Abstract: An asymmetric slotted L-shaped antenna is provided with a wide bandwidth in an exceedingly small size with good gain across the entire bandwidth by shorting out one end of the slot and by providing a capacitor at the other end of the slot, with the result that with appropriate capacitance, spacings and dimensions, the impedance of the slotted transmission line cancels the reactance of the antenna such that the gain of the antenna can be made to match a similar sized meander line loaded antenna.

Abstract: A decision aid for use in the defense of a combat ground vehicle which includes a track fusion element, a threat typing element, threat prioritization element, and a countermeasures (CM) selection element.

Abstract: A reconfigurable digital processing system for space includes the utilization of field programmable gate arrays utilizing a hardware centric approach to reconfigure software processors in a space vehicle through the reprogramming of multiple FPGAs such that one obtains a power/performance characteristic for signal processing tasks that cannot be achieved simply through the use of off-the-shelf processors. In one embodiment, for damaged or otherwise inoperable signal processors located on a spacecraft, the remaining processors which are undamaged can be reconfigured through changing the machine language and binary to the field programmable gate arrays to change the core processor while at the same time maintaining undamaged components so that the signal processing functions can be restored utilizing a RAM-based FPGA as a signal processor.

Abstract: A sense amplifier for static random access memories is disclosed. The sense amplifier includes a pair of inverters cross-coupled to each other. The sense amplifier also includes means for equalizing the charges within the pair of inverters before performing a sense operation, and means for sensing a current difference between a bitline and its complement from a memory cell during the sense operation.

Abstract: A distributed processor architecture computer system and method that includes one or more processors and object oriented control program for real time and near-real time streaming data processing which is able to change the underlying communication mechanism at runtime, which includes the use of a software interface that hides the underlying communication mechanism. The present invention permits the accommodation of changes in communication resource availability due to link, equipment, or software failures or communication bandwidth resources being used by other collaborating programs. The ability to select a communication mechanism based upon cost performance for the particular program deployment and communication mechanism availability as described in the present invention.

Abstract: A system and method for demultiplexing an RF signal including nested frequency division multiplexed (FDM) channels is disclosed. The system can demultiplex an RF signal including at least two nested sets of FDM channels extending over a bandwidth B.

Abstract: A continuous wave ranging system, comprising a modulator 2 for modulating an r.f. carrier wave in accordance with a pseudo-random code 3, a transmitting antenna 5 for radiating the modulated signal towards a target, a receiving antenna 6 and receiver 7 for detecting the signal reflected back from the target, a correlator 8 for correlating the reflected signal with a transmitted code with a selected phase shift 9 corresponding to the current range gate to be tested, and means 10, 11, 12 for processing the range/amplitude data from the correlator 8 to discriminate between reflections due to the target and those due to other objects adjacent to the target.

Abstract: This invention control system having: means (12) for detecting an irregularity in aircraft handling during flight; means (18) for causing temporarily a rigid body excitation in at least a portion of the aircraft; means (20) for monitoring an actual response to the excitation; means (22) for comparing the actual response and a target response to the rigid body excitation; and means (14) responsive to an output from the comparison means for determining the need for a modification of the current flight plan and for generating a corresponding control output. The invention also provides a corresponding method for controlling an aircraft.

Abstract: The problem of the low efficiency of large quantum defect optical parametric oscillators is solved by recycling unused photons in a process involving pumping additional parametric processes having a common resonant wavelength. In order to improve the efficiency, a series of optical parametric oscillators are pumped with unused signal photons which exist at the output of a previous optical parametric oscillator that generates both signal and idler outputs, with the idler constituting the desired output.

Abstract: A system to manage energy may include a plurality of energy storage modules. Each energy storage module may include a power converter couplable to a link and a power converter controller to control operation of the power converter. Each energy storage module may also include at least one energy storage unit connected only to the power converter. The system may also include a power management controller to control power delivery from each of the plurality of energy storage modules to the link and to control power delivery to each of the plurality of energy storage modules.

Abstract: A system in the form of a database allowing operators of aircraft or any other equipment where components are subject to wear to manage all the maintenance, analysis and provisioning aspects of such components e.g. brake and wheel components. The system is able to predict component, e.g. tyre, life to a high degree of accuracy based on the measured wear rate of the component or a related component such as each tyre's related brake unit.

Abstract: A method of channel encoding and channel decoding in a multiple access communication system wherein the channel decoding requirements increase linearly and not exponentially as the number of users increase. A channel encoder converts alphabetic symbols into a preselected geometric representation of a hexagonal lattice known as a symbol constellation. A channel decoder converts the received symbol constellation into a replication of the alphabetic symbols. Each user has a specially defined symbol set that allows the linear-complexity decoding operation.

Abstract: Described herein is a method and apparatus for calibrating an infrared camera at elevated temperatures using a reference surface. The method comprises selecting a normal well-fill condition for pixels in the camera in accordance with normal operating temperatures and stare time (30, 32, 34), using the normal well-fill condition to calculate a selected stare time/surface temperature combination for which selected non-uniform calibration coefficients are determined (36, 38), adjusting and re-adjusting the stare time/surface temperature to obtain adjusted and re-adjusted non-uniform calibration coefficients respectively (40, 42, 44, 46), and determining final non-uniform calibration coefficients for the camera using the selected, adjusted and re-adjusted non-uniform calibration coefficients (48).

Abstract: A Thulium laser (15) is used to directly drive a ZnGeP2 optical parametric oscillator (30) with a nominal 2 ?m output to generate the 3-5 micron wavelengths. In one embodiment, the ZGP OPO is configured as a linear resonator and in another embodiment the ZGP OPO is configured as a ring resonator. The ring resonator prevents optical feedback to the Thulium laser (15) and eliminates the need for an optical isolator (24). Moreover, the Thulium laser pump (15) is implemented as a Tm:YAlO3 laser in which YAlO is the host for the Thulium YAlO is particularly beneficial as it is a mechanically hard optical material allowing high thermal loading without fracture as well as natural birefringence that can minimize thermal birefringence losses. A longer wavelength transition at 1.99 microns is selected to minimize nonlinear crystal loss. More particularly, a high power, high efficiency Tm:YAlO3 laser repetitively Q-switched at 10 kHz is used to drive a ZnGeP2 OPO.

Abstract: Techniques that provide relatively low cost and complexity remote sensing capability are disclosed. The sensors can be easily deployed and monitored by a single operator, with minimal opportunity for human error, and without the need for a visual display. During deployment, the sensor is adapted to record a message including a verbal description of the location. Other useful information, such as the operator's name and sensor type may also be included. The voice locator message is transmitted in response to the sensor triggering, thereby allowing the operator to hear the location of the triggered sensor. Additional device functionality may include sensor signal analysis (e.g., confidence testing) and a power conservation. The devices have numerous applications (e.g., military and SWAT operations), and can be adapted to detect intrusion, perimeter breach, movement, vehicles, and other detectable events.

Abstract: A two axis gyroscope including a substantially planar vibratory resonator (5) having a substantially ring or hoop-like structure with inner and other peripheries extending around a common axis, carrier mode drive (22) for causing the resonator (5) to vibrate in a cosn? vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off (23) for sensing movement of the resonator (5) in response to the carrier mode drive (22), X-axis response mode pick-off (25) for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the X-axis, X-axis response mode drive (24) for nulling said motion, y-axis response mode pick-off (27) for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the y-axis, y-axis response mode drive (26) for nulling said motion, and a support (9) for flexibly supporting the resonator (5) and for allowing the resonator to vibrate relative to the support (9) in response to the carrier mode drive (22) and to applied rotation, wherein the support (9) comprises only L legs, where, when L is even: L=2N/K,

Abstract: A multi-user turbo decoder combining multi-user detection and forward error correction decoding is disclosed in which randomly ordered indices are assigned to interfering users before a decoding tree is constructed in the multi-user decoder for each symbol interval for every iteration and for each new block of data. By building the decoding tree in this manner for each symbol interval, a reduced complexity search is more likely to include paths (and nodes) in the tree containing the correct value for the channel symbols. All users thus share in the benefit of root level placement in the decoding tree. In an alternative embodiment of the invention only one decoding pass is accomplished and there is no re-construction of the decoding tree based on further random index ordering for iterative decoding. No modification to the transmitted signaling method is needed.

Abstract: Techniques that eliminate or otherwise reduce retroreflections associated with focal plane arrays (cooled and uncooled) and other tilted devices are disclosed. The device topology is designed so that incoming radiation is reflected outside of the incoming focusing optical cone. Planarization is used to eliminate concave geometries and angled sidewalls can be used to eliminate convex geometries, as such geometries cause retroreflection. The resultant structure is covered with reflective material (e.g., aluminum, titanium tungsten, or other standard metallization), which not only safely reflects light from the scene, but also prevents reflections from the underlying geometries of the via. Devices configured in accordance with the principles of the present invention require less tilt, thereby minimizing optical distortion.

Abstract: An integrated respirator comprises a rigid helmet and a flexible cowl having an airtight neck seal. When deployed by a user the integrated respirator provides a barrier for nuclear, biological and chemical hazards while maintaining a high level of comfort and user acceptability since it is designed to avoid direct contact of the flexible cowl with the user's head. The respirator is designed with an innate flexibility, which it to be adjusted so as to improve user comfort while also permitting the same design to be employed by different users.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical modulator array that uses stepped-well continuously tunable quantum well infrared modulators in order to accomplish electronic beam modulating. The present invention involves a coherent optical beam modulating device to steer an optical beam comprising: an optical modulator array, where said optical modulator array includes a stepped quantum well doped with electrons, wherein the modulator array affects operates as at least one of a phase modulator and a light intensity modulator base upon a voltage bias applied across the modulator array. The continuous tunable quantum well modulator includes asymmetry of the unit cell that allows transitions from the ground state to the second excited state that are normally forbidden in symmetrical quantum well infrared photodetectors.