Abstract: A head-mounted or helmet-mounted display apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an optical element which in use is disposed in front of the eyes of a user. The optical element comprises a waveguide portion. The apparatus further includes a first light source and a second light source of image-bearing light. The apparatus further includes first diffraction element for propagation of image-bearing light of the first light source through the optical element. The apparatus further includes a second diffraction element for propagation of image-bearing light of the second light source through the optical element. The first light source and the second light source is disposed such that relative angular movement of the first light source and the second light source about an axis of symmetry of the optical element adjusts the inter-pupillary spacing of a first visible image and a second visible image presented to a respective eye of a user.

Abstract: A projection display 210 arranged to display an image to an observer 212 use waveguide techniques to generate a display defining a large exit pupil at the point of the observer 212 and a large field of view, while using a small image-providing light source device. The projection display 210 uses two parallel waveguides 214, 216 made from a light transmissive material. One waveguide 214 stretches the horizontal pupil of the final display and the other waveguide 216 stretches the vertical pupil of the final display and acts as a combiner through which the observer 212 views an outside world scene 220 and the image overlaid on the scene 220. In a color display, each primary color is transmitted within a separate channel R, G, B.

Abstract: A large and massive panel is maneuvered and supported by a work piece support which has an upper horizontal work piece support surface for receiving the panel in extended surface-to-surface contact. An array of apertures is provided in the work piece support surface, beneath same of which are provided low friction bearing elements moveable between a raised, load-bearing position in which the panel can be slid onto the work piece support and a retracted position in which the panel is left in extended surface to surface contact with the work piece support.

Abstract: A method of generating a set of solutions to a route-planning problem includes iteratively applying a Probability Collective (PC) method, each iteration including sampling from a probability distribution defined over a set of decision variables relating to a route-planning problem and using an archive set of decision variables and a set of the sampled decision variables to update the probability distribution for use in a subsequent PC method iteration. A set of solutions, each including at least one decision variable with an associated objective function result evaluated by the PC method iterations, is output.

Abstract: A method and system of determining the position of a radio signal transmitter are described. The method includes determining the type of radio signal being transmitted from the radio signal transmitter by analysing radio signal characteristics and correlating different sets of information to determine the position of the radio signal transmitter. Each set of information corresponds to a different relative position of at least one receiver to the transmitter and includes radio signal data derived from radio signals received by the at least one receiver from the transmitter at each respective relative position and positioning data containing information about the position of the at least one receiver at each respective relative position.

Abstract: A method for designing a secondary sub-system for monitoring the condition of a platform is disclosed. The platform can include one or more primary sub-systems. The method can include identifying stakeholders of the platform, capturing information requirements of the stakeholders, determining data requirements corresponding to the information requirements, defining a sensor array comprising sensors suitable for providing output signals relating to condition characteristics of the one or more primary sub-systems, and defining procedures for converting the output signals from the sensor array to the data requirements, thereby to fulfil the information requirements of the stakeholders. The method can be implemented using a design tool having a graphical user interface with a hierarchical layer structure.

Abstract: According to the invention there is provided a structural metallic rechargeable battery and a method of producing same. The battery uses one of an acid, alkaline or Li-ion chemistry and the battery has an anode structure, a cathode structure, each of which comprise a conductive foam which contains the active electrochemical reagents, and a structural separator which separates the conductive foams of anode from the cathode respectively. The anode structure and the cathode structure are each formed from a metal sheet or foil.

Abstract: Apparatus and a method for forming a metallic component by additive layer manufacturing are provided. The method includes the steps of using a heat source such as a laser to melt the surface of a work piece and form a weld pool; adding wire or powdered metallic material to the weld pool and moving the heat source relative to the work piece so as to progressively form a new layer of metallic material on the work piece; applying forced cooling to the formed layer; stress relieving the cooled layer by applying a peening step, for example with a pulsed laser, and repeating the above steps as required to form the component layer by layer.

Abstract: The following invention relates to an improved lens apparatus for use in a head up display (HUD), particularly for providing HUD with a depth of field and more particularly with providing a secondary virtual image in a different colour so as to provide a warning message. The partially reflecting combiner has a first surface S1 located closest to a display, and a second surface S2, located furthest from the display, wherein the effective radius of curvature of surface S2>S1, so as to provide two non-coincident virtual images. The selection of antireflective coatings on the surfaces S2 and S1 allows the non-coincident virtual images to have different coloured virtual images.

Abstract: An antenna assembly is disclosed which includes a layered structure having a planar array of antenna elements; and a feed arrangement perpendicular to the antenna elements; the layered structure further having layers over the planar array of antenna elements with holes provided therethrough to allow the feed arrangement to be connected to contacts for the antenna elements. The layered structure may include vias provided such that heat may be applied remotely to the contacts.

Abstract: A method of assessing transaction-level interoperability over a Tactical Data Link (TDL) (104) is provided. The method includes obtaining (202) transaction model data for a platform (102) and/or a TDL standard (105), the data representing a plurality of transactions and a plurality of messages that stimulate particular said transactions. Message data representing a message to be transferred over the TDL is obtained and then the message data is used (206A) with the transaction model data to assess which of the plurality of transactions the message represented by the message data will stimulate according to the transaction model. The method may also/alternatively obtain (204B) transaction data representing a desired transaction to be stimulated from amongst the plurality of transactions, and then use (206B) the transaction data with the transaction model data to assess which of the plurality of messages will stimulate the desired transaction according to the transaction model.

Abstract: A body wearable antenna adapted to be worn against the body, comprising: a first antenna part (4); and a second antenna part (6) insulated from the first part (4); wherein the first antenna part (4) is adapted to be worn circumferentially around a body part (100); and the second antenna part (6) is adapted to be worn longitudinally against a body part (100). The body parts that the first antenna part (4) is adapted to be worn around and that the second antenna part (6) is adapted to be worn against maybe the same. The second antenna part (6) may extend circumferentially around the body part (100) to some extent and may extend along substantially the whole length of the body part (100). The second antenna part (6) may comprise a plurality of radial elements (61, 62, 63) that extend away from the first antenna part (4).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a digital display plotter for plotting images on a digital display device 18. A cursive imagery generator 12 generates imagery inputs at a plurality of respective update phases during a refresh period of the display device. A control 20 for the display device activates selected pixels of the digital display device in response to respective said imagery inputs, activation being controlled subsequent to each update phase during a refresh period. An input store 14, 16 associates each cursively generated imagery input with an update phase that the imagery input was generated during a refresh period. The control 20 is responsive to the input store and configured to deactivate the selected pixels activated in response to each imagery input dependent on the associated update phase of each imagery input.

Abstract: A distributed architecture and method for maintaining the integrity of data streams within a multi-pipelined processing environment. The architecture comprising a communications network for carrying a plurality of data streams and a master processor adapted to process one or more messages in at least one of the data streams, the message processing including the creation of one or more data packets within the stream, each packet encapsulating at least a transaction summary of the data that has been processed. The architecture further comprising at least one slave processor per master processor adapted to emulate the transactional state of the master processor by regenerating the data stream as a result of processing the one or more data packets, whereupon in response to an error event on the master processor, the slave processor acts to avoid interrupting the data stream by generating one or more successive data packet(s).

Abstract: A user (18) views a reference symbol (36) along a line of sight (28) intersected by an image intensifier (22), arranged to present an intensified image of a forward scene (26) to the eye (24) of the user (18), and an image display (14), arranged to display an image to the eye (24) of the user (18) overlaid on the intensified image. The user indicates alignment of first and alternate symbols generated at known positions on the image display (14) with the reference symbol (36) and the position of a helmet (16) carrying the image display (14) is determined by a helmet tracking system (30) for each alignment. A line of sight can be determined for each symbol alignment given the helmet (16) position and known location of the first and alternate symbols. These lines of sight can be used to determine the magnification factor of the forward scene (26) induced by the image intensifier (20).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for power through a network (1), the network (1) comprising consumer units (C1-C4) and provider units (P1-P6), the method comprising: performing one or more times a first process, the first process being a process of performing step (a) followed by step (b); wherein step (a) comprises selecting a previously unselected consumer unit (C1-C4), thereby providing a currently selected consumer unit; step (b) comprises performing one or more times a second process, the second process being a process of performing (c) followed by step (d); step (c) comprises selecting a previously unselected provider unit (P1-P6), thereby providing a currently selected provider unit, the currently selected provider unit being connected in the network (1) to the currently selected consumer unit; and step (d) comprises, from the currently selected provider unit to the currently selected consumer unit, delivering an amount of resource.

Abstract: A system adapted to process network traffic includes at least one processing engine configured to receive network data being transferred over a network and generate metadata relating to the data. The system includes at least one rule engine configured to receive and process the metadata to generate an output, and at least one selection engine configured to receive and process the rule engine output to determine whether the network data is to be processed by a further component and/or whether the network data is to continue to be transferred over the network. The processing engine, rule engine and selection engine can be implemented in system hardware or firmware, and the further component can be software for execution on another processor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of scheduling for multi-function radars. Specifically, the present invention relates to an efficient urgency-based scheduling method. The present invention provides a method of scheduling tasks in a radar apparatus including the steps of: receiving one or more tasks to schedule; calculating an urgency function for each said task; and storing the said tasks using said urgency function to order each said task relative to the other said tasks; wherein when a task is to be performed, the task having the highest value of urgency function is located.

Abstract: An electronic flight planning system is provided, arranged to implement a preferred method for identifying conflicts between flight plans for aircraft. In the preferred method, the system receives, as data input from one or more users, a plurality of flight plans each defining a flight by an aircraft; the system determines, for each aircraft and its respective received flight plan, a three-dimensional region of potential conflict, representative both of the uncertainty in the position of the aircraft and of a region of air exclusion appropriate for the aircraft or for the respective received flight plan; and the system determines, on the basis of the determined regions of potential conflict, whether one of the received flight plans is in conflict with any of the other received flight plans.

Abstract: A mobile communications fraud detection system is provided in which one or more probe devices are deployed to intercept predetermined types of data being carried over selected interfaces within the mobile communications network. In particular, the probe devices are arranged to intercept data being carried between equipment responsible for providing the air interface to mobile communications devices using the network and equipment interfacing with the mobile network's core switching equipment. Fraudulent activity relating to gateway fraud, revenue sharing fraud, credit or debit card fraud, spam generation and fraudulent or other activity indicative of the presence of malware executing on a mobile communications device.