Abstract: A method for detecting an oil mass covered by ice includes collecting polarimetric radar data at different depths into the ice using at least one airborne platform moved about a search area above the ice so that the polarimetric radar data defines polarimetric volumetric radar data. The polarimetric volumetric radar data is processed based upon at least one polarimetric feature to thereby detect an oil mass covered by the ice.

Abstract: A method for detecting an oil mass covered by ice includes collecting radiometric data different frequencies, corresponding to respective different depths into the ice, using at least one airborne platform moved about a search area above the ice so that the radiometric data defines radiometric volumetric data. The radiometric volumetric data is processed to thereby detect an oil mass covered by the ice.

Abstract: A communications system includes spaced apart sensing nodes each configured to receive signals within occupied portions of a frequency spectrum, and a coordinator node configured to communicate with the spaced apart sensing nodes. The coordinator node determines the occupied portions of the frequency spectrum, and determines unoccupied portions of the frequency spectrum based upon the occupied portions. A pair of wireless communications devices is configured to communicate with each other and with the coordinator node. The pair of wireless communications devices may operate within an unoccupied portion of the frequency spectrum based on using a communications signal comprising a continuous phase modulated waveform, with at least one waveform parameter being selected to reduce interference with the occupied portions of the frequency spectrum.

Abstract: A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model database and a processor. More particularly, the processor may cooperate with the geospatial model database for inpainting data into at least one void in geospatial model frequency domain data based upon propagating contour data from outside the at least one void into the at least one void, and for converting the geospatial model frequency domain data after inpainting into geospatial model spatial domain data.

Abstract: Systems and/or methods are disclosed herein to identify a user interacting with a content presentation system, adaptively learn, in a passive manner, a user's pattern of accessing content over time, and globally store the user's identifying and use information. Specifically, disclosed are systems and/or methods for creating a smart electronic programming guide, including determining an identity of a user interacting with a content presentation system, collecting channel use information for each of a plurality of channels from the user's interaction with the content presentation system, storing the channel use information, determining a value for each of the plural channels as a function of the channel use information, and creating a smart electronic programming guide for the plural channels as a function of the determined value.

Abstract: A system and method in a multi-channel detection system for multi-rate filter bank applications for converting overlapping rectangular two-dimensional (2D) regions into a new set of non-overlapping rectangular regions for the efficient reconstruction of a signal wherein each non-overlapping region has a maximum extent in a major dimension is described. Overlapping regions are split into marked regions in a non-uniform grid and merged along the major dimension and along the minor dimension to form non-overlapping regions wherein no two non-overlapping rectangular regions have an adjacent edge orthogonal to the major dimension thereby increasing the efficiency of data compression and reducing error-rates.

Abstract: A geospatial modeling system may include a geospatial model database and a processor. More particularly, the processor may cooperate with the geospatial model database for inpainting data into at least one void in geospatial model frequency domain data based upon propagating contour data from outside the at least one void into the at least one void, and for converting the geospatial model frequency domain data after inpainting into geospatial model spatial domain data.

Abstract: An obscuration ‘information’-aided mechanism controls which of a plurality of spatially diverse antennas having different views of a satellite is to be coupled to a receiver, by comparing respective spatial maps of quantized visibility values, representative of the abilities of the antennas to see the satellite, with information representative of the pointing directions of the antennas. The antenna having the best view of the satellite is selected.

Abstract: A receiver terminal has plural demodulators coupled to spatially diverse signal receiving apertures with different views of a transmitter. A controller monitors the track state of the time/frequency error tracker and received noise power of each demodulator. Timing error and frequency error measurements from whichever demodulator's time/frequency tracker exhibits the best performance, and corrected to account for the spatial diversity of the signal receiving apertures, are coupled by the controller to another demodulator to update its time/frequency tracker.

Abstract: A downlink time/frequency tracker for a receiver terminal, which may be mounted to a static platform on the earth, or to a dynamic platform, such as a ship. The tracker is operative to acquire and track time and frequency variations in time- and frequency-hopped synchronization signals from different data rate sources in a dynamic platform, such as a satellite. Characteristics of the Kalman filter are updated in accordance with data representative of timing error and frequency error measurements carried out on the synchronization signals, as well as data representative of local kinematic domain measurements carried out with respect to the receiver terminal. The Kalman filter outputs minimum mean square error estimates of timing and frequency errors in the receiver terminal's demodulator clock. These error estimates are used to synchronize the demodulator's clock with the clock embedded in the downlink signal, so as to enable demodulation and recovery of data.

Abstract: A constant false alarm rate (CFAR) filter for a communication system receiver, that is subject to relative motion with respect to a transmitter, includes a knowledge-aided CFAR controller. The knowledge-based CFAR controller adaptively adjusts the filter's CFAR threshold to a value that is effective to mask, as false alarms, selected received signals associated with operating conditions where signal detection is expected or known to be difficult or effectively impossible, so as to prevent such false alarms from being coupled to a post CFAR filter signal processor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a communication signal includes selecting a pulse shape for a continuous phase modulated waveform, encoding specific information into the waveform to form a communication signal and transmitting the communication signal. The system receives the transmitted communication signal and samples the received signal at a specified rate, the sample rate being less than the symbol rate, enabling reconstructing the waveform and extracting encoded information at sub sample per symbol rates, thereby reducing the reliance on high speed wideband analog to digital converters (ADC) for high speed applications.

Abstract: A digital signal processing-based receiver architecture performs automatic gain control (AGC) for a frequency hopping spread-spectrum communications receiver that may be subjected to one or more sources of interference or jamming. Rather than set the AGC gain at a fixed, best hoped for value, and then attempt to rely on decoding or interleaving to interpolate lost or degraded data, the present invention, through repeated but aperiodic transitions or hops across a plurality of frequency bins of interest, develops a gain profile for the plurality of frequency bins, and uses the gain profile to adjust, on a hop-by-hop basis, the gain for the channel/bin to which the receiver is listening, so as to maintain the average aggregate input signal power at an optimal ADC loading factor.

Abstract: A receiver includes a matched filter matched to a synch pulse and generates a matched filter output signal having peaks and valleys with one of the peaks corresponding to the synch pulse. An orthogonal filter is inversely matched to the synch pulse and generates an orthogonal filter output signal having peaks and valleys with one of the valleys corresponding to the synch pulse. A detector determines the synch pulse based upon a largest difference between the matched filter output signal and the orthogonal filter output signal.

Abstract: A receiver includes a matched filter, and an M of N detector is coupled to the matched filter for determining potential synch pulses occurring M of N times. A cluster detector is coupled to the M of N detector for determining a plurality of synch pulse clusters based upon the potential synch pulses. A peak detector is coupled to the cluster detector for determining respective synch pulses based upon the synch pulse clusters. Each synch pulse cluster has a cluster width associated therewith, and the peak detector removes synch pulse clusters exceeding a cluster width threshold.

Abstract: A data management architecture for a high speed packet switch has a dual key-based content addressable memory (CAM)-based buffer access control mechanism that stores relatively long data packets for delivery to multiple output ports of the switch. The CAM stores multiple address pointer words, each having a key field to identify a data packet, and an address field to identify the address of the location of the packet buffer in which the data packet is stored. During a CAM search, a packet request key is coupled to the key fields of all address pointer words stored in the CAM. The location of the matching key is used to access the key field's companion address field in its address pointer word to access a data packet stored in the packet buffer, and to address fields of all address pointer words stored in the CAM. The CAM outputs a signal that indicates whether or not the buffer address from which the packet has been accessed is free to store new data.

Abstract: A statistical basis for use in a self-scanning checkout system determines how many items to check in a shopper's shopping cart for incorrect or missing scans as well as which particular or types of items to check to determine if they were properly scanned, if the shopper is determined to be audited. The present invention does not audit every customer, but rather determines whether a given shopper or customer is to be audited on a given shopping trip based upon obtaining a minimum checkout loss for such customer. The methodology determines how many items to check for a given shopper as well as which particular items to check for that shopper.

Abstract: A statistical basis for use in a self-scanning checkout system determines how many items to check in a shopper's shopping cart for incorrect or missing scans as well as which particular or types of items to check to determine if they were properly scanned, if the shopper is determined to be audited. The present invention does not audit every customer, but rather determines whether a given shopper or customer is to be audited on a given shopping trip based upon obtaining a minimum checkout loss for such customer. The methodology determines how many items to check for a given shopper as well as which particular items to check for that shopper.

Abstract: A statistical basis for use in a self-scanning checkout system determines how many items to check in a shopper's shopping cart for incorrect or missing scans as well as which particular or types of items to check to determine if they were properly scanned, if the shopper is determined to be audited. The present invention does not audit every customer, but rather determines whether a given shopper or customer is to be audited on a given shopping trip based upon obtaining a minimum checkout loss for such customer. The methodology determines how many items to check for a given shopper as well as which particular items to check for that shopper.

Abstract: A statistical basis for use in a self-scanning checkout system determines how many items to check in a shopper's shopping cart for incorrect or missing scans as well as which particular or types of items to check to determine if they were properly scanned, if the shopper is determined to be audited. The present invention does not audit every customer, but rather determines whether a given shopper or customer is to be audited on a given shopping trip based upon obtaining a minimum checkout loss for such customer. The methodology determines how many items to check for a given shopper as well as which particular items to check for that shopper.