Abstract: A geophone with mounted connectors includes a body, a plurality of removable cable connectors, and a cap. The body includes an opening defining a cavity, a first circuit board positioned in the cavity, and a seismic detector positioned in the cavity operably coupled to the first circuit board. The cable connectors are positioned in the cavity above the first circuit board. The cap is coupled to the body and includes a second printed circuit board operably coupled to the cable connectors and the first circuit board.

Abstract: A concerned individual (12) seeking to locate a missing person (14) does so by dialing a special number associated with a locating service offered through a Public Switched Telecommunications Network (16). After dialing the special number, the concerned individual (12) enters a sequence of digits that correspond to a numeric identifier, such as social security number or telephone number, or the missing person (14). Upon receipt of the digit sequence, the PSTN (16) whether the missing person is a subscriber of the locating service, and if so, the PSTN causes one or more cell sites (28-28) of a wireless service communications system to broadcast a first coded frequency signal for receipt by a passive transponder (32) carried by the missing person. The passive transponder decodes the first coded frequency signal to yield electrical power to energize a transmitter (38) within the transponder to transit a second coded frequency signal for tracking by direction-sensitive receivers (33) to locate the missing person.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for correction of a signal which is derived from wheel rotation speed signals and represents the vehicle speed, wherein the vehicle has a device by means of which the environment of the vehicle can be identified, and wherein the correction of the signal which is derived from the wheel rotation speeds and represents the vehicle speed is carried out on the basis of the speed at which objects in the environment which are identified as being stationary move relative to the vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for generating 2 and 3-dimensional fluid meshes for structural/acoustic finite element analysis in an infinite medium. The method broadly comprises the steps of: enclosing a structure to be analyzed in a block of fluid; determining a bias factor and coordinates for the mesh; and generating at least one of a two dimensional and a three dimensional mesh using the coordinates and the bias factor.

Abstract: The invention relates to device serving as an orientation aid for blind and visually disabled, comprising at least one contactless distance measurement system (1,2) which provides correcting variables depending on the distance between the device and an object detected by the distance measurement system (1,2). At least one indicating device is also provided, which is impinged upon by the correcting variable of the distance measurement system (1,2) and which supplies an indication depending on the correcting variable. The indicating device comprises at least one tactile indicator (3) which is continuously or quasi-continuously displaced along a tactile path as monotone function of the distance measured by the distance measurement system (1,2). The tactile indicator can, for instance, comprise an adjustable element (3). The user can thus feel the distance measured by touching the position of the displaceable element (3).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for weighing and non-contact measuring of dimensions of a stationary object wherein the platen on which the object is placed for weighing and measuring is isolated from the support assembly for the dimension measuring sensors for greater sensitivity and accuracy in weight determination. A method of determining object speed of linearly in-motion object, useful for determining object dimensions, is also disclosed.

Abstract: A micromachined capacitive ultrasonic transducer is used to generate and detect Rayleigh, Lamb, and bulk waves in a solid substrate. The transducer contains a substrate with a conductive back electrode, a support material on the substrate, a membrane supported above the substrate by the support material, and a conductive film on the membrane. The support material contains parallel edges defining elongated gaps over which the membrane is supported. Unsupported free regions of the membrane above the gaps are vibrated by applying an electrical signal between the conductive film and conductive back electrode, and stresses are coupled into the substrate at the attachment edges of the membrane. Acoustic modes of the substrate are excited by the stresses, and ultrasonic waves propagate in a direction perpendicular to the parallel edges.

Abstract: A multi-dimensional beamforming device that performs consecutive one-dimensional operations. For example, beamsteering for a two-dimensional array can be include a projection of a beam onto each of the respective axes of the array. In such a device, a first beamforming processing element is used to form multiple beams for each array output along a given row. In a preferred embodiment, sequential output vectors from the first processing element are then applied to a transposing or corner turning memory and the data are reformatted such that all elements on a given column of the array are applied to a second beam forming processing element.

Abstract: A circuit and method for predistorting an input pulse to a micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (MUT) compensates for non-linearities in the transducer, thus allowing the transducer to provide a compensated output pressure wave having a low second order harmonic transmit energy. In another aspect of the invention, the output power of a MUT may be controlled.

Abstract: A spherical wave formation method by superposition of a plurality of limited plane waves is provided, in which a plurality of sufficiently small elements in a linear transducer transmits a spherical wave according to a predetermined delay pattern to thereby form a plurality of limited plane waves, and then the plurality of the limited plane waves are superposed, to thereby form a large-sized spherical wave.

Abstract: An acoustic sensor system for the detection, location and classification of sound-generating targets, such as helicopters, from a ship includes a base station aboard the ship, having a radio transmitter/receiver (B-Tx/Rx) and a digital signal processor unit (DSP). A plurality of floating remote stations, which in use are positioned remotely from the ship, are each arranged to carry apparatus including an electrical power source, a radio transmitter/receiver (STx/Rx) suitable for two way communication with the B-Tx/Rx, a control unit, sound detectors, and a data processor (DP). The control unit is responsive to signals transmitted from the B-Tx/Rx and received by the S-Tx/Rx for controlling provision of electrical power for the apparatus. The DP is operative to classify electrical signals generated by the sound detectors in response to the reception thereby of sound signals, and to initiate, dependent upon classification, transmission of data from the S-Tx/Rx to the B-Tx/Rx appertaining to the sound signals.

Abstract: A system for detecting an object of interest through a medium such as the atmosphere or ocean employs a reference object from which a reference signal emanates. A detector detects and transforms the reference signal into a transformed reference signal and further detects and transforms an object signal emanating from an object of interest into a transformed object signal. The object signal may be radiated, re-radiated, or scattered from the object of interest. An image processor generates a corrected image signal by applying an image transfer function to convolve the transformed object signal. Then a display presents a corrected image of the object of interest in response to receiving the corrected image signal.

Abstract: A sealed slotted cylinder includes an active transducer assembly, end caps at each end of the assembly, and a boot fused to the end caps and sealing the assembly. The sealed slotted cylinder is made using a dummy insert and a spacer within the dummy insert for spacing the end caps. A boot material made from an uncured rubber is wrapped around the dummy insert and the end caps. This assembly is placed in a mold that fuses the boot material to the end caps by vulcanizing the uncured rubber material. The mold and dummy insert preferably form longitudinal and circumferential boot roll seals on the boot material. A section of the boot is then removed forming an open region, allowing the dummy insert and spacer to be removed. The active transducer assembly can then be inserted through the open region such that the longitudinal boot roll seal engages and seals the slot in the active transducer assembly and the circumferential boot roll seals engage the end of the active transducer assembly.

Abstract: The method of supplementing the satellite data by the satellite-calibrated baro data when the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring function (RAIM) is unavailable and when the horizontal protection level (HPL) does not satisfy the horizontal alert limit (HAL) requirement is disclosed. The baro data is adjusted to compensate for the lack of baro calibration in the position solution domain. The HPL is re-computed using the satellite-calibrated adjusted baro data. The re-computed HPL could satisfy the HAL requirement which would make the RAIM function available when it would be otherwise unavailable.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring the directional spectrum of one or more waves in a fluid medium using a multi-beam sonar system. In an exemplary embodiment, range cells located within a plurality of acoustic beams are sampled to provide current velocity data. Optionally, wave surface height and pressure data is obtained as well. This velocity, wave height, and pressure data is Fourier-transformed by one or more signal processors within the system, and a surface height spectrum produced. A cross-spectral coefficient matrix at each observed frequency is also generated from this data. A sensitivity vector specifically related to the ADCP's transducer array geometry is used in conjunction with maximum likelihood method (MLM), iterative maximum likelihood method (IMLM), or other similar methods to solve a the wave equation at each frequency and produce a frequency-specific wave directional spectrum.

Abstract: A folded Sagnac fiber optic acoustic sensor array operates in a manner similar to a Sagnac interferometer but uses a common delay path to reduce distributed pickup in downlead fibers. The fiber optic acoustic sensor array is used to detect acoustic waves in water. By basing the folded Sagnac sensor array on operating principles similar to the Sagnac interferometer rather than basing the array on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the sensor array has a stable bias point, has reduced phase noise, and allows a broadband signal source to be used rather than requiring a more expensive narrowline laser. A large number of acoustic sensors can be multiplexed into the architecture of the folded Sagnac fiber optic acoustic array.

Abstract: A device for manipulation of acoustic waves is provided, comprising a functionally-graded material for interposing between a source of the acoustic waves and a target, which may be a detector of manipulated acoustic waves. The functionally-graded material has a gradient in acoustic wave velocity which is obtained by the generation of a gradient in at least one of the following properties: elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and density, that is perpendicular to a direction of propagation of the acoustic waves. The gradient is axial. Biaxial acoustic velocity gradients may be used for focusing/waveguiding (high-low-high) or dispersing (low-high-low), while monoaxial acoustic velocity gradients may be used for wave steering. Also in accordance with the present invention, a method of making the device is provided, comprising: (a) providing the source of acoustic waves; (b) providing the target for acoustic waves, e.g.

Abstract: A magnetic shunt device for use in a Hall effect sensor application wherein the shunt device is positioned and located relative to the Hall effect element and is shaped and dimensioned so as to shield and null the influence of the magnetic field when such field is substantially parallel to the sensitive plane of the Hall effect element. The present shunt device ensures that the null output voltage of the Hall effect element in a particular sensor application is consistent for a large number of such sensors despite misalignment problems and mechanical uncertainties in accurately arranging the magnetic devices that generate the magnetic field relative to the Hall effect element at the null or “no action” position of the sensor. The present device also obviates the requirement to use additional electronic circuitry to adjust the output voltage of the Hall effect element at the null or “no action” position.

Abstract: A circuit calculates the exact biased resultant exponent before calculating the resultant mantissa of a division operation. The circuit includes a carry-save adder, a conditional-sum adder, a multiplexer and a comparator. The conventional carry-save adder receives the biased exponent of the dividend (e1), the one's complement of the biased exponent of the divisor (˜e2), and the bias. The conditional-sum adder receives the sum and carry resultants of the carry-save adder, outputting {er0=e1+(˜e2)+bias} and {er1=e1+(˜e2)+bias+1}. The comparator controls the multiplexer to respectively select as the resultant exponent either er0 or er1 when the fraction of the dividend is less than or greater than or equal to the fraction of the divisor. A circuit for determining the resultant exponent of a squareroot operation includes a conditional-sum adder, a multiplexer and a selection logic circuit.

Abstract: A system for concomitant scenario topography with the aid of a digital computer such that a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map is produced and displayed which illustrates the combined effects, particularly geo-environmental, of multiple, diverse criteria and factors relative to uniquely-referenced, uniform, small areas of a plane surface or the surface of a solid. The topography system employs plural interrelated tables, worksheets and mapping systems to receive, contain and apply various political, economic, scientific, and technical criteria and factors as attributes of a particular small area, and subsequently map the processed data. Each table includes at least one join field which links that table to at least one other table or worksheet. At least one worksheet includes capability for rapid, dynamic user-interaction to facilitate generation of a myriad of actual or imagined scenarios.