Patents Assigned to BAE Systems
  • Patent number: 6417577
    Abstract: In an electric vehicle, the traction motor is driven from a battery by way of a controllable electric power switcher. In operation of the switcher, the power losses of the switches depends upon the power being handled; during acceleration the power is high, and at constant speed on level ground the power is small. Thus, the power “dissipated” by the switches varies with time. A cooler transfers heat from the switcher. During acceleration, the cooler may not be sufficient to limit the instantaneous switch temperature. A phase-change heat “sink” coupled to the switches absorbs heat from the switches during hard acceleration, and returns the heat to the cooler under more constant-speed conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems Controls
    Inventors: Timothy Michael Grewe, Steve William Osovski
  • Patent number: 6413391
    Abstract: Apparatus for metal plating an article comprising a frame having a plurality of sealing members positioned thereon, the frame being capable of conducting an electrical current between sealing members, each sealing member being adapted to be in close contact with part of an article to be located thereon, and to thereby substantially prevent fluid from touching that part of the article or entering into a bore or recess of the article, each sealing member further being adapted to conduct current between the frame and the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventors: Stephen A Wilson, John A Billington, Peter May
  • Patent number: 6415140
    Abstract: A space diversity antenna system provided with dither circuitry in the signal path to one of the antennas to switch a circuit element in and out of the signal path at a high rate. The circuit element can be an amplitude attenuator or a phase changer. This switching results in the substantial elimination of nulling between the two antennas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Benjamin, Joseph F. Camerlin, David M. Cooper
  • Patent number: 6411068
    Abstract: A switching regulator connectable to a DC power supply includes a power switch coupled between a first node and an output node and having a control gate. An output voltage feedback circuit is coupled between the output node and a feedback node. A self-oscillating power switch control circuit is coupled to the first node, the feedback node, and the power switch control gate. The power switch control circuit compares a feedback voltage to a reference voltage and provides a first control voltage to the power switch control gate when the reference voltage exceeds the feedback voltage to turn on the power switch to raise the output voltage, and a second control voltage to the power switch control gate when the feedback voltage exceeds the reference voltage to turn off the power switch to lower the output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems Information & Electronic Systems Integration, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott C. Willis
  • Patent number: 6410916
    Abstract: A high resolution room temperature infrared camera requires no cryogenic cooling and high vacuum packaging, normally though necessary for infrared target detection, by using a “blind” polycrystalline lead salt resistor in combination with a matched active polycrystalline lead salt photoresistor both maintained at room temperature to provide a differential output indicative of an IR generating target. As a result of the matched components, the differential output nulls out the dark current which is the result of the ambient at the camera. The high degree of linearity associated with polycrystalline photoresistors permits fabrication of a differential detector where dark current in the active element is nulled out by equal and opposite current flow in a non-optically active reference resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Jost, Paul R. Murphy
  • Patent number: 6405977
    Abstract: A modular air intake duct system for a vehicle including at least on intake duct and an attachment for attaching the intake duct to at least one structural member of the vehicle. The at least one intake duct is adapted to be demountably attached to a load bearing structural member of the vehicle where at least one intake duct itself is adapted to bear substantially no load. The intake duct is modular and has at least one module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems plc
    Inventors: Geoffrey J Ash, Colin Whaites, Peter R House
  • Patent number: 6406180
    Abstract: The sensor has an outer member 10 formed with an upwardly directed hole 12 having an open upper end 14. An inner member in the form of a tube 16 is provided having a lower portion 18 positioned in the hole 12 and an upper portion 19 which projects above the outer member 10. Solar radiation applied to the upper portion 19 of the tube 16 creates a chimney effect which causes air to flow upwardly inside the tube 16 and downwardly from the open upper end 14 through a space 22 between the inner and outer members 10, 16. Sensing devices 24, 26 for sensing temperature and humidity are arranged within the outer member 10 and in the air flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems (Defence Systems) Limited
    Inventors: Jeffery C. Walker, David K. Deedman, Nigel P. Fleming, Brian W. Oughton, Iain D. Sandoe, Paul M. Wilton
  • Patent number: 6407400
    Abstract: Apparatus for efficiently modulating the output from an infrared radiation source is provided by a collector/collimator for collecting and collimating the output of the radiation source and a modulator including a stator and at least one rotor. The stator includes a disc of alternating opaque and transparent radial segments having means associated therewith for gathering the radiation from the source and passing substantially all of it to the transparent segments including optical wedges arranged on the opaque segments and a central reflector/collector. The rotor includes a disc of alternating transparent and opaque radial segments. A second rotor may be provided for adding a second modulation and comprises a disc of alternating opaque and transparent radial segments also having optical wedges arranged on the opaque segments and a central reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc.
    Inventor: Hector R. Durocher
  • Patent number: 6404391
    Abstract: The present invention features a compact tunable meander line loaded patch antenna where switches or the like are used to electrically connect and disconnect sections of the meander line adjusting the electrical length of the antenna. A fixed or switched series capacitance is used to overcome the inductance of the meander line. In one embodiment, a quarter wavelength mode patch antenna can be constructed which occupies significantly less space than conventional patch antennas. This size reduction is important when the antennas are to be used on mobile platforms where real estate is at a premium and larger antennas cannot be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic System Integration INC
    Inventor: John Apostolos
  • Patent number: 6401534
    Abstract: A two axis gyroscope has a substantially planar vibratory resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like shape structure, carrier mode drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in a Cosn&thgr; out-of-plane carrier mode, where n has an integer value of 2 or more, support means for flexibly supporting the resonator, carrier mode pick-off means for sensing out-of-plane movement of the resonator, X axis response mode pick-off means for sensing in-plane Cosn1&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope about the X axis, where n1 has a value of n+1 or n−1, and Y axis response mode pick-off means for sensing in-plane Sinn1&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope about the Y axis where n1 has a value of n+1 or n−1, identical to that for the X axis response mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems PLC
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Colin Hnery John Fox
  • Patent number: 6404401
    Abstract: The present invention provides a low-cost, steerable antenna formed with a dielectric medium separating a pair of conductive plates and a centrally located signal feed. Switches selectively interconnect the conductive plates through the dielectric medium in patterns, which determine the direction of operation of the antenna. The directionality of the antenna may be fixed or rapidly changed, depending upon the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Roland A. Gilbert, Jesse L. Butler
  • Patent number: 6399989
    Abstract: A radiation hardened silicon-on-insulator transistor is disclosed. A dielectric layer is disposed on a substrate, and a transistor structure is disposed on the dielectric layer. The transistor structure includes a body region, a source region, a drain region, and a gate layer. The body region is formed on a first surface portion of the dielectric layer, the source region is formed on a second surface portion of the dielectric layer contiguous with the first surface portion, the drain region is formed on a third surface portion of the dielectric layer contiguous with the first surface portion, and the gate layer overlies the body region and being operative to induce a channel in that portion of the body region disposed between and adjoining the source region and the drain region. In addition, multiple diffusions are placed across two edges of the source region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Dockerty, Nadim Haddad, Michael J. Hurt, Frederick T. Brady
  • Patent number: 6400316
    Abstract: A microwave receiving antenna system (30) is described which is used to determine an originating direction of microwave radiation. The system has a birefringement phase plate (34) which splits radiation incident on it into two components which undergo a differential phase delay as they pass through it. The amount of differential phase delay induced varies with angular position around the phase plate (34) from 0 at an angular position of 0° to &lgr; an angular position of 360°. By determining the differential phase delay (assuming a previously existing relationship) the originating direction of the radiation can be determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Electronics Limited
    Inventor: Balbir Kumar
  • Patent number: 6396770
    Abstract: This invention is a steerable thermoacoustic array system for directing information between an object that is above the surface of the water and a sound detector that is beneath the surface of the water. The foregoing system comprises a laser or particle accelerator that is located above the water's surface. The laser or particle beam produces a light beam or particle beam which contains information that is moved along a small layer of water at the air/water interface at a speed equal to the speed of sound in water divided by the steering angle of the laser so that the light beam or particle beam is absorbed by the water causing the water to expand and produce a series of acousitic Braves that constructively interfere with each other and travel towards the sound detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Charles A. Carey, Harvey C. Woodsum, Richard A. Jensen
  • Patent number: 6396450
    Abstract: The present invention provides a programmable image antenna formed on the face plate of a cathode ray tube (CRT) or on another substrate. The inner CRT face is coated with a silicon semiconductor material replacing conventional phosphors utilized in CRTs for generating visual images. An electron beam impinging upon the silicon-coated CRT face plate creates conductive areas during liberation of minority carriers, in the form of electron-hole pairs. Antenna elements having a virtually unlimited variety of shapes and/or sizes can be formed on the CRT face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration INC
    Inventor: Roland Gilbert
  • Patent number: 6392812
    Abstract: A head up display system 10 comprises an image generator 11 supported and boresighted within a cockpit. The system 10 includes a housing 13 to support the generator 11 and a holographic combiner 14 which is upstandingly supported on top of the housing 13. In operation, the generator 11 forms an image at object surface 17 and a relay lens arrangement 16 receives, collimates and conveys the image along an optical pathway 19 and through an exit pupil 18. A prism 20 and a mirror 21 are arranged along the pathway 19 to fold the pathway 19 from a generally horizontal direction to a generally vertical direction towards the combiner 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Electronics Limited
    Inventor: Richard K Howard
  • Patent number: 6392474
    Abstract: A circuit for filtering single event effect (SEE) induced glitches is disclosed. The circuit for filtering SEE induced glitches comprises an SEE immune latch circuit and a delay element. The SEE immune latch circuit includes a first input, a second input, and an output. The SEE immune latch changes from one state to another state only upon having incoming input signals of identical polarity being applied contemporaneously at both the first input and the second input. The first input of the SEE immune latch circuit is directly connected to a signal input, and the second input of the SEE immune latch circuit is connected to the signal input via the delay element. The delay element provides a signal delay time equal to or greater than a pulse width of an SEE induced glitch but less than a pre-determined pulse width of an incoming signal at the signal input under normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Li, Dave C. Lawson, Joseph Yoder
  • Patent number: 6387791
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing microscopic canals within a semiconductor is disclosed. A shallow trench is initially formed on a substrate using a patterned photoresist. After the patterned photoresist has been removed from the substrate, a separation layer, such as a Titanium layer, is deposited on the substrate. Subsequently, a cap layer, such as a Titanium nitride layer, is deposited on the separation layer. Both the separation layer and the cap layer are then polished off from the surface of the substrate. Finally, a Tungsten layer is deposited on the substrate and in the trench such that a microcanal will be formed within the trench as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems, Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom J. McIntyre, Tuyet T. Bach, Andrew TS Pomerene
  • Patent number: 6389354
    Abstract: Terrain navigation apparatus (1) for a stationary or moving vehicle (2) when the apparatus (1) is mounted thereon, including a system (3) for determining position, velocity, altitude and attitude incorporating at least six sensing means operable to provide signals indicative of a first measured height (5), a first velocity (7) and a first position (9) of the vehicle (2), scanning means (11) operable to scan terrain (13) around the vehicle (2) and measure a range (15) from the vehicle (2) thereto, first combining means (17) for combining signals indicative of the first measured height, the range and the first position (5, 15, 9) of the vehicle (2), together with error estimates (19) associated therewith, and for outputting results of said combining process, error-estimating means (21) for receiving as input signals results of said combining process and for providing said error estimates(19), such that the error-estimating means (21) and first combining means (17) operatively interact to effect terrain navigati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems plc
    Inventors: Andrew C Hicks, Ian W Scaysbrook, John R Fountain
  • Patent number: 6385131
    Abstract: This invention is a thermoacoustic system for communicating between an airborne or spaceborne vehicle and a sound detector that is located aboard an object beneath the surface of the water. The foregoing system comprises a laser or particle accelerator that is located aboard an airborne or spaceborne vehicle. The laser produces a light beam whose amplitude is subsequently modulated or whose pulses are varied in time. A particle accelerator would produce a pulsed particle beam that varies in time. These modulated or varied pulses are focused or deflected to a small layer of water at the air/water interface so that the beam will be absorbed by the water causing the water to produce an acoustic signal that will propagate to the sound detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Harvey C. Woodsum, Richard A. Jensen, Charles A. Carey