Abstract: A quantum-imaging system for detecting photons, including short-wavelength (<1 nm) photons, is provided. A quantum imaging system can include optical read-out and optical means, and can be configured to perform as both a photon counter and a photon spectrometer. A quantum-imaging system can function as a photon counter and be configured to measure photon beam fluences (e.g., in J/cm2) for both strong beams and weak beams, the latter ones, for example, in the intensity range of 1 pJ/cm2sec, or 0.1 ?Sv/h. The quantum-imaging system can also function as a photon spectrometer and can be configured to measure photon energies with high energy resolution such as, for example, 1% of photon energy.

Abstract: An entirely wearable electrical connector for power/data connectivity. The principal element of a modular network is the wearable electrical connector, which is integrated into a personal area network with USB compatibility. Several wearable connector embodiments are disclosed. An enhancement to the wearable connector includes OSI Layer 2 (and potentially Layer 3) functionality. Data Link layer functionality is supported by including electronic serial numbers at wearable snap-connector points.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for still image compression, video compression and automatic target recognition are disclosed. The method of still image compression uses isomorphic singular manifold projection whereby surfaces of objects having singular manifold representations are represented by best match canonical polynomials to arrive at a model representation. The model representation is compared with the original representation to arrive at a difference. If the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, the difference data are saved and compressed using standard lossy compression. The coefficients from the best match polynomial together with the difference data, if any, are then compressed using lossless compression. The method of motion estimation for enhanced video compression sends I frames on an “as-needed” basis, based on comparing the error between segments of a current frame and a predicted frame.

Abstract: An entirely wearable electrical connector for power/data connectivity. The principal element of a modular network is the wearable electrical connector, which is integrated into a personal area network with USB compatibility. An embodiment comprises a non-conductive elastomeric environmental seal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method of transmitting and switching multimedia data over an Ethernet network. The method includes allocating a portion of an Ethernet bandwidth for channel allocation, receiving a multimedia signal, assigning a channel allocation priority to the multimedia signal, transmitting data including the channel allocation priority in the allocated portion of the Ethernet bandwidth, performing video predictive coding on the multimedia signal to create a video predictive coded multimedia signal, and transmitting the video predictive coded multimedia signal over the network in real time. The multimedia signal comprises a composite video signal.

Abstract: An autostereoscopic three-dimensional liquid crystal display system and a method of making the system. The system includes a collimated backlight, a first light diffracting hologram, a second right-left interlacing hologram and a liquid crystal display. If the backlight is not collimated, a micro-collimator array is used to collimate the backlight prior to passing into the first hologram. The second right-left interlacing hologram is formed through a two step process. The process comprises positioning a photolithographic mask and a view region mask in a first position, recording the first holographic recording in the first position, shifting the photolithographic mask and the view region mask to a second position and recording the second holographic recording in the second position.

Abstract: An entirely wearable electrical connector for power/data connectivity. The principal element of a modular network is the wearable electrical connector, which is integrated into a personal area network with USB compatibility.

Abstract: A system and method for characterizing soil shear strength from a vehicle, comprises a plurality of sensors mounted on a vehicle and configured to measure distances from the sensors to the soil surface. The sensors comprise a first sensor disposed on the vehicle and configured to measure a first distance between the first sensor and the soil and a second sensor disposed on the vehicle and configure to measure a second distance between a the sensor and a track made in the soil by the vehicle, wherein the first sensor measures the distance at a location before the vehicle wheel travels over that location and the second sensor measures the distance to the bottom of the track made by the wheel. A processing module is communicatively coupled to the sensors and is configured to calculate track depth as a function of the first and second distance measurements; and to derive soil shear strength as a function of the calculated track depth and the vehicle parameters.

Abstract: A carton-centric security system that uniquely combines a low-cost version of the rugged connector technology and a novel smart skin is provided. The carton-centric security system includes RF electronics for communication. The system can fully meet the homeland security need to autonomously seal, secure, and monitor the integrity of shipping cartons/parcels below the ISO intermodal shipping container level. The system can seal the contents of a shipping carton within a “smart skin/wrapper,” which physically surrounds the contents, monitors the physical integrity of the shipping carton and detects any intrusion into the carton. In case of an intrusion, the system provides notification of the intrusion of the carton or tampering with the carton security system, including alteration of the carton contents, theft or unauthorized removal of the entire carton.

Abstract: An entirely wearable electrical connector for power/data connectivity. The principal element of a modular network is the wearable electrical connector, which is integrated into a personal area network with USB compatibility. Several wearable connector embodiments are disclosed. The first, an O-ring based version, was subsequently replaced by a more mature second version, which is based on anisotropic pressure sensitive conductive elastomer. Both are snap-style, low-profile, 360°-moving, round, blind operable plug-and-play, reconfigurable wearable connectors with power/data daisy-lattice-style connectivity. A third embodiment comprises a non-conductive elastomeric environmental seal. A fourth embodiment utilizes a self-acting, automatic shutter-type environmental seal. A fifth embodiment comprises a smaller version that resembles a conventional snap fastener commonly used on clothing.

Abstract: Two embodiments of a connector that can be mated without regard for its orientation are disclosed. One embodiment is mated and demated autonomously as part of a system for recovering, docking with, recharging and re-launching unmanned aerial vehicles. Another embodiment is employed on the decks of vessels to facilitate mating and demating of various equipment providing different functions to reconfigure the vessel. Because both embodiments are configured for connection irrespective of angular orientation over 360°, they are especially suited for harsh environments including autonomous operation, rough seas, darkness and the like.

Abstract: A panoramic annular lens system (PAL), a unitary video camera and a PC-based software system that unwraps a 360° video image into a seamless, distortion free horizontal image image in real time. The PAL system of the preferred embodiment has a 360° horizontal field of view and a 90° vertical field of view in a 40 mm diameter compact package. The invention is not limited to any particular type of lens system. In fact, there are numerous lens systems for providing a 360° panoramic view. The video camera may be a CCD or CMOS based device having a pixel resolution of either 1280×1024 (high resolution) or 720×480 (NTSC). The unwrapping system is a radiometric ray tracing program carried out using a computer's graphics card capabilities to produce highly efficient regional transformation while minimizing software overhead. The result is real time, high resolution 30 fps conversion from a spherical distorted image to a flat panoramic image in Cartesian coordinates.

Abstract: An authentication system using a correlator that correlates an input with a reference wherein at least one of the input and reference comprises a phase volume mask having structures, preferably points, that are each less than about six microns in size and can have an aspect ratio (AR) greater than 1:1 so as to produce a phase encoded random pattern having millions of combinations in a mask that is as small as one square millimeter. The random pattern can be convolved with a second pattern, such as a biometric pattern, to produce a phase convolved mask. The correlator preferably is a nonlinear joint transform correlator that can use “chirp” encoding to permit the input to be located in a different plane than the reference. The correlator optically Fourier transforms images of the reference and input that are thereafter nonlinearly transformed and inverse Fourier transformed by a processor to determine the presence or absence of a correlation spike indicative of authenticity.

Abstract: An improved stacked rotary connector assembly wherein each connector comprises a pair of rings and the rings of each rotary connector thereof are individually split and mechanically separable. Because the input and output rings are each split and separable, any one rotary connector may be removed from the stack without requiring removal of any other rotary connector and without disturbing the input/output buses of the assembly.

Abstract: A Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging System based on a unique Lobster Eye (LE) structure, X-ray generator, scintillator-based detector and cooled CCD (or Intensified CCD) for real-time, safe, staring Compton backscatter X-ray detection of objects hidden under ground, in containers, behind walls, bulkheads etc. In contrast to existing scanning pencil beam systems, Lobster Eye X-Ray Imaging System's true focusing X-ray optics simultaneously acquire ballistic Compton backscattering photons (CBPs) from an entire scene irradiated by a wide-open cone beam from one or more X-ray generators. The Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging System collects (focuses) thousands of times more backscattered hard X-rays in the range from 40 to 120 keV (or wavelength ?=0.31 to 0.1 ?) than current backscatter imaging sensors (BISs), giving high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and penetration through ground, metal walls etc.

Abstract: Systems and methods for connecting and configuring a communication network are described. A network includes a first router; a tie-line having a plurality of full duplex dedicated router interconnects connected to said first router; a second router connected to said plurality of full duplex dedicated router interconnects; a first user connected to said first router with a first full duplex loop; and a second user connected to said second router with a second full duplex loop. The systems and methods provide advantages in that bursty control information can be multiplexed with time sensitive laminar data.

Abstract: The present invention provides an access device which includes a timeslot allocation table having timeslot allocation information and a transmitter coupled to the timeslot allocation table. The transmitter transmits data and updated timeslot allocation information in accordance with the timeslot allocation information. The access device further includes at least one input channel where the transmitter allocates timeslot lengths for the at least one input channel according to the timeslot allocation information. The timeslot allocation table receives updated timeslot allocation information and the transmitter reallocates timeslot lengths according to the updated timeslot allocation information. The timeslot allocation table further includes timeslot allocation information for each of the at least one input channel.

Abstract: A partially modified photosensitive monolithic oxide glass apparatus formed through photolithographic imaging. The apparatus may be either a volume apparatus or a layer apparatus. Both types of apparatus may be used to diffuse light in predetermined directions or shapes. The monolithic oxide glass apparatus is capable of withstanding temperatures well beyond glass transition temperatures of plastic light shaping devices and can be formed in convex or concave surfaces through conventionally molding grinding or polishing techniques and can be coated by hot-coating techniques.

Abstract: An authentication system using a correlator that correlates an input with a reference wherein at least one of the input and reference comprises a phase volume mask having structures, preferably points, that are each less than about six microns in size and can have an aspect ratio (AR) greater than 1:1 so as to produce a phase encoded random pattern having millions of combinations in a mask that is as small as one square millimeter. The random pattern can be convolved with a second pattern, such as a biometric pattern, to produce a phase convolved mask. The correlator preferably is a nonlinear joint transform correlator that can use “chirp” encoding to permit the input to be located in a different plane than the reference. The correlator optically Fourier transforms images of the reference and input that are thereafter nonlinearly transformed and inverse Fourier transformed by a processor to determine the presence or absence of a correlation spike indicative of authenticity.

Abstract: Hollow, cylindrical, seamless metal master for producing seamless diffuser sheets of preselected length and width. Additional aspects of the invention include a hollow cylindrical seamless invertable elastomeric master and method of making the same and an apparatus and process for effecting variable diffuser recording in photosensitive medium.