Abstract: An autostereo projection system uses multiple projectors to form an essentially seamless and extended field of view. Each projector is registered to a CRT display. Shutter elements in each projector create multiple pupils for each CRT display. Each CRT display is driven with different images for each shutter pupil. Seamlessness is promoted by the use of a tunable optical diffuser as part of a common lenticular viewing lens.

Abstract: A monolithic angular velocity sensor is formed from a common planar silicon substrate. Sensor element(s) comprising elongated beams is/are suspended within framed apertures formed within the common substrate. Transverse members, or ears, secure the elongated beam(s) to the frame and to the nodal points of the beam(s). Both single beam and multiple beam array sensors may be formed within a common silicon substrate. Orthogonally-directed beams, or arrays of beams, formed with a common substrate, permit angular velocity measurements about two orthogonal axes.

Abstract: The present invention advantageously provides a cost effective flat rotor for a pancake type slip ring. A flat copper coil sheet is stamped into a corrugated shape having concentric V-ring grooves. The corrugated stamped copper foil sheet is bonded using a bonding agent to a dielectric layer. Multiple concentric V-grooves are formed by separating the grooves, for example, by machining the grooves at an apex thereof in order to form separate electrical circuits. A corresponding plurality of holes extend through each concentric ring and through the dielectric layer from the first side through the second side. A conductive material is placed in each of the plurality of holes to electrically connect each concentric ring to the second side.

Abstract: Sensor arrays utilizing standard 1×2 couplers reduce the differences in the returned optical power levels by appropriate selection of the coupling ratios. Preferred embodiments are described that comprise 6 distribution fiber lines and 16 return fiber lines. One embodiment includes 16 sensor groups in which each sensor group has a dedicated return line. In another embodiment, 8 sensor groups are configured so that no two adjacent sensors have either a common distribution fiber line or a common return fiber line.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for gravity vector compensation in an inertial navigation system (INS). The INS obtains its position and determines a gravity-model vector at its position using a predetermined gravity model. The deflection of vertical (DOV), the error in the direction of the gravity-model vector, is expressed in terms of a North-South (N-S) DOV component and an East-West (E-W) DOV component. Matrices of N-S DOV and E-W DOV data are stored in memory in a plurality of files for a plurality of discrete points distributed over the surface of the earth at a plurality of altitudes. The elements of a matrix of N-S DOV data or E-W DOV data have a one-to-one correspondence with a two-dimensional array of discrete contiguous points at a specified altitude above the earth's surface. Adjacent elements in a matrix correspond to (1) adjacent points on a parallel of latitude or (2) adjacent points on a half-circle meridian, a half-circle meridian terminating at the two poles of the earth.

Abstract: A wavelength stabilized light source is constructed using a lasing element such as a laser diode which generates light that is substantially polarized. This light is conducted through a polarization maintaining optic fiber to a Bragg grating which reflects a portion of the light back to the laser diode forming a virtual laser cavity and stabilizing the wavelength of the laser diode light output over time and a broad range of temperature and drive circuit conditions. To produce a broad band light source, the laser diode light is used to pump an erbium doped fiber. The wavelength stabilized light source can be used in fiber optic gyroscopes as well as in other applications that require a light source with a very stable wavelength.

Abstract: A dimmable electrodeless light source includes an electrodeless lamp, an electronic ballast and a dimming module. The light source further includes coupling transformers coupled to the electrodeless lamp for inductively coupling power to the lamp to generate light. An auxiliary winding electromagnetically coupled to the primary winding of at least one of the coupling transformers is driven by switching circuitry in the dimming module. The switching circuitry is pulse width modulated to control the average brightness of the light generated by the electrodeless lamp. An exemplary application for the dimmable electrodeless light source is as a backlight for a video display device, such as an liquid crystal display unit.

Abstract: The electro-optic apparatus includes a primary heat sink and at least one submount mounted to the heat sink. The electro-optic apparatus also includes a pump source, such as a laser diode, mounted to a sidewall of the at least one submount. A secondary heat sink is also mounted to the at least one submount with an active gain medium mounted, in turn, to the secondary heat sink. Typically, the active gain medium is part of a microlaser that also includes a passive Q-switch. The active gain medium is mounted to the secondary heat sink such that the active gain medium extends in a cantilevered fashion from the secondary heat so as to overlie the pump source such that the output of the pump source pumps the active gain medium.

Abstract: A variable spot size x-ray tube comprises a cathode having an electron emitting surface providing an electron beam that travels essentially along the tube axis of symmetry to an anode. The anode, spaced from the cathode, includes a target, the front surface of which is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the axis of symmetry. The potential of the anode is generally positive with respect to that of the cathode. The cathode is heated to a temperature at which electrons are emitted by the thermionic emission process. Current from the cathode can be controlled by varying the cathode temperature if the cathode is operated in the temperature limited region. The incident electron beam forms a spot on the target surface whereupon x-rays are produced in response to impingement of the electron beam on the target. The x-rays propagate outwardly from the target spot through a vacuum window to form a beam of x-radiation outside the x-ray tube.

Abstract: The application measures a projectile velocity and an acceleration from radar track data. The air temperature and an air pressure are measured. The measured air temperature and the measured air pressure are extrapolated to the projectile's location for each instant in time a radar measurement made by the radar. The projectile's drag parameter is estimated at each time in the projectile's flight that the projectile's velocity and acceleration are estimated. The projectile's Mach number is estimated at each time in the projectile's flight. The drag coefficient is estimated. A functionally normalized drag parameter (FNDP) is formed. The FNDP is defined as the ratio of drag parameter of a reference projectile at each Mach number the drag is measured to the in-flight projectile's drag parameter at the corresponding Mach numbers. A weighted average of the resulting FNDP values is performed with respect to Mach number.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a retractable handle which has an extended rotatable position and is movable to a retracted, stowed condition. The handle advantageously can be moved to an extended position in which a detent provides sufficient force so that the handle can be used in operation for coupling or de-coupling the connector from a mating connector. Advantageously, when in the stowed retracted position, the handle is unobtrusive and should not interfere with moving objects that are near by. The handle includes a detent mechanism which provides sufficient force to hold the handle in either the extended rotatable position or the stowed, retracted position.

Abstract: An autostereo projection system uses multiple projectors to form an essentially seamless and extended field of view. Each projector is registered to a CRT display. Shutter elements in each projector create multiple pupils for each CRT display. Each CRT display is driven with different images for each shutter pupil. Seamlessness is promoted by the use of a tunable optical diffuser as part of a common lenticular viewing lens.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for automatically placing a first unknown image, such as an unknown fingerprint image, into one of a plurality of categories. The invention includes storing in a library a plurality of value series, each of which series is derived from the frequency representation of an image category. The categorization process and apparatus takes the frequency image of a first unknown pattern to create a first frequency image. The frequency image plane of the first (unknown) frequency image is divided into a plurality of frequency image plane regions. Each of the frequency image plane regions may be an angular segment radiating from the origin of the frequency image plane. A region value is assigned to each of the frequency image plane regions based on the total energy in the frequency image in that region. The region values for the first frequency image are combined to generate a first series of region values.

Abstract: The invention is a method for radar registration by determining initially unknown azimuth and range biases (errors) in a system of multiple, overlapping coverage radars. Track data from multiple radar systems corresponding to a common target are associated into track pairs. Track pair data is then used to calculate state vectors in a multi-dimensional vector space (preferably six-dimensional), with state vector components corresponding to both position and velocity information. From these state vectors an average normalized statistical distance is calculated, where the averaging is over multiple track pairs. An azimuthal bias parameter (and preferably also a range bias parameter) are then varied to minimize the average normalized statistical distance, thereby finding the best estimates of the corrections required to register the multiple radars.

Abstract: The present invention advantageously provides a cost effective flat rotor for a pancake type slip ring. A flat copper coil sheet is stamped into a corrugated shape having concentric V-ring grooves. The corrugated stamped copper foil sheet is bonded using a bonding agent to a dielectric layer. Multiple concentric V-grooves are formed by separating the grooves, for example, by machining the grooves at an apex thereof in order to form separate electrical circuits. A corresponding plurality of holes extend through each concentric ring and through the dielectric layer from the first side through the second side. A conductive material is placed in each of the plurality of holes to electrically connect each concentric ring to the second side.

Abstract: A black-out curtain system (S) reduces undesired viewing by an external observer (O) through an opening (10) in a barrier (12) into an interior space (14). A filter sheet (16) that transmits Electro-Magnetic (EM) radiation (18) is adapted to intercept EM radiation originating in the interior space (14) from exiting the interior space (14) through the opening (10). The filter sheet (16) suppresses EM radiation below a selected cut-off frequency (C), and passes EM radiation above the selected cut-off frequency. An internal night viewer (20) detects only EM radiation having a frequency above the selected cut-off frequency (C). An interior illumination source (22) supplies the interior space (14) EM radiation having a frequency below the selected cut-off frequency (C).

Abstract: A microlaser is provided that has a microresonator and a pump source for side pumping the microresonator. The microresonator includes an active gain medium and a Q-switch that extend lengthwise between the opposed end faces of the microresonator. The pump source is therefore positioned so as to introduce pump signals into the microresonator via the side surface that is adjacent to and defined by the active gain medium. By side pumping the microresonator, the microlaser can generate a series of pulses having greater pulse energies and greater average power levels than the pulses provided by conventional microlasers. In addition, the side pumped microlaser can also generate pulses having greater pulse widths than the pulses provided by conventional microlasers of a similar size.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for updating the attitude of a body by utilizing a plurality of gyros to measure as a function of time the angular rate vector or the integrated angular rate vector for the body. The method comprises the steps of (1) obtaining measured values of the angular rate vector at a plurality of readout intervals, (2) obtaining a smoothed value of each of one or more smoothed representations of the angular rate vector at the end of each of a plurality of smoothing intervals, and (3) obtaining the updated attitude of the body at the end of an update interval by utilizing the attitude at the beginning of the update interval and the smoothed values of the smoothed representations of the angular rate vector obtained during the update interval. A smoothed representation is a weighted sum of the measured values obtained during a smoothing interval.

Abstract: A connector includes a pair of connector members for simultaneously contacting a first plurality of optical fibers with a second plurality of optical fibers. A cup for fixing the ferrule-tipped ends of mating optical fibers is wholly contained within each of a plurality of channels through the members. The cup is capable of axial movement within a channel through a body element of a connector member. A spring member is located in the channel between a back plate and the cup to act upon the base of the cup. Aligned dowel channels are provided for receiving a thick external dowel that resides within the aligned dowel channels of the body member of one of the connector members and the holder of the other. An internal dowel is press fit within the body element and holder dowel channels of the other connector member to enhance the ruggedness and durability of the device.

Abstract: A bifilar FOG coil winding method employs two identical parallel fibers, each one-half the length of the final FOG coil wound between first and second payout spools so that the respective midpoint of each fiber is located between the two spools. Both parallel fibers are then wound to form a FOG coil using Frigo's quadrupole or dipole winding technique. Prior to winding, one of the payout spools is rotated 180° (degrees) about its fiber pair.