Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to night-vision systems and more specifically to an integrated flex circuit. One example illustrated herein includes a method of upgrading a night-vision system. The method may include attaching a flex circuit to an intensifier module, in which the flex circuit includes one or more light detectors. The method may include inserting the intensifier module into a housing and folding the flex circuit to expose the one or more light detectors.

Abstract: A nightvision system includes an underlying device that provides output light in a first spectrum. A transparent optical device transmits light in the first spectrum from the underlying device through the transparent optical device. The transparent optical device includes an active area of a semiconductor chip. The active area includes active elements that cause the underlying device to detect light from the underlying device and transparent regions formed in the active area which are transparent to the light in the first spectrum to allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device to a user. An image processor processes brightness maps produced using light detected by the first plurality of active elements. A tunable filter array coupled to the image processor filters at least a portion of the input light into the underlying device the underlying device based on brightness map processing.

Abstract: A transparent optical device configured to be used with an underlying device. The underlying device is configured to provide output light. The optical device is configured to transmit light from the underlying device through the optical device. The optical device includes first and second zones. The first zone includes a first plurality of active elements configured to cause the first zone to have a first optical performance capability and a first plurality of transparent regions formed in the first zone allowing light to pass through from the underlying device. The second zone includes a second plurality of active elements configured to cause the second zone to have a second optical performance capability that is different than the first optical performance capability and a second plurality of transparent regions formed in the second zone which allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device.

Abstract: A vehicle test system is illustrated. The vehicle test system includes a vehicle simulator comprising hardware from a vehicle to be tested. The test system further includes a controller coupled to the vehicle simulator configured to control the vehicle simulator. The test system further includes a 3D environmental simulator coupled to the vehicle simulator, wherein the 3D environmental simulator is configured simulate a 3D environment and movement of a vehicle simulated by the vehicle simulator in the 3D environment based on control inputs to devices for the vehicle simulator.

Abstract: Monitoring rotating machine position using a resolver having an input primary and one or more output secondaries magnetically coupled to the input primary. The method includes exciting the input primary with an exciter input signal, causing a first scaled version of the exciter input signal to appear in a first output secondary. Output from the first output secondary is collected. The collected output from the first output secondary is demodulated to recover gain from the input primary.

Abstract: An optical device includes an underlying device configured output light to an optical output to output an image of objects in an environment to a user. The light is output in a first spectrum. A stacked device is configured to be coupled in an overlapping fashion to an optical output of the underlying device. The stacked device is transparent, according to a first transmission efficiency, to light in the first spectrum. The stacked device includes a plurality of electro-optical circuits including: a plurality of light emitters configured to output light, and a plurality of detectors configured to detect light in the first spectrum from the underlying device that can be used to detect the objects in the image. The light emitters are configured to output light dependent on light detected by the detectors and additional information about characteristics of the objects in the environment.

Abstract: Extracting data in pulsed light, the method includes receiving input light at an image intensifier tube. At a power supply coupled to the image intensifier tube, current to the image intensifier tube is varied to implement automatic brightness control of the intensifier tube based on intensity of the input light received at the image intensifier tube. At a signal processor coupled to the power supply, changes in voltage or current supplied by the power supply occurring as a result of changes in the intensity of the input light to the image intensifier tube are detected. Based on the changes in voltage or current supplied by the power supply, data embedded in the input light to the image intensifier tube is extracted.

Abstract: A transparent optical device configured to be used with an underlying device. The underlying device is configured to provide output light. The optical device is configured to transmit light from the underlying device through the optical device. The optical device includes first and second zones. The first zone includes a first plurality of transparent regions formed in the first zone allowing light to pass through from the underlying device. The second zone includes a second plurality of transparent regions formed in the second zone which allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device at a different transmission efficiency than the first zone.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mitigating the effect of in-band interference. The methods comprise: receiving a signal comprising at least one interfering signal component; generating a soft value for each symbol in at least one interfering signal component; and using the soft values to cancel at least one interfering signal component from the signal to mitigate the effect of interference. The soft value represents a most likely value for the symbol which is obtained by: determining a probability metric between an actual value of the symbol and each of a plurality of possible symbol values using a scaling value representing an estimate of the noise level in the signal received by the device; generating current local probabilities for the plurality of possible symbol values using the probability metric; and using the current local probabilities to determine the soft value.

Abstract: A transparent optical device configured to be used with an underlying device. The underlying device is configured to provide output light. The optical device is configured to transmit light from the underlying device through the optical device. The optical device includes first and second zones. The first zone includes a first plurality of active elements configured to cause the first zone to have a first optical performance capability and a first plurality of transparent regions formed in the first zone allowing light to pass through from the underlying device. The second zone includes a second plurality of active elements configured to cause the second zone to have a second optical performance capability that is different than the first optical performance capability and a second plurality of transparent regions formed in the second zone which allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for a night vision system including a transparent overlay display that transmit direct-view light representing an intensified image and emits display light representing a display image. To reduce the communication bandwidth with an external controller, a frame buffer is provided to locally update pixel values of the display image, at a first frame rate. Because many pixel values remain unchanged from frame to frame, an external controller may change the pixel values stored in the frame buffer as needed, reducing the amount of information that is needed from the external controller to control the display image. Additionally, to reduce the communication bandwidth the display information may be communicated from the external controller using a high-level language. Further, some of the display information may be determined using a local processor, rather than relying on the external controller for the display information.

Abstract: Selecting a control channel set in a communication system involves monitoring received signals to identify a plurality of nodes of interest (NOI) and determining Eb/N0 values for a plurality of control channels. For this purpose, a data metric and spectral data can be provided to the communication device by the respective NOI for which Eb/N0 values are being determined. A comparison is made of the Eb/N0 values for all NOI to select an optimal control channel set. The optimal control channel set is then used by the communication device to transmit the control channel information to the plurality of NOI.

Abstract: Indicating to a receiver node in a network that the receiver node should begin tracking signal to noise ratio (SNR) of a received signal for a new power and rate (PAR) interval for data sent from a transmitter node. A method includes determining that a new PAR interval is beginning. The method further includes adding an identifier to a data block. The identifier corresponds to the new PAR interval. The method further includes sending the data block from the transmitter node to the receiver node, where the receiver node will use the identifier to determine that a new tracking interval of SNR should be performed for the data block and subsequent data blocks having the identifier.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) rake receiver may include a plurality of diversity receive paths, with each diversity receive path including a respective rake receiver despreader, and a tracking loop. The tracking loop may be configured to generate a composite timing signal based upon the rake receiver despreaders, and provide the composite timing signal to the diversity receive paths.

Abstract: An optical device. The optical device includes an underlying device that is sensitive to input light, and provides output light in a first spectrum based on absorbing the input light. The optical device further includes a stacked device, formed in an active area of a single semiconductor chip, coupled in an overlapping fashion to the underlying device. The stacked device includes first and second zones. Each zone has a plurality of active elements having a particular lateral size, where the lateral size is different for each zone. Each zone also has a plurality of transparent regions formed in the stacked device which are transparent to the light in the first spectrum to allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device. The transparent regions are configured in size and shape to cause each zone to have a particular transmission efficiency for light in the first spectrum.

Abstract: An electronic device may include an electronic circuit, a heat sink thermally coupled to the electronic circuit, and spaced apart cooling fins extending from the heat sink. Each cooling fin includes a circuit board and a cooling device mounted thereon. The cooling device may have a conductive trace layer on the circuit board defining an electromagnet, a mounting member extending upwardly from the circuit board, a fan blade coupled to an upper end of the mounting member to be movable in a rocking motion about an axis defined by the mounting member, and a permanent magnet carried by the fan blade and responsive to the electromagnet.

Abstract: A nightvision system includes an underlying device that provides output light in a first spectrum. A transparent optical device transmits light in the first spectrum from the underlying device through the transparent optical device. The transparent optical device includes an active area of a semiconductor chip. The active area includes active elements that cause the underlying device to detect light from the underlying device and transparent regions formed in the active area which are transparent to the light in the first spectrum to allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device to a user. An image processor processes brightness maps produced using light detected by the first plurality of active elements. An illuminator coupled to the image processor inputs light into the underlying device based on image processing performed by the image processor.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a power converter having switches coupled to input voltage rails and to opposing terminals of a coil to be energized. The switches are configured to be turned ON or OFF to conduct or block current, respectively, responsive to switch control signals. The apparatus also includes a controller to generate the switch control signals to compel the power converter to selectively operate (i) in a normal mode in which the switches are periodically turned ON and OFF to supply current from the input voltage rails to the coil to energize the coil, and (ii) in a protection mode in which first switches are continuously turned ON, and second switches are continuously turned OFF, to interrupt the current, and to circulate an initial current, flowing in the coil when the protection mode is entered, through the power converter and the coil so that the initial current decays toward zero.

Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) communications system may include a first RF node that transmits data, including a new frequency of operation, and a sequence of pilot symbols spread with a complex spreading code sequence. A second RF node may receive an incoming signal from the first RF node and perform despreading for N sample offset delays to generate N despreading sequences for the sequence of pilot symbols. The second RF node may perform a cross-correlation to select a desired despreading sequence from the N despreading sequences, determine a phase offset and timing offset, process the incoming signal based upon the desired despreading sequence, phase offset and timing offset, and switch to the new frequency of operation.

Abstract: Systems and methods comprising: receiving a signal (S) having a first interfering signal component (FISC); generating a replicated SOI (RSOI); and iteratively performing a process to obtain residual errors for FISC. The process involves: modifying an amplitude of RSOI; obtaining a reference signal (RS) by removing RSOI with the modified amplitude from S; analyzing frequency of RS to obtain an estimated carrier frequency and an estimated symbol rate for FISC; generating a remaining signal by removing, from FRS, a signal having the estimated carrier frequency and symbol rate; and determining a residual error of the remaining signal. Parameters for FISC are then set equal to the estimated carrier frequency and symbol rate that are associated with a lowest residual error. The parameters may be further refined in accordance with another process which involves iteratively modifying a symbol rate of FISC. Yet another process may be performed to determine filter parameters.