Abstract: An improvement is described for use in a system that identifies particles in a fluid such as water by passing the fluid through a passage in a transparent carrier and detecting light from a laser beam that is scattered by particles, followed by comparing the scatter pattern to those of known particles, which increases the rate at which particles are detected. A plurality of transparent carriers with through passages are provided, and a narrow beam is directed through each carrier to scatter light from particles at a detect zone in each carrier passage. In one arrangement (60), the carriers (62, 64, 66) are connected in series, so a limited amount of water passes through detect zones (24A, 24B. 24C) to generate a high rate of particle detection. In another arrangement (130), the carrier passages are connected in parallel, so when a larger sample of water is available different parts of the water sample pass through different carrier passages, to again increase the rate of particle detection.

Abstract: This invention shows how an area CCD array can be partitioned into subsections to greatly improve the readout rates. Also disclosed is a technique of ping ponging the disk arrays so that the partitions can be stored for a frame time and then output to a common storage device.

Abstract: An improvement in a system that identifies unknown microscopic particles in a fluid such as water, by detecting scattering of a laser beam (24) in multiple directions as a particle passes through a detect zone (30) to generate an event vector, and by comparing the eventvector to those of particles of known species. When the eventvectors produce a cluster (70) of particles in a multi-dimensional projection of the eventvectors, the computer signals that a possible new species has been found in the fluid. A background signature is generated for particles in the fluid when the fluid is safe. When new water is later passed through the apparatus, clusters of particles are searched for that are present in a much greater density than exists for the background signature for a safe fluid, to generate a signal indicating that the fluid may be unsafe.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring a data signal includes a transmitter having an encoder and a receiver having a decoder. The encoder includes a segment selector for identifying a signal segment from a group of speech, audio, video and graphic signals, each selected segment comprising a representation of an information quantity. The encoder includes a plurality of encoder libraries, one of the libraries containing a generic representation corresponding to the information quantity and a symbolic code corresponding to the object. The decoder has a second plurality of libraries corresponding to the plurality of encoder libraries, and one of the decoder libraries generates the information quantity as output in response to matching of the symbolic code transmitted from the encoder.

Abstract: This invention shows how an area CCD array can be partitioned into subsections to greatly improve the readout rates. Also disclosed is a technique of ping ponging the disk arrays so that the partitions can be stored for a frame time and then output to a common storage device.

Abstract: This invention discloses a technique for obtaining coding gain without sacrificing bandwidth be combining Turbo Coding with Trellis Coded Modulation.

Abstract: A novel method of preventing beat frequencies in an electronic system is disclosed.

Abstract: This system enhances the security of a digital communication system by adding a new axis of encryption. This is achieved by randomly varying the connection pattern of the interleaver utilized in a Turbo coding system.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for generating an output time sequence of image frames from an input time sequence of image frames. For pairs of consecutive image frames of the input time sequence defining a frame rate less than a predetermined output frame rate, a plurality of feature points are identified and located in each of the consecutive image frames. Using the feature points, a first frame of the consecutive image frames is morphed with a second frame of the consecutive image frames to form at least one intermediate frame. The first frame, the at least one intermediate frame, and the second frame are then sequentially organized to form consecutive frames of the output time sequence having the predetermined output frame rate. Pairs of consecutive image frames of the input time sequence having at least the predetermined output frame rate are maintained as consecutive pairs in the output time sequence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring data signals with personalization layers for symbolically compressed objects comprises a transmitter having an encoder and a receiver having a decoder. The encoder includes a segment selector for identifying signal segments from a group of speech, audio, video, and graphic signals, each segment comprising a representation of a physical waveform. The encoder includes a plurality of encoder libraries, one of the libraries containing the representation of a generic waveform and a symbolic code for the generic object. The decoder has a second plurality of libraries corresponding to the plurality of encoder libraries, and contain the generic waveform, the symbolic code corresponding to the generic physical waveform, and the difference information quantity as a personalization layer of data representing the difference between the generic object code and the waveform from which the generic object was extracted.

Abstract: A method for displaying a video sequence depicting motion of at least one video object by sequential presentation of a plurality of frames includes storing a low resolution representation of the video object, generating and displaying a first frame of the sequence based on the low resolution representation, updating the low resolution representation, and generating and displaying a subsequent frame of the sequence based on the updated representation. The method may include calculating a quality metric to determine when updating is necessary.

Abstract: A video image indexing system includes a method for identifying categories in compressed digital data for improved retrieval of video images. An encoder receives a frame and digitizes the image data while a sub-band coder codes each digitized frame at a plurality of transform levels to derive categorized data segments. Data segments are stored and then retrieved according to minimum entropy of Eigenvalues in a first transform level. Preferably, the compression is improved by creating a residual image of each frame by subtracting a predicted frame image from the actual frame image. This compression of data enhances the recreation of lossless video images at the receiver.

Abstract: A system and method for communication of information using channels of different latency combine a high latency communication channel with a low latency communication channel to reduce the communication delay perceived by a user. The system and method includes separating information into first and second components based on a parameter correlated to the perceived delay, communicating the first component via a first channel, communicating the second component via a second channel having a communication delay greater than the first channel, and generating a representation of the information based on the first component. The second component of the information may be used to augment or modify the information represented by the first component.

Abstract: A method for displaying a video sequence depicting motion of at least one video object by sequential presentation of a plurality of frames includes storing a low resolution representation of the video object, generating and displaying a first frame of the sequence based on the low resolution representation, updating the low resolution representation, and generating and displaying a subsequent frame of the sequence based on the updated representation. The method may include calculating a quality metric to determine when updating is necessary.

Abstract: A system and method that covertly provides in-flight target update data to a large number of missiles. The system and method covertly guides the missiles using a transponder located on a satellite that relays encoded target update data to receivers located on each of the missiles. The target update data is derived from intelligence data acquired by a remote sensing device. The target update data is typically transmitted to the missile launch site where it is encoded and transmitted to the transponder on the satellite. The encoding is preferably accomplished using direct sequence spread spectrum/code division multiple access (CDMA) encoding produced using unique seeds that are supplied to pseudo random code generators that uniquely encode the data to be transmitted to each missile. The receivers on each of the missiles have pseudo random code generators that are loaded with the unique seeds.

Abstract: A self adjusting tiled image display system and method is provided. In operation, an image source having an array of tiled image displays projects a test image pattern. A positioning device is attached to a corresponding one of the image displays for positioning that image display. A sensor senses the test image pattern projected by the image displays and generates a sensor signal indicative of the sensed test image pattern. A processor compares the sensor signal to a proper alignment signal indicative of the image displays being properly aligned to generate a positioning signal. The processor applies the positioning signal to the positioning devices to position the image displays as a function of the positioning signal until the image displays are in the proper alignment.

Abstract: An analog-to-digital converter (20) forms a digital signal based upon an analog speech signal. A phoneme parser (22) parses the digital signal into at least one phoneme. A phoneme recognizer (24) assigns a symbolic code to each phoneme based upon recognition of the phonemes from a predetermined set. A read-only memory (34) contains a standard waveform representation of each phoneme from the predetermined set. A difference processor (32) forms a difference signal between a user-spoken phoneme waveform and a corresponding waveform from the read-only memory (34). The difference signal is stored in a storage device (40). A multiplexer (30) provides a bit stream signal based upon the symbolic code and the difference signal. A synchronizer (70) extracts the symbolic code and the difference signal from the bit stream. A phoneme generator (76) forms the speech signal based upon the symbolic code and the difference signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving aim point accuracy in a programmable flight control missile includes a communication system for receiving at least one frame of imagery in a vision system mounted in a missile, predicting a subsequent frame content based on the content of the previous frame as a function of missile path height, missile velocity, and frame rate, and creating a residual image by determining the difference between a predicted subsequent frame content and actually received frame content. In the preferred embodiment, the residual image can be transferred at a high bit rate through a communication system into a controller at which location correction data can be generated and delivered to the communication system to the missile in flight. Preferably, the predicted subsequent video frame and the sensed subsequent frame content are centrally aligned before creating a residual image.

Abstract: A method and system of displaying an image sequence containing a plurality of image frames to inhibit an unauthorized duplication thereof by a camera. The method includes steps of generating a pseudo-random noise sequence, and displaying the image sequence at a frame rate which is varied for successive pairs of the image frames in dependence upon the pseudo-random noise sequence. The frame rate is varied within a predetermined range about a nominal frame rate for the image sequence such that the variations are imperceptible by a human observer. The system includes a pseudo-random sequence generator (30) which generates the pseudo-random noise sequence, and a display device (36) to display the image sequence at a frame rate which is varied in dependence upon the pseudo-random noise sequence.

Abstract: Methods and systems for encoding a video signal into a bit stream, and for reconstructing the video signal from the bit stream are disclosed. In an embodiment of an encoder, an object encoder (22) assigns a symbolic code to an object contained in at least one video frame, wherein the symbolic code identifies a corresponding generic object from a set of generic objects. A difference processor (32), coupled to the object encoder (22), computes a difference signal in dependence upon a difference between the object and the corresponding generic object. A multiplexer (30) provides the bit stream based upon the difference signal and the symbolic code. In an embodiment of a decoder, a demultiplexer (82) extracts a symbolic code and a difference signal from the encoded video signal. The symbolic code identifies a corresponding generic object from a set of generic objects, and the difference signal represents a difference between an object and the corresponding generic object.