Patents Assigned to Litton System, Inc.
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Patent number: 6163403Abstract: An optical correlator system having a plurality of both active and passive reflective optical components between a source of electromagnetic radiation, such a visible coherent light, and an output detector array in a planar support body along a folded optical axis beam path within the body uses a grayscale spatial light modulator as the input sensor and the correlating filter to provide enhanced optical detection of an unknown object at a CCD detector array.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1998Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: David T. Carrott, Gary L. Mallaley
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Patent number: 6163297Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining from a moving observer the location, in terms of latitude, longitude, altitude, and velocity, of a stationary or moving radar emitting a pulsed or continuous-wave signal. The moving observer extracts from the radar signal significant electronic support measures (ESM) parameters, including frequency, pulse repetition interval, and pulse width, and determines from those parameters whether a radio frequency (RF) or pulse repetition frequency (PRF) measurement technique is appropriate, and whether the radar signal angle-of-arrival (AOA) must be computed. The emitter location is computed using a ratio of sequential frequency measurements, and the moving observer continues to collect frequency measurements until the location of the emitter can be established to within a predetermined degree of certainty.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1999Date of Patent: December 19, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: Conrad M. Rose
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Patent number: 6159057Abstract: Disclosed is an electrical connector of the blade and contact type in which the contact has a tuning fork shape. The tuning fork includes a first tine and a second tine which are spaced apart and are initially parallel to each other. The first and second tines form an elongated slot therebetween. An adjustable tensioner includes an elastic member mounted exterially of one of the tines and a set screw which extends through the elastic member and one of the tines and is engaged with the other of the tines. By adjusting the set screw, the second of the tines is biased in a direction towards the first of the tines and the spacing between the first and second tines is reduced. In this manner, the contact pressure and spacing can be adjusted so that when the blade is inserted into the slot formed by the tines, the frictional resistance can be adjusted. The blade can either be vertically or longitudinally inserted into the slot.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1998Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: Allen J. Bernardini
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Patent number: 6158282Abstract: The invention is a vibratory rotation sensor comprising a housing, a resonator attached to the housing, first and second sets of electrodes, and a signal processor. One set of electrodes are attached to the housing and the other set of electrodes are attached to the resonator, the first set opposing the second set. Each set consists of one or more electrodes. The signal processor has one or more input ports capacitively connected to one or more of the first set of electrodes, the signal processor extracting from the signals appearing at the one or more input ports one or more double-frequency sinusoids having frequencies of twice the frequency of oscillation of the resonator.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1999Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems Inc.Inventors: Anthony Matthews, Guy T. Varty, Paul C. Nguyen, David D. Lynch
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Patent number: 6154313Abstract: The invention comprises a protective window for an optical sight. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an optical sight (20) may comprise an optical component (182, 300) transmitting an image of a scene. A protective window (180, 430) may be disposed approximate to an internal side of the optical component (180, 300) to obstruct dirt from contacting the internal side of the optical component.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1999Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: Wayne E. Isbell, Robert E. Wallace
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Patent number: 6154308Abstract: Optical signals input to a sensor array that includes a plurality of pathlength mismatched interferometers are phase modulated. Two different phase steps are generated in sequence within a time interval T in signals output from the interferometer array. Signals output from the array are processed to produce a first output signal S.sub.1 that is a function of the phase shift .phi. and a first one of the phase steps in a first portion of the time interval T and a second output signal S.sub.2 that is a function of the phase shift .phi. and the other one of the phase steps in a second portion of the time interval T. The signals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2, are processed to calculate the phase shift .phi. in optical signals that have propagated through the sensor array as functions of the sum and differences of the signals S.sub.1 and S.sub.2.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: David B. Hall
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Patent number: 6153258Abstract: The fiber jacket application system is used to provide a protective jacket over spliced optical fibers (10, 12), such as to coat a length of bare fiber, previously coated fiber, and particularly to rejacket a length of fiber in which the jacket was removed for splicing. Curable jacketing material is twice fed from a reservoir (28) through a small orifice or syringe (32) onto the respective sides of bared portions (10d, 12d) of the fiber. A first material (14) is deposited from and between the existing jackets (10a, 12a) and onto essentially half of the bared portions. A second material (16) is deposited in bonded contact with the first applied material from and between the surrounding protective jackets and onto essentially the remaining half of the bared portions.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1998Date of Patent: November 28, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: Arnold E. Goldman, Henry C. Abbink, Daryl K. Sakaida
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Patent number: 6151437Abstract: A readily-serviced junction for a fiber optic telemetry system includes at least one box for receiving cables that communicate with downstream optical sensors. The cables comprise commingled input-path and return-path optical fibers. A manifold-type arrangement of metallic enclosure tubes is arranged to direct the optical fibers, once stripped of the outer jackets of the cables, toward the light source and detectors of the telemetry system. A splice protection box houses couplers of the telemetry system. The boxes of the junction are easily assembled and dissembled to facilitate installation and servicing.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1998Date of Patent: November 21, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: Agop H. Cherbettchian, Akbar Arab-Sadeghabadi
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Patent number: 6146025Abstract: An improved laser diode is taught. A laser diode chip with an optical port for outputing an optical signal is mounted on a substrate. The substrate has a perimeter that extends beyond the area of the laser diode chip. The lens face of an optical fiber is aligned to receive the optical signal from the optical port. The optical fiber is secured at a pad location on the substrate with a solder ball. A portion of the substrate is mounted on a TEC leaving an overhang portion unsupported by the TEC. The overhang portion of the substrate forms a ledge portion of the substrate. A thermal insulating slot and a stress relief slot are micromachined through the substrate forming an "L" shaped slot defining a cantilever fiber support segment of the substrate. The fiber is mounted on the end of the fiber support segment with a solder ball.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 1998Date of Patent: November 14, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems Inc.Inventors: Henry C. Abbink, Arnold E. Goldman, Agop Cherbettchian, Raymond Scott Enochs
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Patent number: 6141146Abstract: There is provided an improved night vision goggle having a housing containing an objective lens assembly, an image intensifier tube, a collimator assembly, a splitter member, and a pair of afocal telescopes. The optical axis of the afocal telescopes are offset from the optical axis of the collimator and objective lens assemblies. A pair of achromatic doublet lens assemblies are mounted side-by-side on the exit side of the collimator and near the entrance pupils of the telescopes. The optical axes of the doublet lens assemblies are coaxial with the optical axes of the telescopes. The achromatic doublet lens assemblies thus collect light from a sub-diameter, decentered aperture of the collimator assembly, and correct axial chromatic aberration in the telescopes.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 1993Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: R. Calvin Owen, Jr., Robert A. Gallagher, Robert M. Burley, deceased, by Juliet E. Mason, executrix
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Patent number: 6141474Abstract: To minimize the uncompensated part of the Shupe error, a one or more continuous coils (28, 44, 46) thermally stable material is added to a composite coil assembly (20) to dominate the composite in terms of thermal expansion and elastic modulus. The thermally stable material includes a plurality of continuously coiled fibers (28, 44, 46) selected from a material group which possesses a high modulus and a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The preferred fiber is formed from a carbon-graphite material which is selectively wound within the optical fibers (22) in the coil assembly and/or is wound about the interior and exterior circumferences of the coil assembly.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1998Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: Samuel N. Fersht
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Patent number: 6138511Abstract: A multisensor includes direct rotor coupling. A pair of rotors is mechanically coupled by a torsion bar whose stiffness largely determines the resonant frequency of the counteroscillating rotor pair. The axis of the torsion bar is coincident with the common axis of rotation of the rotors. Piezo bimorphs are fixed to opposed surfaces of radial vanes of the rotors which suspend the torsionally-coupled rotor pair with the case, isolating it from external angular vibration that could interfere with the resonant frequency of the rotor pair subassembly. The bimorphs receive signals for driving the oscillations of the rotors. Taken together, the stiffnesses of the vanes and the torsion bar substantially determine the common resonant frequency of the counteroscillating pair of rotors.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 1999Date of Patent: October 31, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: Robert E. Stewart
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Patent number: 6134185Abstract: An assembly module provides well-organized optical fiber component attachment features and convenient fiber routing areas for assembling and containing a fiber optic device such a telemetry module. The module comprises a first substrate having a first side and a second side. The first side includes a plurality of sidewalls and a recessed floor surface bounded by the sidewalls. Some of the sidewalls have a cavities formed therein. A plurality of channels extend from the ends of the cavities. A plurality of projections extend from the sidewalls over selected portions of the floor surface such that a lower edge of each projection is spaced apart from the floor surface. Optical fiber components (couplers, splices, etc.) may be mounted in the cavities, and optical fibers are routed to and from the optical fiber components on regions between the sidewalls and through the channels.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1999Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: Eric Lee Goldner, Gary Thomas Griffin
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Method and apparatus for calibration of a signal processing system utilizing digital down converters
Patent number: 6134281Abstract: A calibration technique for a signal processing system, wherein a digital down converter is selected by a system controller for calibration. The digital down converter's settings are copied into a calibration digital down converter which mimics the operation of the selected digital down converter. A best polarization diversity detector signal path, an optimal phase offset value for an in-phase data signal, an optimal phase offset value for a quadrature phase data signal, and a normalized gain value for the in-phase and quadrature phase signals of the selected digital down converter are determined. The system controller updates the selected digital down converter with the determined optimal settings. This procedure is repeated for each digital down converter in the signal processing system, while the signal processing occurs simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 1998Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: James D. Green, Eugene L. Ferraro, Lawrence J. Hershman -
Patent number: 6133786Abstract: A linear beam amplification device includes an axially centered electron emitting cathode and an anode spaced therefrom. The cathode provides an electron beam in response to a relatively high voltage potential defined between the cathode and the anode. A control grid is spaced between the cathode and anode for modulating the electron beam in accordance with an input signal. A signal input assembly of the linear beam amplification device comprises an axial input cavity into which the input signal is inductively coupled. The grid-cathode region is electrically connected to the input cavity. A low impedance grid-anode cavity is disposed coaxially with the input cavity and is in electrical communication with an interaction region defined between the grid and the anode. The low impedance of the grid-anode cavity is provided by constructing the cavity of a material having a relatively high surface resistivity, such as iron.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 1998Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: Robert Spencer Symons
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Patent number: 6134015Abstract: Quadrature signals Q and in-phase signals I output from a pathlength mismatched interferometric sensor are normalized sampling the signals to obtain a first set of values Q.sub.k =Q.sub.0 B.sub.k sin .phi..sub.k corresponding to the sine of the phase shift and a second set of values I.sub.k =I.sub.0 B.sub.k cos .phi..sub.k corresponding to the cosine of the phase shift where k is a running index of the set of consecutive samples of Q and I. A quantity DQ.sub.k =.vertline.(Q.sub.u(k)).sup.2 -(Q.sub.s(k)).sup.2 .vertline. is calculated for the quadrature signals; and a quantity DI.sub.k =.vertline.(I.sub.u(k)).sup.2 -(I.sub.s(k)).sup.2 .vertline. is calculated for the in-phase signals, where u(k) and s(k) are parameters used to determine indices that select specific sampled signals and k is a running index of the set of consecutive samples of Q and I. The normalization factor is then calculated as the ratio R=Q.sub.N /I.sub.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 1999Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventor: David B. Hall
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Patent number: 6131845Abstract: A fiber guide for spooling glass fiber from an automatic coil winding machine onto a spool. The guide has a body or pay guide assembly with a receiving aperture. Two similar sections are held together with a slight gap between them. Left and right parallel strands of music wire are tightly stretched through the gap across the receiving aperture of the arc and are anchored at each end. A spool with flanged edges receives the left and right parallel strands or guides and is maintained very close to the last layer or surface of fiber laid down. A guide pulley is carried by the guide for guiding glass fiber between the left and right parallel strands and onto the spool. The parallel strands are tensioned by anchoring each wire in a respective standoff. In one embodiment, each end of a music wire wraps around a standoff. The wires extend through the cross drilled holes permitting adjustment by turning the standoff. In an alternative embodiment, a tensioner is formed by a pivotal plate, relative to the guide.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1998Date of Patent: October 17, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems Inc.Inventors: Roger Francis Burlingame, John E. Fitzgerald, Thomas G. Council
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Patent number: 6130755Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for determining the rotation of a medium through which a light beam propagates by modulating the light beam with a pseudorandom sequence of bits. The method comprises the steps of (1) selecting a "0" or a "1" as the next bit of the modified pseudorandom bit sequence if one or more criteria are satisfied, the criteria being based on the measured properties of a plurality of prior bits of the modified pseudorandom bit sequence; otherwise: (2) selecting the next bit of an initial pseudorandom bit sequence as the next bit of the modified pseudorandom bit sequence, the next bit of the initial pseudorandom bit sequence being a function of one or more prior bits of the initial pseudorandom bit sequence.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 1999Date of Patent: October 10, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems Inc.Inventors: John G. Mark, Daniel A. Tazartes, David I. Tazartes, Daniel P. Wiener
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Patent number: 6129527Abstract: A reciprocating compressor includes an electric motor having fixed and moveable components within a housing for reciprocating a moveable assembly, to compress a working fluid within a variable volume compression chamber within the housing. An integrated flexure spring and circuit connected between the housing and the moveable assembly axially and radially centers the moveable assembly within the housing, and additionally, supplies an electric current to a moveable current coil of the electric motor associated with the moveable assembly. The moveable assembly is axially reciprocated against a restoring force of the integrated flexure spring and circuit responsive to an axial force exerted on the moveable assembly by the electric motor when the electric current is supplied to the moveable current coil via the integrated flexure spring and circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1999Date of Patent: October 10, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.Inventors: Thomas S. Donahoe, Arthur Randall Nelson
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Patent number: 6128424Abstract: An Integrated Optics Chip with improved performance when exposed to rapidly changing temperature is disclosed. The optic chip or integrated optic chip or MIOC has a top surface, a +Z face and -Z face. The chip is formed from a crystal having a high electro-optic coefficient such as Lithium Niobate. For the purpose of orienting the components to the optic chip to be described, the +Z crystal axis extends outward from the +Z face. An input waveguide formed in the top surface of the chip and orthogonal to the +Z axis receives an optical signal from an input port, passes the signal via a waveguide network, to an output waveguide coupling the waveguide network to an output port. Metalization is applied to the top face of the optic chip to form at least a first and a second rail. The first and second rails are positioned to very closely straddle a portion of the input waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1998Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: Litton Systems Inc.Inventors: Lorrie L. Gampp, Gregory A. Zimmerman, Christine E. Geosling, John P. Rahn