Abstract: A system is provided for nulling out or eliminating alignment errors in an optical system by moving a lens to capture and center a collimated beam laterally-shifted by thermal excursions, thus to couteract the boresight error caused by the thermally-induced lateral shifting. As a result, alignment error the thermal coefficient of expansion characteristics of the optical elements and their mounting systems caused by lateral off-sets is corrected by moving a lens or lens system in response to thermal changes in a direction which moves the lens so that the collimated light impinging on the lens is made to come in on the optical axis of the lens.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting gases, gasified agents or other analytes. The apparatus includes a solid body having a first surface area and a second surface area. A first, preferably polymeric, coating is superimposed on the first surface area of the solid body. A second, preferably polymeric, coating is superimposed on the second surface area of this solid body. The first coating and the second coating are different materials which adsorb different agents at different rates. A wave propagating transducer is positioned adjacent the solid body to propagate a first wavefront adjacent the first surface area of the solid body. This wave propagating transducer also propagates a second wavefront adjacent the second surface area of the solid body. These first and second wavefronts interfere to produce an interference pattern which is unique to the particular agent which is adsorbed by the first and second coatings.

Abstract: A single dual mode monolithic focal plane array having an active sensor and a passive sensing capability is switched from one mode to the other by switching the bias across the cells of the array from a passive IR mode to an active LADAR mode, with the monolithic dual mode focal plane array having applications in missile target seekers and laser target designators. The switching is accomplished by increasing the gain of the array by as much as 30 times that associated with IR detection when laser return pulses are expected. Thus, there need be no mechanical changes to the array to afford both passive IR sensing and an active LADAR pulse detector. Nor need there be two different focal plane arrays, one for IR and one for laser radiation, which leads to boresighted alignment problems.

Abstract: A neural pattern matcher is made up of an array of first sum and threshold SAT1 devices 18 each of which receives a number of inputs and a threshold value, and fires a 1 output if the number of inputs exceeds the threshold value. The outputs of the array of the SAT1 devices may be considered as a 2D image or generic template against which new data supplied into the registers 26 making up a data plane 24 are correlated at a correlation plane 20 of EX-NOR gates 22. The outputs of the EX-NOR gates themselves may be summed and thresholded by a seconded sum and threshold device 28 to provide a neural output ‘1’ or ‘0’ indicating match or no match. The matcher may therefore behave as a neural auto-associative memory which continually adapts to the input data to recognize data of a particular specified class.

Abstract: Methods for navigating a remote controlled vehicle, methods for maintaining a formation of remote controlled vehicles, and remote controlled vehicles using those methods. A vehicle is navigated using the Global Positioning System (GPS). Upon dropout of the GPS, the vehicle is navigated using a laser tracking system and one or both of: (i) a compass and (ii) wheel encoders. The navigation system may be used, in one embodiment, to maintain an echelon formation of remote controlled mine detection vehicles.

Abstract: A meander line loaded antenna is provided with a ferrite donut surrounding a portion of the meander line so as to effectively lower the operating range of the meander line loaded antenna by as much as 30%. At the lower frequencies the ferrite material introduces a minimal loss of 2 to 3 dB, whereas at the higher frequency range very little current passes through the meander line thus eliminating any effect of the ferrite on antenna performance. The utilization of the ferrite surrounding a meander line element permits the use of the miniaturized antenna and size for size reduces the low frequency cut off of the antenna.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an AC ground fault detector system senses an AC signal indicative of an unintended electrical path between a load driven by a power source and a reference potential using a capacitively coupled circuit.

Abstract: One embodiment of the invention is directed to methods and apparatus for determining a variation of a calibration parameter of a pixel of the thermal sensor during operation of the imaging apparatus, after an initial calibration procedure. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to methods and apparatus for calculating a gain calibration parameter using first and second ambient temperature values and respective first and second resistance values for a pixel of a sensor. A further embodiment of the invention is directed to calculating an offset calibration parameter for at least one pixel using a gain of the at least one pixel between first and second times and an ambient temperature at a third time, wherein the pixel is exposed to both scene and ambient radiation at the third time.

Abstract: A method of registering reconnaissance image data with map data is disclosed, comprising recording image data at a plurality of positions, together with the role, pitch and height above mean sea level data from an airborne navigation system and imaging system, and recording altitude of a reconnaissance craft from an altimeter; obtaining a difference between said recorded altitude data, and an altitude calculated from said navigation system data and a map data; selecting a difference data having a lowest standard deviation, and at a position of said selected difference data generating a three dimensional surface data using a bi-quadratic equation; generating a bi-quadratic surface of each of a plurality of positions for which data is recorded; generating a difference data between said bi-quadratic surface data, and height data obtained from said map, and minimising an error between bi-quadratic surface data and said height data by translating said position data relative to said map data, until minimum error is

Abstract: A three axis sensor including a substantially planar vibrator resonator or having a substantially ring or hoop like structure with inner and outer peripheries e tending around a common axis, drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in an in lane cos 2? vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off means for sensing movement of the resonator in response to said drive means, pick-off means for sensing in plane sin 2? resonator motion induced by rotation about the z-axis, drive means for nulling said motion, pick-off means for sensing out of plane sin 3? resonator motion induced by rotation about the x-axis, drive means for nulling said motion, pick-off means for sensing out of plane cos 3? resonator motion induced by rotation about the y-axis, drive means for nulling said motion, and support means for flexibly supporting the resonator and for allowing the resonator to vibrate relative to the support means in response to the drive means and to applied rotations, wherein the support means comprises only L support

Abstract: A method for the vacuum packaging of articles including at least the steps of: creating a plurality of recesses in a backing board; positioning at least one article on said backing board; placing a film substantially over said at least one article; and using a vacuum packaging machine to substantially package said at least one article, said at least one article being situated between the backing board and the film, wherein the thickness of the backing board is at least 2 mm. Also a packaged article, the article being packaged between a backing board and a film, wherein the backing board has a thickness of at least 2 mm and the backing board further has a plurality of recesses therein.

Abstract: The combination of a Vivaldi notch and a meander line loaded antenna for ultra wide bandwidth is provided with dual polarity by providing orthogonally oriented Vivaldi notched structures coupled to each other at the edges thereof. Mode selection is provided by selectively switching between linear and circular polarization modes through selective input coupling techniques. Each side of the dual polarity Vivaldi notch/MLA plates includes a bifurcated plate with one end of the bifurcated plate having exponentially curved Vivaldi notch surfaces ahead of a cavity opened at the rear end to the bifurcated notch. The side plates for the top plate structure are themselves Vivaldi notch structure, with their side plates being the ajoining top or bottom plate. In each case, internally carried meander lines connect the adjacent together.

Abstract: An imaging system is provided where radiation from object space (2) is incident on an array of detector elements (8) via an interferometer (3), the interferometer (3) Being scanned such that the output of each pixel comprises an interferogram B generated from the radiation received from a corresponding region of object space (2), enabling image data to be generated in dependence on the output of the pixels, which image data is derived from the spectral radiance associated with each pixel.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling voltage sequencing for a power supply having multiple switching regulators includes a first switching regulator, a second switching regulator, a first and second resistors, and a first and second transistors. The first switching regulator provides a positive output voltage at a positive voltage output. The second switching regulator provides a negative output voltage at a negative voltage output. When the voltage at a node between the first and second resistors exceeds a predetermined positive voltage, the first transistor turns on to limit the positive output voltage at the positive voltage output. When the voltage at the node between the first and second resistors drops below a predetermined negative voltage, the second transistor turns on to limit the negative output voltage at the negative voltage output.

Abstract: Combined Vivaldi notch and meander line loaded antennas are concatenated in an array to provide an ultra wideband antenna having a decreased low frequency cut-off due to the concatenation. In the concatenation process, plates of adjacent antennas are shared so that one plate is used for both of the adjacent antennas. In a preferred embodiment, the side plates and the top and bottom plates are identically configured.

Abstract: A system is presented that provides real-time performance for iterative multi-user detectors, such as Turbo MUDs, which are used to separate simultaneous transmissions on the same frequency, by permitting the MUD to use a less computationally intense, fast-processing algorithm and to correct for errors caused by the fast processing. In order to reduce the errors, a voting system is coupled to the output of the multi-user detector within the iterative system. The voting system provides confidence values on a bit-by-bit basis for the estimates made by the multi-user detector, with the confidence values then being utilized as soft inputs to a bank of conventional single-user decoders.

Abstract: A proximity fuze for use in a tube launched projectile carrying a payload, comprising an oscillator for generating a radio frequency signal which has a varying frequency, a single antenna for transmitting the radio frequency signal and for receiving an echo of the radio frequency signal, a first signal processor for generating a range signal corresponding to the time delay between the transmission of the radio frequency signal and the receipt of the echo signal, second signal processor for comparing the range signal with a reference signal and depending on the result of the comparison generating an activation signal for activating the payload, wherein a directional coupler is used for coupling the radio frequency signal from the oscillator to the antenna and to the signal processor and for coupling the echo signal from the antenna to the signal processor, and wherein the second signal processor comprises a threshold detector, a peak detector and a comparator, the threshold detector being for allowing the comp

Abstract: A wideband meander line loaded antenna is configured to be flush mounted to a conductive surface serving as a ground plane by embedding the meander line components within a conductive cavity surrounded at its top edge by the ground plane. The antenna thus looks out of a cavity recessed in the surface. By permitting flush mounting the meander line antenna, not only can the antenna dimensions be minimized due to the use of the meander line loaded antenna configuration, but in aircraft applications no part of the antenna exists above the skin of the aircraft, thereby to minimize turbulent flow. Moreover, when adapted to wireless handsets or laptop computers, the depth or thickness of the unit need not be increased when providing a wideband antenna, thus to minimize the overall dimensions of the device.

Abstract: A thermoplastic bonded energetic material which comprises a composition which comprises: Component A: an energetic filler material; and Component B: a polymeric binder for the energetic filler material; wherein the ratio of the weight of Component A present to the weight of Component B present in the composition is in the inclusive range from 1:10 to 1991:1 and wherein Component B comprises an intimate mixture of Ingredients 1 and 2 as follows: Ingredient 1: a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate; Ingredient 2: a copolymer of butadiene and acrylonitrile; the ratio of the weight of Ingredient 1 present to the weight of Ingredient 2 present in Component B being in the inclusive range from 1:10 to 10:1.

Abstract: Apparatus for treating a surface using a plasma discharge includes a first capacitor electrode of a first capacitor; a second capacitor electrode of a second capacitor; and an electrical connection for connecting the first capacitor electrode to the second capacitor electrode. The first capacitor electrode and second capacitor electrode are disposed in juxtaposition.