Patents Assigned to Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
  • Patent number: 5796364
    Abstract: A method of determining the velocity of a radar target wherein at least two different pulse repetition frequencies are used. Each pulse repetition frequency comprises a predetermined division into equidistant Doppler numbers. For an echo signal, a Doppler number associated with the echo signal is determined for each pulse repetition frequency. Out of two Doppler numbers associated with different pulse repetition frequencies, a nonambiguous Doppler number is subsequently determined which lies within a predetermined velocity nonambiguity range, and the velocity of the radar target is determined from this Doppler number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Norbert Fuchter, Franz-Xaver Hofele
  • Patent number: 5796029
    Abstract: A proximity fuse/time fuse, in which the active optical distance sensor switches over to time delay in the case of disturbances occurring at a short distance before meeting the target, such as detonation flash, fog, explosive charge vapor or fireball. The fuse presets the data for the necessary time delay itself from the data of the preceding distance measurements. One exemplary embodiment is described and shown schematically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Manfred Held, Horst Kaltschmidt
  • Patent number: 5791598
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for steering a low-earth-orbit communication satellite requiring sun-orientation for solar-power accumulation is disclosed. Momentum-bias both maintains nadir pointing and adds yaw-steering moments for sun-trackig attitude control, simultaneously. The method has two principal steps: 1) open-loop momentum decoupling, for correcting the calculated steering torque, and closed-loop attitude compensation, to correct for perturbations about the calculated attitude in accordance with one of two control law definitions. This combines the advantage of stable gyroscopic attitude control with those of open-loop yaw steering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Globalstar L.P. and Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: John J. Rodden, Nobuo Furumoto, Walter Fichter, Ernst Bruederle
  • Patent number: 5793326
    Abstract: A method and arrangement for generating a clutter threshold by means of a CFAR circuit. In the process the partial registers of the CFAR are subdivided into storage blocks each containing a plurality of cell, and a block sum is formed from the sample values stored in each storage block. To form the clutter threshold for a signal under test, the individual block sums are compared in pairs according to a predetermined scheme, during which the greater block sum is determined. From these resulting greater sums, the smallest block sum (minimum) is selected and, from this, the clutter threshold is determined with a predetermined weighing. According to an alternative method, the block sums are sorted according to an order of precedence. Thereafter, block sum having a predetermined ordered rank is selected from the sorted block sums, and the clutter threshold is determined from this selected sum after a predetermined weighing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Franz Xaver Hofele
  • Patent number: 5794135
    Abstract: The invention concerns a millimeter wave mixer realized by windowing, and includes a coplanar conductive line (320) that is produced in plating (212) on a substrate (211) disposed in a rectangular waveguide. The coplanar line (320) divides the plating (212) into two parts. The coplanar line (320) is guided out along the narrow sides of the waveguide and is connected to each of the two parts of the plating (212) via first and second diodes (41, 42). At least two slot lines (51-54) are produced parallel to the broad sides of the waveguides in the plating (212).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Stefan Rust
  • Patent number: 5787702
    Abstract: A propulsion plant operating on the basis of a catalytic and/or chemical decomposition of a liquid propellant, is equipped with a so-called aspirator ring (19) that covers the exit openings of the injection pipes (11), thereby screening these openings toward the decomposition chamber. The aspirator ring (19) is further enclosed by an aspirator screen (19A). The aspirator ring is constructed as a vaulted channel (20) in which the discharge bores (21) are arranged in a pattern that assures a uniform distribution of the propellant into the catalyst bed in the decomposition chamber. The aspirator screen (19A) is also formed with a channel and both the channel in the screen (19A) and the channel in the aspirator ring (19) preferably have a semicircular cross-section. The catalyst bed is divided into two separate beds so that the respective housing can also be divided so that subassemblies of the thruster may be built separately and then assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Peter Tiedtke, Josef Wiener
  • Patent number: 5785275
    Abstract: A missile weapons system with a homing head optical system and an alignment processor, in which the visual field of the homing head is adjusted to the size of the target by handing over the target marking frame size to the homing head, which is equipped with a zoom lens, and the effect of parallax on the correlation is eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Manfred Hiebl
  • Patent number: 5781591
    Abstract: A digital method for detecting pulses of short duration. During this process, a threshold value is formed using FIR filters with the assistance of a detection method similar to one in radar technology, by means of which threshold value short pulses to be detected can be distinguished from, in contrast, long pulses. The cut-off length of the pulses to be detected can be set in further ranges by way of simple parameter changes in the circuit. An arrangement for implementing the method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Gunther Wolf
  • Patent number: 5777573
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to a device for motion compensation for a radar with synthetic aperture based on rotating antennas (ROSAR) for helicopters, with which the flight guidance of the helicopter is made possible according to a radar image on a ROSAR basis, because this device substantially improves the quality of this radar image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Helmut Klausing, Aribert Wolframm
  • Patent number: 5771319
    Abstract: The invention relates to analog circuits which are constructed as fed-back amplifier networks. The networking is implemented such that the output values of the individual amplifier elements are fed back to the input values of the respective adjacent amplifier elements. The degree of feedback can be statically and dynamically adjusted according to the specific application. Two-dimensional networks with such an architecture can be used, for example, in image processing for the interference reduction under real-time conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Willy Platz, Helmut Riedel, Gerald Sobotta
  • Patent number: 5767843
    Abstract: The invention relates to a manually controlled input device for a computer which comprises a ?graph! graphics card for controlling a monitor video screen ?by means of! via a video signal, as a simulation and ?in the form! of a mechanical small-size spraying device (air brush) whose operating parameters are composed of three space coordinates, the air pressure of the ink spraying jet and the ink quantity therein. Synchronization signals from the video card are used in conjunction with an optical coupling between the input device and the video screen, to determine the spacial coordinates of the input device relative to the video screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Dieter Wagner, Wolfgang Eisfeld, Robert Rieger
  • Patent number: 5765360
    Abstract: Cooling of engine walls with fuel, wherein the walls have a structure which has an inner wall, to which hot gas is admitted during the operation, a colder outer wall, as well as a plurality of webs which connect the walls and divide the hollow space present there into a plurality of cooling ducts.The fuel is introduced in the cold state into the wall structure, is delivered through the cooling ducts while absorbing heat via the inner wall, and is subsequently used to generate thrust.A hot fluid flow taken from the engine is admitted during the operation from the outside to the "cold" outer wall of the wall structure, through which fuel flows, and this "cold" outer wall thermally expands as a result, or its thermal contraction is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Gunther Schmidt, Michael Popp
  • Patent number: 5762292
    Abstract: Target acquisition device with an imaging sensor, a signal processing circuit and an evaluating circuit comprising a computer for implementing a gray-value analysis of the output signals of the imaging sensor, wherein the signal processing circuit contains threshold value transmitters for the brightness transitions and for the local extreme values, a selection of three values, bright/reference/dark, is effected in the signal evaluation circuit and a centroid of the target is determined from the latter, particularly by means of producing coordinates of the target, and, in order to acquire the target according to the position finding by means of comparison of the measured parameters with the stored parameters in the evaluating circuit, the computer also evaluates the mathematical signs of the received gradient image for determining the target direction, and in that, in addition to a binary image, edges and non-edges, edge points lying on a straight line can also be obtained, particularly from one or more image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Nikolaus Schweyer, Fred Holick, Rudolf Pfefferle
  • Patent number: 5750917
    Abstract: In a tandem warhead, the preliminary shaped charge (5) is arranged at the front end of a spacer (9) which is displaceable toward the front in a guide (12) provided in the preliminary structure (13) of the warhead. Shearing pins (14) are provided for fixing the spacer (9) in the pushed in position. A pyrotechnical element (16) is fastened at the spacer (9). The spacer (9) is provided at its rear end with an annular element (28) which contacts the lining (3) of the main charge (1) in the pushed in position. A pressure space (32) is accordingly formed, so that a high pressure is achieved when the pyrotechnical element (16) is fired, whereupon a recoil occurs due to the propellant gases of the pyrotechnical element (14) flowing out through nozzles (25), which recoil ensures a gentle starting of the spacer (9) into the moved out position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Joachim Seckler, Klaus-Peter Geiss
  • Patent number: 5736898
    Abstract: A process for linearizing the gain and phase-frequency characteristics of traveling-wave tubes and transistor amplifiers at different power levels is suggested, wherein the signal is divided between two branches and again united into the output signal, and in which the signal is divided between partial networks with compressing gain behavior, which are placed between two 3-dB couplers, and gain compression or gain expansion of the partial signals (E or K) is generated at two gates (KOMP, EXP) by the reflection behavior, which is different corresponding to the signal level, and the level of the nonlinear, gain-expanded partial signal (E) is raised by a linear amplifier (E2), and the additionally amplified, gain-expanded signal (E2) and the gain-compressed signal (K) are then united into the output signal with an adding network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Rudolf Kohl, Gerhard Eggers
  • Patent number: 5732904
    Abstract: A device for the sensor signature reduction of cargo to be dropped from the air comprises a covering that essentially completely surrounds the cargo, which is made of a flexible material having a surface that reflects the expected radar radiation, wherein it is provided with openings for the inlet of ram air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Ulrich Rieger
  • Patent number: 5734133
    Abstract: A muffler for structure-borne noise of running wheels of different diameters and/or different frequency spectrums of structure-borne sound vibrations has vibration absorbing elements in the form of members which are arranged next to one another in the circumferential direction, forming a circular disk, and are each connected on the base surface in a force-locking manner with the running wheel. The muffler for structure-borne noise consists of at least a first type of vibration absorbing elements which is always the same for a larger range of running wheel diameters, and at least a second type of vibration absorbing elements which is adapted to the respective running wheel diameter and frequency spectrum of structure-borne sound vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Thomas Mayer, Klaus Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 5710853
    Abstract: A coil support and a winding arranged thereon, especially one including a fiber-optic waveguide, whose turns are mutually fixed by a binding agent. The binding agent drys while a volatile solvent diffuses off. The coil support is permeable to solvent and is designed such that it has essentially the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the winding. This achieves the uniform, thorough drying of the binding agent over the entire winding and reduces the risk of damage to the fiber-optic waveguide during the transportation and the unwinding of the winding in a coil form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Von Hoessle, Kuno Roder, Elmar Albert
  • Patent number: 5704551
    Abstract: Injection element of coaxial design for rocket combustion engines and for operation with two propellants, at least one of which disintegrates into drops with difficulty only, comprising a central body for the more readily disintegrating propellant (oxidant), whose flow channel generates a conical drop distribution at the outlet; a sleeve concentrically surrounding the central body to form an annular flow channel for the less readily disintegrating propellant (fuel); and a flow splitter which splits this propellant flow into a plurality of individual flows. The flow splitter has an even number of passage channels, which are uniformly distributed around the central body and cooperate in pairs in terms of an impact atomization ("impinging"), wherein the axes of two adjacent passage channels each intersect downstream of the flow splitter and upstream of their points of impact on the propellant cone discharged from the central body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventors: Gunther Schmidt, Dietrich Haeseler
  • Patent number: 5702067
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the angular momentum vector of a satellite, located in an external magnetic field, relative to a satellite-integral orthogonal system of coordinates. The satellite has a torque generating system to generate pulse-shaped torques around all three axes. A magnetometer measuring on three axes is used, whose measured values are fed to a computer. In the latter, at successive points in time and using the current measured values, an observer equation is integrated, with new estimated values being determined for the angular momentum vector. Using these as well as the current measured values, an inequality is continuously checked; when it is not fulfilled, the torque generating system operates briefly, so that finally the fulfillment of the inequality is forced and identity of the last estimated value that has been determined with the rotary pulse vector to be determined is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG
    Inventor: Ernst Bruederle