality of solar arrays connected to a power bus through respective sequential switching shunt regulator cells of the kind described above.

Abstract: A beam-forming network having: a plurality (NI) of input signal ports (IP); a plurality (NO) of output signal ports (OP); a weighting and interconnecting network (WIN) comprising a plurality of signal dividers (SD), phase and amplitude weighting elements (WE), switches (SW1, SW2) and signal combiners (SC), for associating each input port to output ports through respective weighting units; wherein either input (IP) or output (OP) ports, or both, are partitioned into disjoint equivalence classes (IEC, OEC), at least a majority of said equivalence classes having more than one port; and in that the network is either configured in order to associate each input port to at most one output port for each output equivalence class, or to associate each output port to at most one input port for each input equivalence class, or both. Also provide is a multibeam antenna comprising having such a beam-forming network, and an electronic circuit for implementing such a beam-forming network.

Abstract: A control method for controlling a hydraulic actuator to impart oscillatory excitation to a load, the actuator comprising at least one hydraulic chamber and a movable member capable of moving in said chamber between two extreme positions under the action of a liquid under pressure, wherein the method comprises the steps consisting in: determining an operating point for said actuator, which operating point corresponds to a rest position of said movable member; applying a hydraulic command to bring said movable member into correspondence with said rest position; and applying a hydraulic command to cause said movable member to perform reciprocating movement about said rest position, said reciprocating movement being adapted to apply a desired excitation to said load; the rest position of said movable member being selected to be significantly off-center relative to said extreme positions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electronic apparatus, such as a lighting device comprised of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a power generating apparatus comprising photovoltaic diodes, which may be created through a printing process, using a semiconductor or other substrate particle ink or suspension and using a lens particle ink or suspension. An exemplary apparatus comprises a base; at least one first conductor; a plurality of diodes coupled to the at least one first conductor; at least one second conductor coupled to the plurality of diodes; and a plurality of lenses suspended in a polymer deposited or attached over the diodes. The lenses and the suspending polymer have different indices of refraction. In some embodiments, the lenses and diodes are substantially spherical, and have a ratio of mean diameters or lengths between about 10:1 and 2:1. The diodes may be LEDs or photovoltaic diodes, and in some embodiments, have a junction formed at least partially as a hemispherical shell or cap.