Abstract: A portable system for the real time detection and measurement of one or several gases is a gaseous mixture is disclosed. Such systems can be applied to industrial domains in which gases are to be measured and particularly toxic, dangerous, or polluting gases are generated. The system uses absorption spectrometry of a gas from a gaseous medium of interest. The optical means is at least two laser diodes with matchable cavities to generate a first and second wavelength, a light beam mixer prism, a double refraction crystal rotating on a controlled table. The tuned beam causes the gas to be measured to fluoresce and emit a signal to an infrared radiation detector which can indicate the identity and magnitude of the gas being measured.

Abstract: Spark-resistant structure for use with aircraft, including a sheet-shaped external element made of a composite material with an exterior face bearing an electrically conducting surface layer for dissipating lightning energy. The external element also has an interior face. The structure further includes a sheet-shaped internal element with exterior and interior faces. The interior face of the external element is least partially superimposed on the exterior face of said internal element. Each element has holes which are aligned with each other. The structure also includes a fixing structure for holding the elements together in a fixed position passing through the aligned holes and forming an alignment. The fixing structure electrically contacts the conducting surface layer. Additionally, a first electrically conducting strip is positioned under the conducting surface layer of the external element, and it extends longitudinally in a direction of the alignment of the fixing structure.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the attitude of a satellite by controlling the speed of the gimbals of CMGs in a cluster of CMGs, the CMG having respective wheels mounted on gimbals that are mounted on a satellite platform to rotate about different orientation axes. From starting conditions and end conditions relating to attitude and angular speed and time, a cluster configuration is determined that is remote from any singular configuration such that exchanging angular momentum between the cluster of CMGs and the satellite during a given length of time will give rise to the desired attitude maneuver. The orientation of each gimbal is changed in simultaneous and independent manner into its reference orientation by using an angular position reference, applied in an open loop in the local servo-control of the angular positions of the gimbals.

Abstract: A method is provided for arranging the components and power connection points within an electromechanical braking system architecture in order to better maintain isolation of the power busses, and thereby improve overall integrity of the system, while still meeting system redundancy, performance and safety requirements as in the past. In addition, a method is provided for connecting and efficiently using available power in emergency braking and parking modes.

Abstract: For modifying a zone of a surface having an original shape, outer constraints are defined at boundaries of the zone as continuities Gk along at least part thereof. Inner constraints Gn are defined as points or curves to be crossed by the zone when modified. An amount of deformation is defined in each point of the zone as a result of a resilient deformation of a generalized infinite thin planar plate in equilibrium, respecting the outer and inner constraints. The modified zone is generated as a surface resulting from a result of an application of the resilient deformation to the original shape in the zone and connected to the unmodified portion of the surface.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for implementing the air traffic service unit (ATSU) managing the links between certain aircraft equipment and the ground/board communication means, and its operating system (OS) managing input/output, the use of software and hardware resources, chaining and timing of applications that are programs carrying out aircraft system functionalities, and wherein memory partitioning mechanisms and CPU partitioning mechanisms are used; wherein operating system calls are filtered so as to prevent said AOC (Airline Operational Communication) type applications from distributing the operation of said air traffic service unit.

Abstract: An aircraft landing gear (16) located in front of a fuel tank is equipped with a protection device (22) designed to at least partially automatically disconnect the landing gear (16) from the structure that supports it. For example, the protection device (22) comprises a part (40) hinged on the landing gear, and mechanisms (42) connecting this part to pins (38) through which the landing gear (16) is installed on the aircraft. In the case of a bad landing, the landing gear pivots backwards and the part (40) collides with a reinforcement wall placed on the tank. The part (40) then pivots about its axis and releases the pins (38) from their housing. Perforation of the tank is thus prevented.

Abstract: A process for the production of a resin piece by molding, places a self-demolding silicone membrane in a mold, and adds a catalyst to the resin to reduce the polymerization time of the resin so that the resin will not corrode the membrane.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the deposition of light-absorbing polyaniline, particularly on a titanium substrate, the process comprising: a fluoronitric etching, a chemical conversion treatment, a hydrolysis and a deposition of polyaniline by electropolymerization.

Abstract: A block adaptive quantization device processes blocks of input data samples to determine an aggregate or average value which is applied to each of a number of exponent look-up tables to derive an exponent value dependent on the extent of compression required. The exponent value is split by an exponent splitter into a remainder value and a shift value. The remainder value is used to select one of a number of divide look-up tables to which the unsigned data sample is applied, and the shift value is used to apply a variable bit shift to the data sample. Each divide look-up table comprises the same group of divide look-up tables. The combination of the four look-up tables in the group, together with the variable bit shift defines a series of code tables made up of a group of divide look-up tables repeated at six dB intervals. The remainder value selects one of the code tables within the group, and the bit shift operation determines the selected one of the repeated groups.

Abstract: A transparent latch, having a signal input D, an output Q and a control input C for selecting one of two operating modes, functions by either allowing the output to follow the input (in an enable mode) or by blocking any subsequent changes in input signal level (in an inhibit mode). Owing to the design of the latch, relative propagation delays through gates and interconnecting wires cannot cause a wrong value to be latched, this being in contrast with known arrangements. Therefore constraints on the physical layout of the latch are removed. In one embodiment the latch comprises two pairs of NAND gates (5,6,7,8) each pair being connected in a feedback configuration.

Abstract: A recognition test is applied to a segment of speech produced by a speaker. An examination is carried out to see whether a first optimum model, with which the recognition test has matched the spoken segment of speech, satisfies a criterion of likelihood. If the criterion of likelihood is satisfied, this first optimum model is selected. If not, a repetition of the speech segment is requested. The recognition test is applied to the segment of speech repeated by the speaker. This second optimum model is selected if it satisfies the likelihood criterion. If not, and if a combination of the results of the two recognition tests satisfies at least one criterion of combined selection, one of the models which the two recognition tests have matched with the spoken segment of speech and with the repeated segment is selected.

Abstract: In a capillary evaporator for use in a capillary pumped loop, in which capillary action in a porous wick 7 causes cold liquid to be drawn across the wick and vaporized by a heat input structure 6 and in particular fin 8 of that structure so that the vapour passes around a loop and rejects heat at a condenser in order to cool equipment in the vicinity of the evaporator, the vapour generated in the wick 7 from the liquid/vapor interface (meniscus) 11 is subject to a lower pressure drop than hitherto by virtue of a spacer 14 of greater permeability and thermal conductivity than the wick 7 without the necessity for the meniscus 11 to recede from the fin 8 which would cause an undesirable temperature drop of the meniscus, thereby improving the capacity of the evaporator to pump liquid/vapor around the loop and thus transport heat.

Abstract: A frequency selective surface devise is described. The device separates or combines two channels by using two or three spaced layers of resonant elements which may be loops or tripoles and which are coupled and which have interactive effects between layers such that the relatively broad transmission and reflection bands characteristic of resonant elements are modified by reinforcement of multiple reflection between the layers in the manner of a Fabry-Perot etalon effect in order to increase the sharpness of the transition of the transmission and reflection bands and thereby to permit combination or separation of closely spaced channels.

Abstract: A payload of a communications satellite includes several receive chains connected to respective antennas 1 to 4. Each receive chain 6 is hybrid in that analogue filtering is carried out at the front end in order to remove the unwanted input spectrum beyond that of a broadband within which a narrowband signal is frequency hopped. Thereafter the filtered signal is digitized and the hopping pattern removed by using successive segments of a control word which determines the hopping frequencies to successively select progressively narrower sub-bands which contain the wanted signal on each hop.

Abstract: The synchronous serial bus between a main processing unit and a peripheral unit includes a data line and a clock line. Strobe pulses presented by the main processing unit on the data line while it holds the clock line at a given logic level characterise transfer cycles on the bus. The main processing unit can thus run write or read cycles in registers of an interface of the peripheral unit. A direct transfer mode, wherein the strobe pulse is transmitted at the beginning of the cycle without specifying an address, is provided to enable the main processing unit to have a fast access to certain locations previously specified. The data and clock lines of the bus may be shared with those of another synchronous bus.

Abstract: The method produces three dimensional cartographic data of a scene from n two-dimensional images of the scene, n being an integer higher than 2. The images are delivered by n respective detectors seeing the scene from different points of view. In a first step, each detector i is calibrated for estimating parameters identifying n affine models Fi (x, y, z) each defining a relation between coordinates x, y, z of any point in the scene and coordinates (p, q)i of a projection of said any point in an image i among said n images. Each of (n−1) couples of images, (each couple consisting of a same reference image selected among said n images) is matched, each match being made by searching an homolog of each of pixels or zones constituting the reference image along a corresponding epipolar line of the other image of the couple.

Abstract: Thermal link device for use between an end surface of a cold finger of a cryogenic machine, at cryogenic temperature when in use, and a load, comprising:a plate confronting said end surface, for connection with the load, mechanically separate from the end surface and defining a condensation and vaporization gap with said end surface,a capillary pumping element in said gap,a flexible wall defining an enclosure accommodating said gap and surrounding at least said end surface and a portion of a cold finger which is close to said end surface, andgas means in said enclosure, said gas means including at least one gas having a condensation temperature selected responsive to a cryogenic temperature to be given to the load.

Abstract: The installation comprises a roadway having at least some segments provided with longitudinal reference marking (10) for a nominal path, and vehicles (18) each carrying an assembly providing guidance by controlling a steering axle, having a module for forming an image of the road ahead of the vehicle (18) and for processing the image of the marking, and an optical guidance module calculating the orientation to be given to the wheels of the steering axle to follow the nominal path, and a steering servo-motor controlled by the guidance module. At at least certain segments of the road carry lateral guides (14, 16) and the vehicles, whose front axles at least are steering axles, are provided on each axle with vertical-axis guide wheels (24) designed to press against the guides (14, 16) in the event of the vehicle departing excessively from a nominal path on the road.

Abstract: A recognition test matches a speech segment supplied to the system with a set of parameters associated with a reference and memorized in a dictionary. A provisional version of each set of parameters to be memorized in the dictionary in association with a reference is estimated on the basis of one or more segments of speech, after which the provisional version is memorized in the dictionary in association with the reference. At least one repetition of the speech segment is submitted to a recognition test, after which depending on whether it has matched the speech segment with the provisional version, the provisional version is modified and the modified provisional version is memorized.