Abstract: A method of monitoring a condition of a system is provided. The method includes receiving a first sampled signal having first sampled points sampled at a first sampling rate, and receiving a second sampled signal having second sampled points sampled at a second sampling rate. Both the first and second sampled signals originate from sensing over a dimension in the same sensing process.

Abstract: A wireless pressure sensor for sensing pressure of a liquid in a tank includes a hermetically sealed housing, at least one sensor, at least one photocell array, at least one communication device, and at least one energy storage device. At least a portion of the hermetically sealed housing has a diaphragm. The at least one sensor within the hermetically sealed housing is configured to sense the pressure of the liquid. The at least one photocell array is configured to receive light and generate power from the light. The at least one communication device is configured to transmit data corresponding to the sensed pressure using wireless radio frequency signals. The at least one energy storage device is configured to store power generated by the at least one photocell array and provide power to the at least one sensor and the at least one communication device.

Abstract: A slave node of one or more slave nodes and a master node of a distributed acquisition system and a method of synchronizing communication of the slave node is provided. The method includes acquiring a configuration that provides a definition for a packet interval, wherein the packet interval definition provides an adequate timing margin to ensure that communication packets transmitted by the master node and the one or more slave nodes occur only at harmonics of the packet interval definition. The method further includes receiving master communication packets from the master node via the bus, determining a start time of at least one most recent master communication packet of the master communication packets received from the master node, calculating a synchronization time based on the start time, and starting transmission of slave communication packets to the master node based on the synchronization time.

Abstract: A system and method of obtaining a high accuracy value from at least one sensor using a conditioning circuit includes providing, by a processor, a first signal to the at least one sensor and obtaining a first sensor response from the at least one sensor; providing, by the processor, the first signal to a reference component and obtaining a first reference response from the reference component; providing, by the processor, a second signal, greater than the first signal, to the at least one sensor and obtaining a second sensor response from the at least one sensor; providing, by the processor, the second signal to the reference component and obtaining a second reference response from the reference component; and calculating, by the processor, the high accuracy value based on the first sensor response, the second sensor response, the first reference response and the second reference response.

Abstract: An integral fluid measurement system includes a first sensor configured to communicate using a first communication technology, a second sensor configured to communicate using a second communication technology, and a hybrid interface unit including a first interface configured to communicate with a first sensor using a first communication technology and a second interface configured to communicate with a second sensor using a second communication technology, where the first and second communication technologies are different from each other and may include electrical, fiber optic, radio frequency, optical pulse, and sonic pulse. The hybrid interface unit may also include a digital signal processor, data bus, and power supply, and may be capable of being disposed on a fluid tank wall.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to projecting a linear beam onto a distant object. One or more laser diodes are configured to emit one or more elliptical beams of light in an emission direction. If more than one laser diodes are used, they are aligned so as to have coplanar emission facets and common slow-axis and fast-axis directions, which are perpendicular to one another and to the emission direction. A first cylindrical lens is configured to receive the emitted beam(s) and to collimate the emitted beam(s) in the fast-axis direction perpendicular to a slow-axis direction. A second cylindrical lens is configured to receive the emitted beam(s) and to diverge the emitted beam(s) in the slow-axis direction such that if more than one beams are emitted, they are diverged so as to overlap one another in the slow-axis direction.

Abstract: An optically powered pressure sensor for sensing pressure of a liquid in a tank includes a hermetically sealed housing with at least a portion of the housing having a diaphragm, at least one sensor within the hermetically sealed housing, at least one optical emitter, and a photocell array. The hermetically sealed housing forms at least a portion of a hermetically sealed wall of the tank. The at least one sensor within the hermetically sealed housing is configured to sense the pressure of the liquid. The at least one optical emitter is configured to transmit data corresponding to the sensed pressure. The photocell array is configured to receive light and provide power to the at least one sensor and the at least one optical emitter.

Abstract: A lock block for use in a flight vehicle to deploy and lock wings in a deployed position with the lock block having a forward end and an aft end and including a support member, a resilient member adjacent the aft end of the lock block, a first deploy pin extending from the resilient member, a second deploy pin extending from the resilient member, and a wedge located on a bottom side of the resilient member. The first deploy pin and the second deploy pin are each configured to engage a groove in a wing of the flight vehicle to push each wing into a deployed position.

Abstract: An integrated sensor unit for estimating a quantity of fluid in a container includes a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure at a physical location of the sensor unit, an acceleration sensor configured to measure at least three components of an acceleration vector at the physical location of the sensor unit, and a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature at the physical location of the sensor unit. The sensor unit is configured to produce an output signal comprising the pressure, acceleration, and temperature measurements.

Abstract: A system and method for providing physical layer security in a low power wireless communication system utilizing an analog finite impulse response filter to produce an analog representation of the electronic fingerprint that uniquely identifies a transmitting device. A decision logic circuit produces a digital representation of the electronic fingerprint of the RF signal, and digital storage stores the digital fingerprints of trusted wireless nodes. A learning mode allows the storage of digital fingerprints of trusted nodes, and recognition mode permits the passage of the RF signal through a receive-permissive switch only if the digital fingerprint of a trusted wireless node is recognized. One of several triggering events may disable the receive-permissive switch including passage a specified period of time, loss of RF signal for a specified time, reduction in the strength of RF signal below a specified threshold, loss of electrical power, and other system or operator input.

Abstract: A real-time compensation system of a projectile includes at least one flight controller, at least one imager device, at least one gyroscope, and at least one processor. The at least one flight controller is configured to rotate the projectile about an axis between a first orientation and a second orientation. The at least one imager device is configured to capture a first image at the first orientation and a second image at the second orientation. The at least one gyroscope is configured to sense a first angular rate of the projectile as the projectile rotates from the first orientation to the second orientation. The at least one processor is configured to determine a first rotation angle based upon the first and second images and a second rotation angle based upon the angular rate sensed by the at least one gyroscope, and determine a gyroscope compensation parameter.

Abstract: A network and method of addressing a network includes a host computer, a communication bus connected to the host computer, and a plurality of nodes connected to the communication bus. Each of the plurality of nodes includes a node controller, a timer, a communication input connected to the communication bus and a communication output connected to the communication bus. The node controller is configured to connect the communication input to the communication output upon successful receipt of an address from the host computer or upon the timer reaching a threshold.

Abstract: A liquid level detection system for determining a liquid level includes a level sensor configured to be at least partially disposed in a liquid storage vessel and exposed to liquid. A first optoelectronic interface is operatively connected to the level sensor for providing power thereto. A second optoelectronic interface is operatively connected to the first optoelectronic interface. A fiber optic cable optically connects the first optoelectronic interface to the second optoelectronic interface to provide photonic power to the first optoelectronic interface and to transmit data from the first optoelectronic interface to the second optoelectronic interface.

Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a power source, at least one node, a host unit and a voltage regulator unit. The host unit includes a host mechanical housing and is configured to communicate with the at least one node. The voltage regulator unit includes a first regulator mechanical housing and a first voltage regulator circuit. The first regulator mechanical housing is mechanically mated with the host mechanical housing. The first voltage regulator circuit is configured to condition the power from the power source and provide first conditioned power to the at least one node.

Abstract: A system for an aircraft includes a first fluid circuit extending from a first end to a second end, and a network comprising a plurality of networked heater assemblies disposed along the first fluid circuit between the first end and the second end. Each of the networked heater assemblies includes at least one temperature sensor, a heater element, and a local controller. The at least one temperature sensor is in communication with the first fluid circuit for periodically measuring a temperature in the first fluid circuit and generating a corresponding local temperature signal. The heater assembly selectively applies heat to the first fluid circuit based on the local temperature signal or another temperature signal on the network. The local controller receives the local temperature signal or another networked temperature signal and operates the heater assembly in response thereto to maintain the local temperature signal above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: At least one baseline structural interrogation of a physical structure is performed in one or more corresponding baseline conditions of the structure. The one or more baseline conditions are stored, and one or more current conditions are sensed. It is determined whether a difference between the one or more current conditions and the one or more baseline conditions satisfies at least one threshold deviation criterion. A current structural interrogation of the structure is performed in response to determining that the difference between the one or more current conditions and the one or more baseline conditions satisfies the least one threshold deviation criterion. An indication that the at least one threshold deviation criterion is not satisfied is output in response to determining that that the difference between the one or more current conditions and the one or more baseline conditions does not satisfy the at least one threshold deviation criterion.

Abstract: A method of fuel gauging includes the use of limited physical probes and a number of virtual probes that are mathematically represented despite having no physical representation. Each probe determines the volume of fuel in a particular section of the fuel tank. The calculation method includes using the attitude of the fuel tank to calculate the rotation of each physical probe, using this information to determine the height of the fuel at each physical probe, and extrapolating the physical height information to determine the position of each virtual probe. Once the information on each physical and virtual probe is obtained, a total fuel volume can be calculated.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to determining a measure of collision risk between a taxiing aircraft and an object external to the taxiing aircraft. The measure of collision risk is determined using the dynamics of both the taxiing aircraft and the external object. The taxiing aircraft's dynamics can be determined based on collected position, heading, and ground-speed data. The external object's dynamics can be determined based on location data tracked by an object tracking system, for example. A measure of collision risk is calculated, based on the determined dynamics of both the taxiing aircraft and the external object. In some embodiments, image data of an area external to and including the taxiing aircraft is formed. The image data can be annotated with the calculated collision risks and/or indicia of regions of the taxiing aircraft and/or the external objects associated with the collision risks.

Abstract: A method is provided of generating a course-correction signal for a spin-stabilized projectile. The method includes capturing a time-sequence of images of a scene at a frame rate, comparing respective current images of the time-sequence of images to a corresponding previous image of the time-sequence of images, determining a rotation angle between the current and previous images, rotating the images using the rotation angle, identifying a target in the rotated images, generating target bearing angles to cause the projectile to correct its course toward the target using the target bearing angles, and adjusting the target bearing angles to compensate for the rotation of the images.

Abstract: A computer implemented method includes transmitting a transmit command to a first data concentrator to send out a predetermined signal of predetermined characteristics according to a transmission setting, receiving a received signal from at least one second data concentrator, and determining if there are any signal transmission effects between the first data concentrator and the second data concentrator based on a comparison of the predetermined signal and the received signal.