Abstract: Apparatus and methods for fabricating materials by die-forming that may be implemented to form a joggle in a bendable workpiece by securing the workpiece to each of at least two respective adjacent working areas, and then by displacing at least one of the at least two working areas relative to an adjacent working area in order to induce the joggle within the workpiece.

Abstract: A piece of luggage, such as a suitcase, is constructed with one or more compartments of predesigned location and purpose to facilitate security inspection. Compartments may be designated to hold objects that, if obscured by other objects, carry an undesirably high likelihood of generating a false alarm because obscuring objects prevent an accurate assessment of the nature of those objects. For this reason, a compartment may be designated for liquids, gels and/or aerosols. A compartment may also be designated for objects, such as metal objects, which carry a risk of generating a false alarm if packed in a suitcase in a way that they obscure other objects and prevent an accurate determination of whether those objects are threat objects. Such compartments are positioned to ensure that the items they contain are segregated during x-ray inspection so as to neither obscure or be obscured by other objects packed in the luggage.

Abstract: Apparatus for scanning large cargo to detect concealed contents include a mobile platform configured to carry and position at least one X-ray or gamma-ray source and at least one detector array at a plurality of positions with respect to a stationary cargo. The detector array may be mounted on a boom moveably affixed to the mobile platform. Multiple measurements of radiation passing through the cargo for various source-detector orientations can be used to compute volumetric images of concealed content within the cargo.

Abstract: A method of transmitting a spread spectrum signal in a single communication session between a transmitter and a receiver, stores a series of N unique waveform designs and a hopping sequence in a transmitter memory. A signal is transmitted to a receiver according to the hopping sequence using the plurality of N unique waveform designs. Preferably, each waveform design is characterized by a unique composite spreading code that is formed by at least some of a plurality of constituent code segments. Alternatively or additionally, the waveform designs may differ by any one or more of code length, symbol or chip timing or phase, frame or burst structure, chip offset, modulation, error control coding, encryption scheme, or scrambling code. A transmitter and receiver are also disclosed, as is the concept of appending chips between symbols to expand the universe of unique spreading codes without incurring an increase in processing gain.

Abstract: A method for asynchronous transmission of communication data between periodically blanked terminals separated by an unknown distance is disclosed. A bursted signal is transmitted from a first terminal with a burst time tB and a burst cycle period T. The bursted signal is received at a second terminal. A bursted response signal is transmitted from the second terminal to the first terminal. The bursted response signal has a burst cycle period of T/2 and includes a pair of response bursts, with each burst in the pair having a burst time tA?T/2?tB. Each burst in the pair of response bursts carries an identical data payload. At least one of the response bursts is received at the first terminal.

Abstract: A surveillance system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the surveillance system may include at least one controller configured to receive information data from at least one upstream information source and to control operation of at least one controllable downstream information source based, at least in part, on the information data. A surveillance method also is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method may include analyzing screening data, obtaining information data, and reanalyzing the screening data based, at least in part, on the obtained information data.

Abstract: A user portable viewing device includes a plurality of non-coaxially aligned sensors for sensing a scene. A processing element combines electronic images into a single electronic image. A display displaying the combined electronic image is adaptable for mounting in an optical axis including an eye of the user and an input end of the first sensor for direct view. In a second embodiment, a system for fusing images comprises sensors for generating sets of image data. An information processor receives and samples the sets of image data to generate sample data for computing a fused image array. A display receives the fused image array and displays a fused colorized image generated from the fused image array.

Abstract: An electronically reconfigurable battery includes a number of battery modules selectively interconnected by a number of electronic switches, wherein a selectable number of battery modules may be connected either in a series configuration or in a parallel configuration, as a result of placing selected switches of said plurality of switches in open states or closed states. In a parallel configuration, the battery provides power to a primary load, such as a propulsion load for a vehicle. In a series configuration, the battery is configured to provide a high voltage and high power output to a short-term and/or pulsed load, such as an additional load provided on the vehicle.

Abstract: Entry of a terminal into a wireless communications network is facilitated for terminals which may operate in either frequency-division duplex or time-division duplex mode. Join request messages transmitted by the terminals include a duplex capability indicator defining a carrier frequency which can be used to response to the terminals.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a traveling-wave tube having an electron gun having a cathode. The apparatus also includes a first power supply for establishing a first electric potential between the cathode and an anode and for providing an operational current to the cathode to generate a beam of electrons. The apparatus also includes a slow-wave structure having a passage through which the beam of electrons passes. The apparatus also includes a second power supply for providing a voltage to a beam focusing electrode to establish an electric potential between the cathode and the beam focusing electrode. The apparatus also includes a switching module coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply, the switching module providing a current path between the cathode and the beam focusing electrode, wherein the current path is disabled when a biasing current is below a predetermined level.

Abstract: A volumetric image of a space is acquired from an imaging system. The space includes an object of interest and another object, and the volumetric image includes data representing the object of interest and the other object. A two-dimensional radiograph of the space is acquired from the imaging system. The two-dimensional radiograph of the space includes data representing the object of interest and the other object. The two-dimensional radiograph and the volumetric image are compared at the imaging system. A two-dimensional image is generated based on the comparison. The generated two-dimensional image includes the object of interest and excludes the other object.

Abstract: A system and method for parallel Pseudo-random Noise (PN) code generation is disclosed. The method includes the operation of producing a PN code sequence having a predetermined length. The PN code can be divided into L segments. At least one of the L segments can have a length less than other segments. The L segments can be distributed into an array of L digital memories. Each of the digital memories can output every Lth chip of the PN code in parallel at a selected rate. An element of the PN code can be substituted from an element substitution cache into the output of the L digital memories to compensate for segment(s) having a shorter length.

Abstract: An emergency locating system can include emergency transceivers and rescue transceivers. The emergency transceivers can be capable of repeat transmission of a distress message using a variable power level and variable spreading factor. A receive transceiver can be capable of receiving the distress messages and sending a confirmation message to the emergency transceiver. The emergency transceiver can be capable of receiving the confirmation message and terminating transmission of the distress message.

Abstract: A surveillance system may include at least one controller configured to receive information data from at least one information source and to control operation of at least one controllable subsequent information source based, at least in part, on the information data. A surveillance method may include analyzing screening data, obtaining information data, and reanalyzing the screening data based, at least in part, on the obtained information data.

Abstract: Reconfigurable communications infrastructures may be implemented to interconnect ASIC devices (e.g., FPGAs) and other computing and input/output devices using high bandwidth interconnection mediums. The computing and input/output devices may be positioned in locations that are physically segregated from each other, and/or may be provided to project a reconfigurable network across a wide area. The reconfigurable communications infrastructures may be implemented to allow such computing and input/output devices to be used in different arrangements and applications, e.g., for use in any application where a large array of ASIC devices may be usefully employed such as supercomputing, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for designing a full duplex communications transceiver to enable a reduction in isolation between a transmit signal and a receive signal at a diplexer is disclosed. An RFE transmit filter attenuation level can be determined to be sufficient to attenuate a noise power of the transmitter below a thermal noise floor of the power amplifier. A minimum diplexer transmit filter attenuation level can be calculated to attenuate noise power output from the power amplifier in the receive band to a level below a noise floor of the receiver.

Abstract: A compact integrated waveguide load has a load section disposed within an interior region of the waveguide proximate to a closed end of the waveguide. The load section has a tubiform shape, with an exterior surface congruent with an interior surface of the waveguide and an interior surface defining a circumferential step within the waveguide. A method of making a compact integrated waveguide load includes providing a waveguide and placing electromagnetic wave absorbing materially circumferentially around the interior surface to create an inward step.

Abstract: A personal radiation monitor worn by a person who may be exposed to potentially harmful radiation includes a main unit and a radiation sensor cartridge which is matable with and removable from the main unit of the monitor. The removable sensor cartridge includes one or more radiation sensor elements for detecting radiation, and further includes an electronic memory having stored therein calibration and identification information relating to the type of radiation and/or frequency bands of radiation which the sensor or sensors are designed to detect. The sensor cartridge is easily removable from the main unit of the monitor so that one sensor cartridge is interchangeable by the end user with another sensor cartridge.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a navigation solution in high interference and dynamic environments using Global Positioning System (GPS) and navigation such as dead reckoning is described. The system configuration is a multi-satellite tracking loop structure obtained by closing each satellite's tracking loop through a multi-state navigation filter. This generates a robust navigation solution that can track GPS signals in a lower signal to noise ratio than can the standard GPS tightly coupled tracking loops. The system contains an Advanced Tightly Coupled (ATC) tracking processor which accepts early, late, and on-time I and Q data from the GPS signal tracker and outputs vehicle to satellite range, range rate and range acceleration residual measurements to a navigation Kalman filter. The ATC includes nonlinear discriminators which transform I and Q data into residual measurements corrupted by unbiased, additive, and white noise.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for obtaining improved performance when using Forward Error Correction (FEC) with channels experiencing block fading or burst jamming over some number of contiguous symbols. One suitable application is when the channel is periodically obstructed due to the rotation of a propeller blade, resulting in a periodic block fading channel. During operation zero symbols are inserted into the received signal stream, prior to the FEC decoder at times that are estimated or otherwise determined to correspond to periods of jamming or severe fading. The zero symbols effectively “erase” the severely degraded symbols. The zero symbols are less detrimental to the FEC decoder than the severely degraded symbols, especially when the channel interleaving/de-interleaving operations result in the zero symbols being temporarily distributed over a large block of received symbols.