Patents Assigned to L-3 Communications
  • Patent number: 8864497
    Abstract: A distributed, networked simulation system has two or more vehicle simulators that resists latency errors when the vehicles are close to each other, and is especially useful for close maneuvering training such as tanker and receiver aircraft refueling exercises or combat exercises where one aircraft closely follows another. One simulator sends the other simulator data defining the relative linear displacements and rotations between their two vehicles. The receiving simulator uses the data to maintain the relative position of the other vehicle in its local scene data based on the defined relative displacement and rotation between the vehicles. An additional simulator may simulate the boom control on the tanker using similar relative position data. The system starts relative displacement data operation when one vehicle approaches another in the virtual world, and returns to normal operation when the vehicles separate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Eytan Pollak, Zhihua Qu
  • Publication number: 20140300213
    Abstract: Self-centering electromagnetic transducers, such as linear motors and generators, are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electromagnetic transducer includes an outer yoke made of a ferromagnetic material, and a coil assembly including a plurality of loops of electrically conductive wire, wherein the coil assembly is substantially surrounded by the outer yoke. The electromagnetic transducer further includes a magnet, and an inner yoke made of ferromagnetic material. The magnet is disposed within the outer yoke such that the coil assembly surrounds the magnet. The inner yoke is disposed within the magnet, and the magnet is free to translate. The electromagnetic transducer further includes at least one high-reluctance zone positioned within the outer yoke and/or the inner yoke. In some embodiments, the electromagnetic transducer includes one or more actuators that vary a width of one or more high-reluctance zones to change a spring rate of the electromagnetic transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Andreas Fiedler
  • Patent number: 8846432
    Abstract: Frontside-illuminated barrier infrared photodetector devices and methods of fabrication are disclosed. In one embodiment, a frontside-illuminated barrier infrared photodetector includes a transparent carrier substrate, and a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes an absorber layer, a barrier layer on the absorber layer, a collector layer on the barrier layer, and a backside electrical contact coupled to the absorber layer. Each pixel has a frontside and a backside. The absorber layer and the barrier layer are non-continuous across the plurality of pixels, and the barrier layer of each pixel is closer to a scene than the absorber layer of each pixel. A plurality of frontside common electrical contacts is coupled to the frontside of the plurality of pixels, wherein the frontside of the plurality of pixels and the plurality of frontside common electrical contacts are bonded to the transparent carrier substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Robert A. Jones, David Forrai, Richard L. Rawe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8842035
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an extendable wand, and a sensor head coupled to the wand. The sensor head includes a continuous wave metal detector (CWMD) and a radar. When the wand is collapsed, the wand and the sensor head collapse to fill a volume that is smaller than a volume filled by the sensor head and the wand when the wand is extended. Frequency-domain data from a sensor configured to sense a region is accessed, the frequency-domain data is transformed to generate a time-domain representation of the region, a first model is determined based on the accessed frequency-domain data, a second model is determined based on the generated time-domain representation, the second model being associated with a particular region within the sensed region, and a background model that represents a background of the region is determined based on the first model and the second model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Security and Detection Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Herbert Duvoisin, III, Juan Antonio Torres-Rosario, Christopher Gary Sentelle, Douglas O. Carlson, Glen A. Holman, Marquette Trishaun
  • Patent number: 8842675
    Abstract: Methods and systems are described to allow for the parallel processing of packets and other subsets of data that are to be delivered in order after the completion of the parallel processing. The methods and systems may process packets and subsets of data that may vary in size by orders of magnitude. The packets may be transmitted and/or received over data transmission networks that may be orders of magnitude faster than the processing speeds of the parallel processors. Entire packets or subsets of data may be allocated to individual processing units without segmenting the packets between the processing units. A count value may be inserted as metadata to received packets in order to indicate a relative order of arrival. The metadata may be utilized by a multiplexor at the output of the parallel processing units in order to maintain in-sequence delivery of the processed packets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry Hutchison, Christopher Stanziola
  • Publication number: 20140268929
    Abstract: A DC/AC converter includes a DC/DC conversion stage with galvanic isolation and a DC/AC conversion stage, wherein the DC/DC conversion stage comprises a pair of first side terminals providing or receiving a first DC voltage, a pair of second side terminals providing or receiving a second DC voltage and coupled to the DC/AC conversion stage, at least one first side converter circuit coupled between the pair of first side terminals, a series connection of a plurality of second side converter circuits coupled between the pair of second side terminals, and at least one transformer circuit coupling the plurality of second side converter circuits to the at least one first side converter circuit, wherein a connection point between two of the plurality of second side converter circuits is coupled to the DC/AC conversion stage and forms a neutral phase point thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Magnet-Motor GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Biebach, Kay Peschke
  • Publication number: 20140273814
    Abstract: A thin film circuit, particularly desirable for satellite communications, mixes RF and an LO giga-hertz-range input signals to yield an IF signal by splitting the LO and RF signals into two, with a 180 degree phase shift introduced into one of the resulting signals. The LO and RF signals are then each mixed in parallel mixers. The outputs of the mixers have the IF signal with spurious (spur) signals in frequencies that are multiples of the frequencies of the RF or LO signals. The outputs are mixed together so that some of the spur signals cancel each other out and the IF signals are added in phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORP.
    Inventors: Loren Edward Ralph, Eddie Rodgers, Jeffrey Scot Muir
  • Publication number: 20140267361
    Abstract: The systems and methods described herein disclose creating an Intensity Based Colormap by interweaving different Hues between two end points (e.g., black and white) with increasing Luminance. An Intensity Based Colormap may be used to convert Computer Input image data using a Computer Machine encoded with an Intensity Based Colormap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
  • Patent number: 8837876
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for implementing a rotary sensor system including rotating system components in RF signal and optical signal communication with stationary system components through a rotary coupler. The rotary coupler may be provided with an optical transmission line that passes inside or through the center of an inner conductor of a coaxial RF transmission line that itself extends across the rotational interface/s of the rotary coupler such that optical and RF signal energy may be provided simultaneously or otherwise across the rotary coupler using separate communication paths. A rotary sensor system may be further configured to convert multiple signals and/or types of signals to a common multiplexed optical signal stream for transmission together across an on-axis rotational optical interface of the rotary coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Webster Jones, James Edward Baloun
  • Patent number: 8834163
    Abstract: A network connects stations in a distributed physics based simulation system. When the simulation detects that a weapon, especially a missile or directed energy beam, is engaging a target vehicle, one physics station determines damage status of the target vehicle. The detonation or strike of the weapon is applied to a model of the vehicle composed of pieces each made up of a number of parts. Where the damage to a piece of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, the piece is removed from the vehicle, and where a predetermined maximum damage is reached for the vehicle, the vehicle is considered destroyed. The damage assessment from the weapon is made using raytracing in a physics engine that is also used to control movement of virtual objects in the simulation according to rules of physics of the physics engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Eytan Pollak, Jack Charles Wells, II, Merrill Lay
  • Patent number: 8829479
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing an isolated high-speed digital interface for communicating high-speed digital data within a vehicle. In architecture, the interface includes one or more input terminals and one or more output terminals. Each output terminal being associated with one of the one or more input terminals without any electrically conductive path existing between the output terminal and the input terminal, and instead the input terminal and the output terminal are coupled to one another by an optical coupling. The present invention can also be viewed as a method that can be broadly summarized by the following steps, providing at least one input terminal for receiving data and providing at least one output terminal. Wherein the output terminal is associated with the one input terminal without any electrically conductive path existing between the output terminal and the input terminal, are coupled to one another by an optical coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Gregory Abernathy, Nathaniel Flournoy Lovelace, III
  • Patent number: 8826384
    Abstract: A device that includes a first processor, a second processor, and an encryption module in communication with the first processor and the second processor may be used to accept conditions for access to the network. The first processor may receive condition data, and in response, may send an acceptance signal via the encryption module to the second processor. The second processor may receive the acceptance signal and, in response, may send acceptance data to a gatekeeper. The encryption module may block unencrypted data other than the acceptance signal from being communicated from the first processor to the second processor. The encryption module may support type 1 encryption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Norman Winslow
  • Patent number: 8819483
    Abstract: The adverse impact of system abnormalities, such as crashes or other failures or problems, is minimized by switching control of a computing device from a first operating system to a second operating system in the event a system abnormality is detected. For example, if a system abnormality causes a processor system under control of the first operating system to crash, another processor system under control of a second operating system can take over. An application program that was executing under control of the first operating system when the crash or other abnormality occurred can continue functioning under control of the second operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: James R. Pierce, Eric H. Walker, John A. Wahl
  • Patent number: 8819381
    Abstract: A system and method for storing and retrieving a sparse matrix from memory of a computing device while minimizing the amount of data stored and costly jumps in memory. The computing device may be an FPGA having memory and processing elements. The method comprises storing non-zero data elements of the matrix in a data array and storing their corresponding column address values in a column index array. To read this stored data from memory, each preceding value of the column index array may be compared with each current value of the column index array to determine if the data array value corresponding with the current column index array value belongs on the next row of the matrix. The method may include pre-ordering the matrix with zero-pad placeholders or creating a row increment pointer array which typically stores fewer values than the number of rows in the matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, L.P.
    Inventors: Scott Michael Burkart, Matthew Pascal DeLaquil, Deepak Prasanna, Joshua David Anderson
  • Publication number: 20140225421
    Abstract: A drive unit (16) for an aircraft running gear (2) having at least a first wheel (4) and a second wheel (6) on a common wheel axis (A), wherein the drive unit (16) is drivingly coupleable to at least one of the first and second wheels (4, 6), is characterized in that the drive unit (16) comprises at least one power output assembly (122, 124) for driving at least one of the first and second wheels (4, 6), with each of the at least one power output assembly (122, 124) comprising a power transmission chain (136) selectively engageable with a sprocket element (108, 110) coupled to one of the first and second wheels (4, 6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communication Magnet-Motor GMBH
    Inventors: Johann Oswald, Manfred Heeg
  • Publication number: 20140218240
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cancelling interference while performing direction/location. A combined signal of interest plus interference signal may be received. A copy or sample of the interference signal may be determined. The interference signal and the combined signal of interest plus interference signal may be converted to the optical domain. The interference signal may be optically phase shifted by ?180 degrees, which may result in an optically inverted interference signal. The optically inverted interference signal may be variably optically attenuated and/or variably optically time delayed. As a result, interference cancellation of the interference signal from the combined signal of interest plus interference signal may be achieved, resulting in 50 dB or more of cancellation of the interference signal. Direction and/or location finding techniques can be applied to received signals during and/or after interference cancellation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Elias Bonaventure Kpodzo, Robert Holland
  • Patent number: 8798911
    Abstract: A system determines bearing for situational awareness. The system may include a receiver, a processor, and a memory comprising an engine for performing a method. The method includes receiving signals using directional reception; receiving positional data; calculating a correction amount; and applying the correction amount to subsequent uncorrected bearings to provide corrected bearings. Positional data may be received in any conventional format including data link, ADS-B, and MODE S. Positional data may be determined in the target using a global positioning system. The system may provide a signal to display the corrected bearing and/or provide traffic alerting and collision avoidance advisories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Dean Smith
  • Publication number: 20140204616
    Abstract: A galvanically isolated DC/DC converter includes at least one first side converter circuit coupled between a pair of first side DC terminals, and at least one second side converter circuit coupled between a pair of second side DC terminals. The second side converter circuit has at least a first and a second switching element, each including a switch and a diode connected in parallel. When the DC/DC converter is in power transfer operation from the pair of first side DC terminals to the pair of second side DC terminals, the diodes of the first and second switching elements are alternately in a conductive state, with each of the first and second switching elements being controlled such that a closed state of the respective switch extends beyond a transitioning of the diode of the same switching element from the conductive state to a blocking state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Magnet-Motor GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Biebach, Kay Peschke
  • Patent number: 8786939
    Abstract: A spectral sensing demodulator can include a programmable filter bank and a reconfigurable processor coupled to the programmable filter bank. The programmable filter bank can frequency demultiplex a plurality of frequency division multiplexed channels from a frequency band into a plurality of demultiplexed channels. The reconfigurable processor can include a plurality of reconfigurable resources. Each resource can be alternatively be configured to demodulate a demultiplexed channel and to monitor a demultiplexed channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: Thomas R. Giallorenzi, Samuel C. Kingston, Robert G. Rebolledo, Osama S. Haddadin
  • Patent number: 8786508
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) coaxial horn can comprise an inner RF horn disposed inside a larger outer RF horn. An interior surface of the inner horn can comprise a pattern of irregular, aperiodic features that excite modes in first and second RF signals each at a different frequencies that produce substantially Gaussian beam profiles of the first and second signals at the output aperture of the inner horn. The waists of the beam profiles of the first and second signals can be outside the inner horn but inside the outer horn. An interior surface of the outer horn and/or an outer surface of the inner horn can similarly excite modes in a third RF signal at a frequency different than the first and second RF signals to produce a substantially Gaussian beam profile of the third signal at the output aperture of the outer horn. The waist of the beam profile of the third signal can be aligned with the waists of the beam profiles of the first and second signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: Richard G. Edwards, Rory K. Sorensen, Joseph M. Baird