Patents Assigned to L-3 Communications
  • Publication number: 20170201287
    Abstract: A control interface circuitry configured to control an array element of a phased array antenna system. The control interface circuitry comprises: 1) a first RF combiner network for transceiving first RF signals with first transmit/receive path circuitry in the array element; and 2) a central controller configured to communicate with control logic circuitry in the array element, the control logic circuitry controlling operation of the first transmit/receive path circuitry. During Data mode, the central controller transfers control data to the control logic circuitry via the first RF combiner network. During RF mode, the first RF combiner network transceives the first RF signals with the first transmit/receive path circuitry. The control interface circuitry further comprises: iii) a second RF combiner network for receiving second RF signals from second receive path circuitry in the array element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: David NAIL
  • Publication number: 20170169769
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant display system includes a TFT panel, a first driver couplet including a first gate driver and a first source driver, and a second driver couplet including a second gate driver and a second source driver. The first gate driver and the second gate driver feed into the LCD panel from opposite directions and the first source driver and the second source driver feed into the LCD panel from opposite directions. The first driver couplet and the second driver couplet each have their own independent power supplies, independent from one another. In this way, individual pixels of the LCD panel are driven simultaneously by two pairs of source drivers and gate drivers, such that if one of the driver pairs fails due to some fault, the other driver pair can continue to drive the LCD panel without loss of information despite the failure of the one driver pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark FLETCHER, Carlos GALLENO
  • Patent number: 9676482
    Abstract: Reconfigurable payload systems (RPS) and methods of configuring and using the same are disclosed that may be employed to enable external aircraft payloads to be rapidly interchanged or swapped out together with associated internal equipment within a given aircraft so as to modify or change payload capability of the aircraft, e.g., to meet a particular mission and/or to enable use of future payload types as they are developed. The RPS and associated methods may be implemented to allow multiple different payload systems to be swapped in and out on a given aircraft as required based on needs for a given mission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems L.P.
    Inventors: Ben D. Hodge, Timothy W. Troup, Richard D. Cropper, Brandy D. Stokes
  • Patent number: 9669927
    Abstract: Reconfigurable payload systems (RPS) and methods of configuring and using the same with operational load envelopes are disclosed that may be employed to enable external aircraft payloads to be rapidly interchanged or swapped out together with associated internal equipment within a given aircraft so as to modify or change payload capability of the aircraft, e.g., to meet a particular mission and/or to enable use of future payload types as they are developed. The RPS and associated methods may be implemented to allow multiple different payload systems to be swapped in and out on a given aircraft as required based on needs for a given mission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems L.P.
    Inventors: Ben D. Hodge, Timothy W. Troup, Richard D. Cropper, Brandy D. Stokes
  • Publication number: 20170146273
    Abstract: An evaporator apparatus comprising a liquid distribution chamber and a vapor production chamber. The vapor production chamber comprises a media wick that absorbs heat from a source external to the vapor production chamber. The vapor production chamber is configured to receive liquid coolant from the liquid distribution chamber and to direct the received liquid coolant onto a surface of the media wick. The media wick distributes the received liquid coolant from the surface of the media wick throughout a body of the media wick. The heat absorbed by the media wick vaporizes the liquid coolant distributed throughout the body of the media wick. The coolant vapor flows from the media wick into the vapor production chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. SPITZNER, John Michael RODGERS, Richard M. WEBER
  • Publication number: 20170149238
    Abstract: An electronic system comprising: 1) an antenna; 2) a transmission line coupled to the antenna; 3) RF electronics circuitry coupled to the transmission line that is sensitive to a high frequency EMI/RF signal on the transmission line; and 4) a protection circuit comprising passive mode circuitry operational when the electronic system is powered off and active mode circuitry operational when the electronic system is powered on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: George Zohn HUTCHESON, Gregory Dean McINTIRE
  • Publication number: 20170149114
    Abstract: An electronic circuit assembly comprising: i) a circuit card assembly (CCA) having circuits integrated on a circuit surface; ii) a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface disposed on the CCA circuit surface, the housing comprising a via extending from the lower surface to the upper surface; and iii) a waveguide assembly disposed in the via. The waveguide assembly comprises: a) a first waveguide having a first dielectric value, a contact end of the first waveguide configured to make contact with the CCA circuit surface; b) a second waveguide having a second dielectric value, wherein the first dielectric value is greater than the second dielectric value; and c) a carrier for holding the first waveguide in contact with the second waveguide. The electronic circuit assembly further comprises: iv) a wave washer disposed in the via on a support surface of the carrier; and v) a third waveguide having a third dielectric value that is less than the second dielectric value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Matthew J. SPITZNER
  • Publication number: 20170150594
    Abstract: A multilayer printed circuit board comprising: i) a plurality of circuit board layers disposed in parallel planes to one another; ii) an outer via forming an electrical connection between a conductor contact on a first circuit board layer and a conductor contact on a second circuit board layer, wherein the outer via has a hollow central core; and iii) an inner via formed within the hollow central core of the outer via. The inner via forms an electrical connection between a conductor contact on a third circuit board layer and a conductor contact on a fourth circuit board layer. The inner via and the outer via are substantially concentric cylinders.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Dennis JONES, Christopher Anthony GRACIA, Larry BROWN, David NAIL
  • Publication number: 20170115789
    Abstract: A display system includes a backing, a touch-screen, and a front-mounted flexible display. The backing provides a rigid substrate or base upon which the other components are mounted. The touch-screen includes a conductive rear panel and a conductive front panel separated from the rear panel by an insulating air gap. The front conductive panel is flexible enough and positioned close enough to the rear panel that touching the front panel causes enough deflection of the front panel to cause it to bridge the air gap locally and to contact the rear panel. Thus, in this way the electrical path (and therefore the resistance of the circuit) can be mapped to the particular location on the touch-screen touched by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jerome CONWAY, Mark FLETCHER
  • Patent number: 9634399
    Abstract: An antenna system can impart orbital angular momentum (OAM) to an incident electromagnetic (EM) signal from a feed antenna. The antenna system can include a partial OAM antenna with a reflective surface that has only part of a full OAM shaped surface. The antenna system can thus reflect the incident EM signal as a partial OAM beam rather than a full OAM beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Corp.
    Inventors: Johnny M. Harris, Osama S. Haddadin, Zachary C. Bagley, Brandon G. Walsh, Jonathan C. Landon
  • Publication number: 20170098094
    Abstract: Methods for configuring and utilizing a configurable data guard (CDG) implemented on a hardware-based programmable logic device are disclosed. The CDG may include integrated circuit portions comprising a plurality of arrays of generic comparison operations and a plurality of arrays of generic action operations. The CDG may receive a data guard configuration. The CDG may perform an authentication and integrity check procedure on the received data guard configuration. The CDG may configure a plurality of guard primitives based on the data guard configuration. Each guard primitive may be configured from at least one generic comparison operation and at least one generic action operation. The guard primitives may be used to enforce the complex data guard rules that correspond to the data guard configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2015
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Norman Winslow, Frank Anthony Costantini, Steven Daniel Devlin, Robert M. Smith
  • Publication number: 20170092793
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to infrared detector devices incorporating a tunneling structure. In one embodiment, an infrared detector device includes a first contact layer, an absorber layer adjacent to the first contact layer, and a tunneling structure including a barrier layer adjacent to the absorber layer and a second contact layer adjacent to the barrier layer. The barrier layer has a tailored valence band offset such that a valence band offset of the barrier layer at the interface between the absorber layer and the barrier layer is substantially aligned with the valence band offset of the absorber layer, and the valence band offset of the barrier layer at the interface between the barrier layer and the second contact layer is above a conduction band offset of the second contact layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yajun Wei
  • Patent number: 9590516
    Abstract: A galvanically isolated DC/DC converter includes a first and a second side converter circuit coupled between a pair of first side DC terminals and a pair of second side DC terminals, respectively. The first side converter circuit has a first and a second switching element, each including a switch and a diode. When the DC/DC converter is in power transfer operation from the second side DC terminals to the first side DC terminals, the second side converter circuit alternates between two power transfer states. A conductive state of the diode of one of the first and second switching elements is the result of one of the two power transfer states. The first side converter circuit is controlled such that the switch of the respectively other of the first and second switching elements is closed for an adaptation interval before the one of the two power transfer states starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Magnet-Motor GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Biebach, Kay Peschke
  • Patent number: 9590480
    Abstract: An electric machine comprises a rotor (200) equipped with permanent magnets (204, 206, 208, 210), and a stator (100) equipped with electromagnetic poles. The electric machine is characterized in that several adjacent electromagnetic poles respectively constitute an electromagnetic pole group in which the adjacent electromagnetic poles are spaced apart at a first electromagnetic pole spacing, that adjacent electromagnetic poles belonging to different electromagnetic pole groups are spaced apart at an electromagnetic pole spacing greater than said first electromagnetic pole spacing, that each electromagnetic pole group has an even number of electromagnetic poles, and that adjacent electromagnetic poles of an electromagnetic pole group are linked to each other so as to generate magnetic fields of opposite direction in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS MAGNET-MOTOR GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Hagenlocher, Jens Steffen, Anton Müller, Peter Ehrhart
  • Patent number: 9581311
    Abstract: An NVIS-compatible backlight assembly for an LCD display comprising a short-wavelength (blue) light source positioned in a first layer and a photoluminescent layer positioned adjacent the first layer for transforming blue monochrome emission from the blue light source into tri-color light for use as a full-color light source, while minimizing radiance in NVIS-sensitive regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daniel L. McDavitt
  • Publication number: 20170054114
    Abstract: A battery-powered system comprising: 1) a housing adapted to contain electro-mechanical machines; and 2) an apparatus disposed within the housing. The apparatus comprises: i) a battery configured as an annular cylinder having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and a length; and ii) a cylindrical device disposed within a cavity formed by the annular cylinder of the battery. An outer diameter of the cylindrical device is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the battery and the cylindrical device has a length substantially equal to the length of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 Communications Corporation
    Inventor: Richard M. WEBER
  • Patent number: 9577687
    Abstract: An interference cancellation system (ICS) may be used with a communication system to prevent or minimize interference from one or more sources. The ICS may receive radio RF signals comprised of one or more signals of interest (SOI) and multiple interfering signals. The ICS may use a sample of the interfering signals to cancel the interfering signals from the SOI. The multiple interfering signals may be converted into a single optical signal for cancellation. One or more optical cancellation paths may be used for interference cancellation. Each optical cancellation path may include an optical attenuator and/or an optical delay to achieve phase shifts and/or delays for interference cancellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Elias Bonaventure Kpodzo, Robert Holland, Yanhua Deng, Paul Dourbal
  • Patent number: 9573570
    Abstract: A drive unit for an aircraft ground wheel associated with a brake unit for braking the ground wheel includes: a driving motor drivingly coupleable to the ground wheel; and a cooling system including at least a drive cooling unit configured to generate a drive cooling air stream for cooling the drive unit and a brake cooling unit configured to generate a brake cooling air stream by sucking in air from the brake unit. A method of controlling such drive unit in which the cooling system is driven by the driving motor of the drive unit includes: decoupling the driving motor from the ground wheel and increasing the rotational speed of the driving motor to increase the amount of generated drive cooling air, when an operating condition of the ground wheel and/or of the drive unit is switched from a propulsion mode to a non-propulsion mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS MAGNET-MOTOR GMBH
    Inventors: Anton Mueller, Johann Oswald
  • Publication number: 20170048214
    Abstract: A system for performing encryption and/or decryption may include a parent cryptographic device. The parent cryptographic device may be configured to receive a first cryptographic key. The parent cryptographic device may be configured to determine one or more session keys based on the first cryptographic key and/or internally generated random data bits. The parent cryptographic device may be configured to insert the one or more session keys onto one or more child cryptographic devices that are operably connected to the parent cryptographic device. The one or more child cryptographic devices may be configured to receive the one or more session keys from the parent cryptographic device, and perform one or more of encryption or decryption of communications exchanged with another child cryptographic device of the one or more child cryptographic devices. The one or more child cryptographic devices may perform encryption/decryption after separation from the parent cryptographic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard Norman Winslow, Frank A. Costantini
  • Publication number: 20170047461
    Abstract: Diode barrier infrared detector devices and superlattice barrier structures are disclosed. In one embodiment, a diode barrier infrared detector device includes a first contact layer, an absorber layer adjacent to the first contact layer, and a barrier layer adjacent to the absorber layer, and a second contact layer adjacent to the barrier layer. The barrier layer includes a diode structure formed by a p-n junction formed within the barrier layer. The barrier layer may be such that there is substantially no barrier to minority carrier holes. In another embodiment, a diode barrier infrared detector device includes a first contact layer, an absorber layer adjacent to the first contact layer, a barrier layer adjacent to the absorber layer, and a diode structure adjacent to the barrier layer. The diode structure includes a second contact layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS CINCINNATI ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yajun Wei