Abstract: Digitized stereo image pairs are analyzed by first aggregating the images to produce several levels of lower resolution images, bandpass filtering each of the images by applying a Laplacian filter to edge enhance the features, matching the features of low resolution images while generating a disparity image which contains elevation information, repeating the feature matching at successively higher resolutions and creating progressively improving disparity images, and extracting the elevation data from the final disparity image. The feature matching procedure uses an estimate of feature disparity to help locate a feature in one image which corresponds to a feature in another image and is applied iteratively at each level of resolution. Dilation of disparity data from matched points to neighboring unmatched areas produces a comprehensive disparity image which aids in more efficient feature location on the next pass.

Abstract: A robotic substrate manipulator constructed for substrate handling during thin film deposition in the vacuum of outer space. The robotic substrate manipulator includes a cassette holding a plurality of substrates preferably including six cassettes in a carousel. A circular cylinder encloses the carousel with an access door at a location accessible by a manipulator arm assembly. Substrates are retained within the cassette via a passive retention system. This manipulator arm assembly includes an arm with a gripper at one end. The gripper includes a pair of opposed fingers normally urged closed by at least one finger spring that may be opened by a solenoid. The manipulator arm assembly includes a vertical driver and a horizontal rotary driver permitting motion of substrates from the cassette to a processing station. Position gauges on both the vertical motion driver and the horizontal rotary motion driver permit feedback regarding the manipulator arm assembly position.

Abstract: Synthetic aperture radar data is used to produce a terrain map. Two synthetic radar antennas are placed on an aircraft, which moves in a set of substantially parallel flight paths. At least one antenna repeatedly transmits radar signals whose return echoes are received by both the antennas. The echo signals are processed conventionally to yield slant range and Doppler frequency data for plural resolution cells. The measured phase difference for each resolution cell provides an ambiguous measure of slant range difference to the two antennas needed to determine terrain elevation and correct ground range. As in the prior art, the radar transmissions employ an extended bandwidth of wavelengths. The received echo data is reprocessed using less than the entire bandwidth of the radar transmission to achieve additional center wavelengths. This produces a differing ambiguity interval and permits unambiguous determination of the slant range difference.

Abstract: A dynamically stable associative learning neural network system include a plurality of synapses (122,22-28), a non-linear function circuit (30) and an adaptive weight circuit (150) for adjusting the weight of each synapse based upon the present signal and the prior history of signals applied to the input of the particular synapse and the present signal and the prior history of signals applied to the input of a predetermined set of other collateral synapses. A flow-through neuron circuit (1110) embodiment includes a flow-through synapse (122) having a predetermined fixed weight. A neural network is formed by a set of flow-through neuron circuits connected by flow-through synapses to form separate paths between each input (215) and a corresponding output (245). In one embodiment (200), the neuron network is initialized by setting the adjustable synapses at some value near the minimum weight and setting the flow-through neuron circuits at some arbitrarily high weight.

Abstract: A computer system and a method for a mail sorting operation in which the computer system determines the location of the ZIP code within a digital image of an address block from a piece of mail. An interstroke distance is calculated for the image and the strokes of the image are thinned to enhance vertical separation between the lines of the address block. A medial axis for each line is determined and the medial axis is superimposed upon the digital image. A bleeding operation is conducted on the digital image from the medial axis at which data bits that do not connect to the medial axis are notated as punctuation and interlinear connected strokes are then divided between the two lines. The last line which is determined to be large enough to contain a ZIP code based on bounding box size is then selected. Alternate splits of words are formed and the best split is selected in which the last formed group is detected to be the ZIP code.

Abstract: This invention is a compact optical processor including a coherent light source, plural optical elements that together form a Fourier transform interferometer, and a two dimensional detector array. The light source generates a two dimensional input optical wavefront intensity modulated according to the input signal. The optical elements are formed as slab-like members with parallel input and output surfaces. These optical elements are disposed abutting in tandem. The light detecting device includes a two dimensional array of photosensitive elements generating an image signal corresponding to the processed two dimensional optical wavefront. The plural optical elements preferably include at least one acousto-optical element forming a two dimensional scanner. The plural optical elements may further includes a holographic optical element to block light undiffracted by the scanning elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing the signal transmission speed between a signal source and a signal receiver of a microelectronic circuit is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a signal transmission path whose length provides a predetermined ratio between its resistance and characteristic impedance which will reproduce the transmitted signal at the receiving end upon the first signal transition. The length of this transmission path may be increased by using a nonhomogeneous line structure in which the characteristic impedance increases in the direction of the signal transmission. In one form of the invention, the signal transmission path is formed by interconnecting a plurality of micro-strip conductors disposed on different planes of a universally programmable silicon circuit board. Under the appropriate circumstances, a signal can travel through such a "semi-lossy" transmission path at approximately the speed of light.

Abstract: Synthetic aperture radar data is used in conjunction with altimeter data to produce a terrain map corrected for platform roll angle. The technique uses two synthetic radar antennas and a ranging altimeter placed on an aircraft. The aircraft is moved in a set of substantially parallel flight paths where each flight is directly over the strip of terrain viewed by the synthetic aperture radar of an adjacent flight. During each flight the at least one antenna repeatedly transmits radar signals whose return echoes are received by both the first and second antennas. Conventional synthetic aperture radar processing yields a terrain map uncorrected for roll angle. Altimeter data from an adjacent flight determines the first order corrected aircraft roll angle when the corresponding synthetic radar data was taken. This roll angle is used to correct the height and ground range of nearby points in the uncorrected terrain map.

Abstract: A system for detecting minute amounts of water contaminant in semi-conductor microelectronic integrated circuits (MIC) includes two lasers 11,12 producing electromagnetic radiation at two discrete wavelengths. Each laser beam being sent through a chopper 13 and 14 respectively and combined via mirror 16 and beam splitter 17 to form a single two part beam along optical axis 22. The beam passes through a reflective beam splitter 26, a quarter wave plate 28 and lens 29 to be directed to a MIC 31 that is mounted onto drive mechanisms 31 and 32. Diffuse reflections from the bottom of the MIC or specular reflections from metallization layers pass back through MIC 31, lens 29, quarter wave plate 28, beam splitter 27 and through lens 48 to detector 47 which compares the intensity of the radiation at the two wavelengths with the intensities of the wavelengths as detected by detector 21 through a lock-in amplifier 49.

Abstract: A night vision apparatus 10 includes a first focusing refracting lens 28 which focuses light rays 29 from distant scene 14 onto a light intensifier 30. The kinoform 40 or bifringent lens 78 are disposed in the light path to allow light rays 35 from near scene 18, 20, 22 and 24 to be focused onto light intensifier 30 to form a multi-focus night vision apparatus with increased depth of focus.

Abstract: Synthetic aperture radar data is used in conjunction with altimeter data to produce a terrain map corrected for platform roll angle. The technique uses two synthetic radar antennas and a ranging altimeter placed on an aircraft. The aircraft is moved in a set of substantially parallel flight paths where each flight is directly over the strip of terrain viewed by the synthetic aperture radar of an adjacent flight. During each flight the at least one antenna repeatedly transmits radar signals whose return echoes are received by both the first and second antennas. Conventional synthetic aperture radar processing yields a terrain map uncorrected for roll angle. The uncorrected terrain map data from one flight are compared with the altimeter data taken during an adjacent flight. This permits the altimeter data to be used to determine the roll angle when the corresponding synthetic radar data was taken.

Abstract: A technique for detecting non-surface objects from a moving platform using radiant ranging. The platform moves perpendicular to a line through a pair of first and second transducers. A transmitter repeatedly transmits a radiant signal via a first transducer. The return reflection signals in both transducers include return reflection signals from sparse non-surface objects in the presence of surface clutter reflections. Respective synthetic aperture complex images of resolution cell in slant range and Doppler frequency are formed from the received reflections of the two transducers. The complex phase factor between received reflections for each resolution cell in the absence of non-surface objects is determined. This is feasible because the non-surface objects are sparse, that is rare and generally encountered individually. Each resolution cell of the first synthetic aperture complex image is multiplied with the complex conjugate of the corresponding resolution cell of said complex phase factor.

Abstract: A compact, self-contained monolith hologram display apparatus includes a laser diode mounted on an edge of a solid glass plate having a front surface with a hologram mounted thereon. The beam is expanded within the glass plate and is reflected off an opposing mirrored contoured edge surface that collimates the beam and directs it onto an angled reflection grating. The reflection grating is mounted onto an edge which is canted with respect to the front surface. The reflected beam diffracts from the grating and impinges upon the hologram to provide for reconstructed image that has achromatic properties.

Abstract: A computer system and method for repairing address blocks and ZIP codes numerical groups before segmentation of the ZIP code in an optical character recognizer. The system repairs the image based upon classification of the image as normal or otherwise. If the class is otherwise, background inclusions and gaps are filled in. If the class is normal, small noise pixel elements are eliminated. Once the ZIP code is located, non-horizontal and horizontal gaps are filled in between strokes and small strokes. The amount of dilation of the strokes and small strokes depends on the size of the strokes. The strokes are dilated and then the dilated area is eroded and shaped to conform to the original strokes. The repair connects strokes before segmentation of the ZIP code block into individual digits.

Abstract: A dynamically stable associative learning neural network system include a plurality of synapses and a non-linear function circuit and includes an adaptive weight circuit for adjusting the weight of each synapse based upon the present signal and the prior history of signals applied to the input of the particular synapse and the present signal and the prior history of signals applied to the input of a predetermined set of other collateral synapses. A flow-through neuron circuit embodiment includes a flow-through synapse having a predetermined fixed weight. A neural network is formed employing neuron circuits of both the above types. A set of flow-through neuron circuits are connected by flow-through synapses to form separate paths between each input terminal and a corresponding output terminal. Other neuron circuits having only adjustable weight synapses are included within the network. This neuron network is initialized by setting the adjustable synapses at some value near the minimum weight.

Abstract: An apparatus for computing the discrete Fourier transform of a linear array variable f(j) of length N or of a planar array variable f(j,k) of dimensions N.times.M, wherein both N and M are even positive integers. The computation is divided into three parts, each suitable for computation via a multiprocessor array. Firstly, each element of the linear array f(j) is multiplied by the corresponding element of a first array constant. The resultant array is circularly convolved with a second array constant in the second step. The circular convolution may be computed in a straight forward manner or the second array constant may be resolved into N-1 simple array constants which are successively convolved. Lastly, each element of the resultant array after convolution is multiplied by the corresponding element of a third array constant. The invention is applied to a planar array by loading the planar array f(j,k) into corresponding elements of a planar array of processor elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing the signal transmission speed between a signal source and a signal receiver of a microelectronic circuit is disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a signal transmission path whose length provides a predetermined ratio between its resistance and characteristic impedance which will reproduce the transmitted signal at the receiving end upon the first signal transition. The length of this transmission path may be increased by using a nonhomogeneous line structure in which the characteristic impedance increases in the direction of the signal transmission. In one form of the invention, the signal transmission path is formed by interconnecting a plurality of micro-strip conductors disposed on different planes of a universally programmable silicon circuit board. Under the appropriate circumstances, a signal can travel through such a "semi-lossy" transmission path at approximately the speed of light.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for forming a spectrally weighted value from received multispectral radiation. The spectral weighting is done optically prior to detection of the received radiation by dispersing the received multispectral radiation into a plurality of wavelength bin areas. This dispersed radiation is then passed through a weighting filter which includes first and second filter elements for each of the wavelength bin areas. The filtered radiation is then converged to corresponding detectors with the spectrally weighted value formed by the difference between the signals of the first and second detectors. A pair of filters, two detectors and a subtracter are employed to produce a generalized weight factor having positive or negative weights. This system can form one or more spectrally weighted values from the radiation from a single pixel, or one spectrally weighted value form the radiation from a plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A dual focal length ophthalmic lens is formed from a birefringent material with its fast and slow axes perpendicular to the user's visual axis. The dual focal property arises due to the differing indices of refraction of the birefringent material for light polarized parallel to the fast and slow axes. Light emanating from far objects having one polarization and light emanating from near objects having the opposite polarization are both focused onto the user's retina. Depending upon which object is being viewed, an in-focus and a blurred image appear simultaneously on the user's retina. The ability of the user's eye/brain system to distinguish between the two images provides bifocal action from a single lens. The invention may take the form of a spectacle, contact, or intraocular implant lens.

Abstract: The present invention is a microwave radiometer for passive microwave remote sensing of the earth's surface. This microwave radiometer is formed as a cross array including a vertical linear array pointed toward nadir and a perpendicular horizontal linear array. A beamformer is coupled to each array for forming a plurality of adjacent fan beams. A plurality of cross correlators produce overlap beams from the overlap of each pair of vertical and horizontal-array fan beams. This arrangement receives microwave energy from the earth at a constant incidence angle, a feature useful in passive microwave sensing. This microwave radiometer provides acceptable radiometric sensitivity and a spatial resolution while requiring less collecting area and thus much less mass than a dish antenna with the equivalent spatial resolution and needing no moving parts.