Abstract: A method for transitioning a target from a missile warning system to a fine tracking system in a directional countermeasures system includes capturing at least one image within a field of view of the missile warning system. The method further includes identifying a threat from the captured image or images and identifying features surrounding the threat. These features are registered with the threat and image within a field of view of the fine tracking system is captured. The registered features are used to identify a location of a threat within this captured image.

Abstract: What is provided is a receiver-on-a-chip comprising a monolithic integrated circuit that reduces the receiver to a cigarette-pack-sized assembly mountable directly at an antenna element, with a much-increased operational bandwidth and instantaneous bandwidth, increased dynamic range and with a two-order-of-magnitude decrease in size and weight. Moreover, because of the elimination of all of the I/O drivers and attendant circuitry, power consumption is reduced by two-thirds, whereas the mean time before failure is increased to 10,000 hours due to the robustness of the monolithic integrated circuit and use of fiber optics.

Abstract: A microradio is provided with a hysteretic switch to permit an optimum range increasing charging cycle, with the charging cycle being long relative to the transmit cycle. Secondly, an ensemble of microradios permits an n2 power enhancement to increase range with coherent operation. Various multi-frequency techniques are used both for parasitic powering and to isolate powering and transmit cycles. Applications for microradios and specifically for ensembles of microradios include authentication, tracking, fluid flow sensing, identification, terrain surveillance including crop health sensing and detection of improvised explosive devices, biohazard and containment breach detection, and biomedical applications including the use of microradios attached to molecular tags to destroy tagged cells when the microradios are activated. Microradio deployment includes the use of paints or other coatings containing microradios, greases and aerosols.

Abstract: A system and associated method is provided for improved rejection of an interfering signal coupled from a transmission antenna into a local receive antenna in the presence of local multipath. A system of the invention includes a common feedback junction, (i.e., a single sampling point used by all parameter matching control loops), for adjusting a number of distortion matching circuits while advantageously maintaining independence of tuning and other independent circuit actions.

Abstract: A bipolar pulse generator is implemented in a simple structure while providing a high efficiency design having a relatively low total size, while still allowing access by fibers used to control a photoconductive switch that activates the generator. The bipolar pulse generator includes a stacked Blumlein generator structure with an additional transmission line connected to a load at its near end and short-circuited at its distal end. An extra transmission line is positioned between the Blumlein generator's structure and the load provides specified limited gap between positive and negative sub-pulses. The bipolar pulse generator further includes a bended Blumlein generator structure, in which an existing intrinsic “stray” transmission line is used to provide the bipolar pulse. Still further, bipolar pulse generator includes stepped transmission lines, with additional switches positioned between steps, which are charged by different voltages.

Abstract: A bipolar pulse generator includes two, two-conductor transmission lines coupled together with a load positioned between the two transmission lines. Each conductor of a transmission line we define as a segment. Two segments of one transmission line are charged and switchably coupled to two segments of the other transmission line to produce a bipolar pulse on the matched load. This bipolar pulse generator may be implemented in a flat or a folded design. The generator may include two transmission line structures coupled together with a load positioned between each transmission line structures. The first transmission line structure may include a stepped transmission line and an embedded transmission line segment. A switch may be coupled between the embedded transmission line segment and another segment of the transmission line structure.

Abstract: A secure communications system has at least one processor and a control bus. A number of ports, each having a different fixed address, are coupled to the control bus. The processor assigns each port the address of another port whose data the port is permitted to receive when placed on a system data bus by the other port. A time slot generator outputs each fixed port address sequentially during corresponding time slots in a recurring manner, and a time slot bus is coupled to the time slot generator and to each of the ports. The ports are configured so that (a) when a given port detects its fixed address on the time slot bus, it writes desired outbound data on the data bus, and (b) when the given port detects its assigned port address on the time slot bus, the given port reads data off the data bus.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for reducing off-state leakage current in a differential switching device. The techniques can be embodied, for example, in a method that includes receiving a differential input signal at a differential input of each of a primary switch and a dummy switch. In an enabled-state of the device, the method further includes passing the differential input signal to a differential output of the primary switch. In a disabled-state of the device, the method further includes canceling off-state leakage current at the differential output of the primary switch, by virtue of the dummy switch having its differential output reverse-coupled to the differential output of the primary switch. The method may further include preventing the dummy switch from passing signals other than off-state leakage signals. The techniques can be embodied, for instance, in a switching device.

Abstract: An automatic system is provided for alerting ground personnel as to the existence of a threat to commercial aircraft in which the threat is determined by a classified system, but in which the local area network employed by the military missile warning is isolated from an unclassified local network coupled to the aircraft's transponder which transmits the threat existence and status to ground personnel. The barrier to transmitting classified information involves both filtering between the classified LAN and unclassified LAN, the use of only discrete signaling lines in the classified LAN isolated by opto-electronics to provide physical separation between the two local area networks, and communications formatting which precludes the transmission of classified information across the barrier between the classified local area network and the unclassified local area network.

Abstract: A midwave infrared lead salt photodetector manufactured by a process comprising the step of employing molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) to grow a heterostructure photoconductive detector with a wide-gap surface layer that creates a surface channel for minority carriers.

Abstract: Using in-phase and quadrature components of a received signal, spatial and temporal information is utilized to generate a maximum likelihood coefficient from the measured data to geolocate an emitter of unknown frequency. In one embodiment an iso-Doppler contour is generated having regions of high correlation to estimate location in which the maximum likelihood calculation uses two factors, one derived from a single aperture and one derived from bearing estimates, with the region of highest correlation corresponding to emitter location. Hypothesized in-phase and quadrature signals corresponding to an emitter location describe what the signals received at the aperture should be if the emitter is of a predetermined frequency and at a predetermined location, with these estimates used in the maximum likelihood algorithm.

Abstract: A method for emplacing sensors, comprising the steps of modifying an existing sensor to attach an autorotational mechanism and deploying said sensor by autorotational means.

Abstract: In a method for laser return characterization in a DIRCM system, the improvement locating a single IR detector in an aperture in an image mirror so that its output can be used for countermeasure effectiveness measurement, missile range measurement, missile characteristic determination and to provide an AGC signal for tracking camera gain control.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to detect a broad class of signals in Gaussian noise using higher order statistics. The method detects a number of different signal types. The signals may be in the base-band or the pass-band, single-carrier or multi-carrier, frequency hopping or non-hopping, broad-pulse or narrow-pulse etc. In a typical setting this method provides an error rate of 3% at a signal to noise ratio of 0 dB. This method gives the time frequency detection ratio which may be used to determine if the detected signal falls in Class Single-Carrier of Class Multi-Carrier. Additionally, this method may be used for a number of different applications such as multiple signal identification, finding the basis functions of the received signal.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that can be used to interface a sensor circuit with readout circuitry. The techniques can be employed, for instance, with microchannel plate (MCP) based devices used in numerous sensing/detection applications, and are particularly suitable for applications where it is desirable to interface an MCP having a relatively large active area to a readout circuit having a relatively smaller active area. The interface effectively decouples anode geometry from readout circuit geometry and also may be configured with flexible anode pad geometry, which allows for compensation of optical blur variations as well as a very high fill factor. The interface can be made using standard semiconductor materials and photolithography techniques and can be configured with thermal expansion qualities that closely track or otherwise match that of the readout circuitry.

Abstract: A system is provided for the manufacture of carbon based electrical components including, an ultraviolet light source; a substrate receiving unit whereby a substrate bearing a first layer of carbon based semiconductor is received and disposed beneath the ultraviolet light source; a mask disposed between the ultraviolet light source and the carbon based semiconductor layer; a doping agent precursor source; and environmental chemical controls, configured such that light from the ultraviolet light source irradiates a doping agent precursor and the first carbon layer.

Abstract: Whether or not one utilizes direct DC coupling of the microradios to the antenna feed points or couples the RF energy from the dipoles associated with the spaced-apart contact pads on the microradio, in the subject invention one selects only those microradios that are within a certain variance of a preferred direction and then makes sure that the polarization direction of all of these radios is in the preferred direction are identical, in one embodiment by utilizing digital coding, which both activates the microradio and is used to sense the polarity associated with the connection from the signal source to the contact pads.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a quantity smoother includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is operable to receive a sequence of raw samples of a quantity and to generate from the raw samples intermediate samples of the quantity, the intermediate samples having a reduced level of fluctuation relative to the sequence of raw samples. The second stage is coupled to the first stage and is operable to generate from the intermediate samples resulting samples of the quantity, the resulting samples having a reduced level of fluctuation relative to the sequence of intermediate samples. For example, such a quantity smoother may be part of a target-ranging system on board a fighter jet, and may smooth an error in an estimated target range so that the fighter pilot may more quickly and confidently determine in his head a range window within which the target lies.

Abstract: An algorithm to detect a broad class of signals in Gaussian noise using higher-order statistics. The algorithm detects a number of different signal types. The signals may be in the base-band or the pass-band, single-carrier or multi-carrier, frequency hopping or non-hopping, broad-pulse or narrow-pulse etc. In a typical setting this algorithm provides an error rate of 3/100 at a signal to noise ratio of 0 dB. This algorithm gives the time frequency detection ratio that may be used to determine if the detected signal falls in Class Single-Carrier of Class Multi-Carrier. Additionally this algorithm may be used for a number of different applications such as multiple signal identification, finding the basis functions of the received signal and the like.

Abstract: A system for testing a circuit. The system comprises a first circuit mounted on an embedded first circuit board and a test circuit mounted on the embedded first circuit board. The system further comprises a second circuit board on the first circuit board, the second circuit board including a second circuit and a test device external to the first and second circuit board. The test circuit is effective to send at least one first test signal from the test circuit to the first circuit, receive a first response of the at least one first test signal from the first circuit, and forward the first response to the test device.