Abstract: An IFM receiver includes a hybrid for outputting I and Q signals from a received input signal; a first ADC for digitizing the I signal to produce a first digital signal at a sampling rate of 1/?, and a second ADC for digitizing the Q signal to produce a second digital signal at the same sampling rate. A processor is configured to (a) delay the first and second digital signals by at least one sample time of ?, (b) count the number of samples produced having predetermined phase shifts, and (c) determine the frequency of the received input signal, based on the number of samples having the predetermined phase shifts. The first and second ADCs are each 1-bit analog-to-digital converters. The predetermined phase shifts of 0°, 90°, ?90° and 180° are counted by the processor over a predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A switching device includes a vertically moveable operating member (14) with a cavity (66) in which a light (20) lies. The light is supported on tongues (80) of a pair of sheet metal energizing members (70A, 70B). Each energizing member has laterally opposite sides that form a pair of legs (74). The legs extend downward along opposite sides of the switch casing (12), and the legs have lugs (76) at their lower ends for soldering to traces on a circuit board.

Abstract: A wire guide includes first and second tubes (14, 16) having first and second perpendicular axes (22, 26), with the second tube having a backshell (40) that is pivotable about the first axis on the first tube rear end, so wires (30) can be routed in a variety of directions. The first tube rear end and the backshell are pivotally connected by a pair of balls (34, 36) that each lies in a groove (44) in the first tube rear end and in a hole (50) in the backshell portion. A strain relief member lying largely in the first tube rear portion has a through hole (82) extending along the first axis, an outside that forms a 360° groove (84), and at least one end slot (90, 92) that connects the hole to the groove. A wire (30) can extend through much of the hole, then through a slot to the groove and around the groove, and then back through a slot.

Abstract: An electron sensing device for receiving electrons from an output surface of an electron gain device has a silicon die including an active surface area for positioning below the output surface of an electron gain device. The silicon die also includes a silicon step formed below and surrounding the active surface area, and a first array of bond pads formed on the silicon step for providing output signals from the silicon die. When the electron sensing device is positioned below the electron gain device, a tight vertical clearance is formed between the output surface of the electron gain device and the active surface area of the electron sensing device.

Abstract: A connector assembly (11) for providing electricity to an electroluminescent display (12) that is mounted on an outer face of a carrier plate (10), includes a first connector (13) that has an insulative body (21) with a rearwardly-opening slit (24) that receives an edge of the carrier plate, the body having inner and outer body arms (25, 26) on opposite sides of the slot. The first connector also has a plurality of U-shaped contact elements (28) with parallel inner and outer ends (32, 31) that lie in the different body arms. The outer end of each contact element engages a conductive pad (16) on the carrier plate but the rest of the outer end is surrounded by the outer body to safeguard against a person touching the contact element outer end. The inner end of each contact element is held spaced from the inner face of the carrier plate by the body inner arm that surrounds the inner end.

Abstract: A switch (10) comprising a bottom contact-holder (12) supporting two fixed electric contacts (30, 30B), an actuation member (54) and an intermediate conductive contact strip (14) that can be deformed elastically in order to modify the electric connection between the two fixed contacts (3030B) and that comprises two opposite longitudinal branches (40) connected to the front transverse contact arm (38B), characterized in that each branch (40) is curved and the switch comprises an actuation plate (16) which is interposed between the actuation member (54) and the contact strip (14) and which interacts with the tops (64) of the longitudinal branches (40) to deform the contact strip (14).

Abstract: A programmable application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for implementing operations that involve a plurality of computational functions. The programmable ASIC comprises a plurality of fixed functions and programmable switch logic. Each of the plurality of fixed functions is parameterized such that its operational characteristics are programmable using different operating parameters. In addition, each of the plurality of fixed functions inputs and outputs data in accordance with common interface rules. The programmable switch logic is configurable to link two or more of the fixed functions in a sequence to perform desired operations. The fixed functions are implemented using “hard” or fixed digital logic gates such as those in an ASIC.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for a vision enhancement device and associated vision enhancement display, the assembly comprising a display mounted to an arm positionable in front of the user's eye, a base member for receiving a cradle for the vision enhancement device and for attaching to a head-mounting platform, and one or more intermediate members for connecting the arm to the cradle. In one embodiment, the mounting system comprises one or more mechanisms for aligning the display optical axis with the vision enhancement device optical axis and with the user's line of sight, one or more mechanisms for orienting the vision enhancement device within multiple degrees of freedom without changing the alignment of the display optical axis with the device optical axis, and one or more mechanisms for toggling the display between an in-use position to at least one storage position, and, optionally, between right eye and left eye positions.

Abstract: A method of measuring a field-of-view (FOV) of an optical sensor includes the steps of: (a) uniformly illuminating a FOV of the optical sensor; (b) moving, at an angle of motion, a slit across the FOV and illuminating the optical sensor through the slit; (c) measuring an optical response of the sensor through the slit, at evenly spaced positions of the moving slit; (d) changing the angle of motion and repeating steps (b) and (c); (e) repeating step (d) for equally spaced angles of motion; and (f) constructing a two-dimensional map of the FOV of the optical sensor, after completing step (e). Constructing the two-dimensional map of the FOV includes filtering the measured data using a filtered backprojection algorithm, and interpolating among the filtered measured data to form the two-dimensional map.

Abstract: A method and system for determining the location of an object. The system may implement a number of sensors at different locations that are positioned to receive a transmitted or reflected signal from the object. Also disclosed is a system and method of calculating object position based upon the time difference of arrival (TDOA) from each sensor, or the relative time difference of arrival (RTDOA). A known distribution of noise is added to the time of arrival (TOA) prior to calculating the object position.

Abstract: A system for facilitating secure network communications includes a security computer system and corresponding software. The security system is utilized in conjunction with a voice browser residing on a server system. A user accesses the network by placing a call to the voice browser system. The voice browser includes a software module that creates a secure connection to the security system. The user provides an identification to the voice browser system that is transferred to and verified by the security system. Once the identification is verified, the user is prompted by the voice browser system to speak a phrase for voice verification. The verification speech signals are transferred from the voice browser system to the security system to verify those speech signals against speech signals of a particular authorized user associated with the identification and stored in a database. When the user is verified, the security system retrieves a user private key and certificate from the database.

Abstract: Network configuration hierarchy information is maintained using flexible mechanisms and methods for establishing routes and transferring information between nodes in ad-hoc data communication networks using on-demand multicast and unicast techniques. Communication nodes use network topology information to build and maintain a dynamically mobile, wireless, ad-hoc network capable of efficiently routing both unicast and multicast traffic. Network nodes that facilitate the collection and distribution of network topology and routing data are dynamically selected, configured, and maintained. Network traffic overhead necessary for maintaining and distributing network routing table information is held to a minimum and efficiently distributed across the network, thereby reducing the potential for network traffic bottlenecks due to network overhead processes.

Abstract: A miniature, multimode, modular RF terminal includes a plurality of processing modules, where at least one of the processing modules includes an external connector for conveying an input or output RF signal. The terminal further includes a segmented coaxial analog bus comprising a plurality of multi-conductor coaxial connectors, wherein each of the multi-conductor coaxial connectors is integrated in or forms a portion of one of the processing modules, and wherein the segmented coaxial analog bus conveys RF signals between the processing module having the external connector and at least one other processing module. The modules of the terminal can be arranged in a stack, on a rigid substrate, connected via a flexible substrate or combinations thereof. The terminal supports processing of communication, navigation and sensor signals.

Abstract: A GPS enabled Emergency Messaging System (GEMS) includes: Emergency Response Centers (ERC's) for defining emergency broadcast messages directed to specified geographic areas; a GPS Control Segment (CS) facility that receives messages generated by the ERC's and coordinates uplink and downlink communications with orbiting GPS satellites; a GPS Space Segment (SS) that includes the multiple orbiting GPS satellites and that receives emergency messages from the CS facility and broadcasts transmissions containing both GPS navigational information and an emergency broadcast message; and GEMS-enabled user equipment that is capable of receiving and processing broadcast emergency messages. The system permits emergency messaging data to be superimposed on the existing GPS signal structure and delivered to users with GPS receivers capable of receiving the superimposed messaging data.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for improving the effective resolving power of an array antenna are described that are not limited by the physical characteristics of the array. In an array with M elements, up to M?1 directional vectors may be selected, preferably at angles corresponding to the main lobe and/or side lobes of an array antenna beam pattern. A received signal plus interference (s+i) is zero-transformed to eliminate interference received from the plurality of selected directions. The zero-transformed s+i is then restored to obtain the signal of interest observed at maximum gain undisturbed by interference incident from arbitrarily close signal sources. The approach may be combined with conventional beamforming techniques to remove interference incident from angles corresponding to the side lobes, where conventional beamforming techniques are most effective.

Abstract: A membrane filtration system comprising one or more submerged ultrafiltration or microfiltration membrane assemblies at ambient pressure, each membrane assembly positioned 100–240 mm from a nearest wall, baffle, or adjacent membrane assembly and no more than 1 meter above a floor and at least 150 mm below the liquid level. Mixed liquor is discharged underneath each membrane assembly to create a vertical flow velocity in a range of 1–8 mm/second along an entire length of the membrane assembly. In a sequenced batch reactor system, a coarse bubble air diffuser for scouring each membrane assembly is supplied with air only during the backwash cycle of the filtration system and not during the filtration cycle. In a membrane bioreactor system, the biological treatment section is physically separated from the filtration section and fine bubble air diffusion is used in the biological treatment section.

Abstract: A remote communications terminal accesses a terrestrial network or information source via a SATCOM link with an earth station hub linked to the network or information source. Information throughput adaptation (ITA) is employed on the SATCOM link to maximize information throughput over the SATCOM link while ensuring acceptable signal quality under varying rain fading conditions. Sufficient power margin is built into the SATCOM link such that, under severe rain fading conditions, the lowest system throughput rate still provides acceptable signal quality. Under lesser rain fading conditions, the data throughput rate is increased via more bandwidth efficient modulation and coding schemes permitted by the higher signal quality which results from greater power margin. The earth station hub and remote terminals monitor the signal quality and communicate to adaptively adjust the modulation and coding used on the forward and return links to maximize information throughput under varying rain fading conditions.

Abstract: A pressure-reducing regulator comprising a regulator body having an inlet port, an outlet port, and a flow path. A valve element is moved relative to a valve seat by a diaphragm assembly to control gas flow along the flow path. The regulator comprises one or more of: (a) a coalescing filter mounted in the inlet port, (b) the diaphragm assembly coupled to the valve element via a resilient member, (c) a diaphragm chamber comprising a non-constant depth in the regulator body along its diameter, (d) an aspirator tube extending into the outlet port from a passage between the diaphragm chamber and the outlet port, or (e) the valve seat comprising an inner seat and a protective covering over the inner seat.

Abstract: A solar calibration device for a remote sensor having a housing having a deployable door at one portion of the housing and an aperture at another portion of the housing is provided. Disposed in the housing is a solar diffuser for receiving solar irradiance when the deployable door is in an open position, and diffusely reflecting the received solar irradiance. A solar diffuser monitor also disposed within the housing receives diffusely reflected solar irradiance from the solar diffuser, for calibrating the solar irradiance reflected from the solar diffuser, and receives solar irradiance directly from the sun through the aperture to calibrate the spectral reflectance of the solar diffuser monitor detectors based on the solar irradiance received directly from the sun.