Abstract: A cyclic packaging process, such as VFFS or HFFS, packages a product with a viscosity of ?100,000 centipoise without leaving substantial air pockets in the package, by utilizing a means (38) for restricting upstream flow of viscous product in the strand of tubing (24). The result is that packages of uniform weight of the viscous product can be made without substantial air pockets therein, and without having to use metal clips. An apparatus (10) for carrying out the process is disclosed.

Abstract: A method for beam steering and beam forming an antenna is disclosed herein that includes illuminating an optical fiber with a light source, thereby transmitting a signal through the optical fiber to an electro-optical switch. The electro-optical switch is actuated with the signal from the light source, thereby switching an electrical load in the electro-optical switch. At least one antenna element in an array of antenna elements is excited with RF radiation radiated by a driven element via an RF transmission line and reradiated from parasitic elements, thereby beam steering and beam forming the antenna.

Abstract: A method and system are discussed for providing Unequal Error Protection (UEP) for heterogeneous multi-service provisioning. A transmitter in a network may determine a current status of the network. The transmitter may adaptively adjust a current asymmetric signal constellation and a current channel Forward Error Correction (FEC) coding rate based on the determined current status of the network, and initiate transmission of multi-service data, using the adaptively adjusted asymmetric signal constellation and the adaptively adjusted FEC coding rate for transmission of the multi-service data, based on hybrid Unequal Error Protection (UEP) transmission.

Abstract: A method and system are discussed for providing Unequal Error Protection (UEP) for heterogeneous multi-service provisioning. A transmitter in a network may determine a current status of the network. The transmitter may adaptively adjust a current asymmetric signal constellation and a current channel Forward Error Correction (FEC) coding rate based on the determined current status of the network, and initiate transmission of multi-service data, using the adaptively adjusted asymmetric signal constellation and the adaptively adjusted FEC coding rate for transmission of the multi-service data, based on hybrid Unequal Error Protection (UEP) transmission.

Abstract: A transmitter adjustment value for adjusting modulations at a transmitter may be determined. The transmitter may be configured to transmit in accordance with an asymmetric signal constellation, based on the determined transmitter adjustment value. A legitimate receiver may be provided with a receiver adjustment value corresponding to the determined transmitter adjustment value. At the transmitter, scrambled transmissions may be transmitted, based on transmitting using the determined transmitter adjustment value.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is drawn to a communication system that includes an electrically steerable parasitic array transmitter antenna, a transmitter driver, an electrically steerable parasitic array receiver antenna, and a receiver driver. The transmitter driver is arranged such that it is operable to enable the electrically steerable parasitic array transmitter antenna to transmit a beam having a first directional vector at a first time, a second directional vector at a second time, and an nth directional vector at an nth time. The receiver driver is arranged such that it is operable to enable the electrically steerable parasitic array receiver antenna to receive a beam having a third directional vector at a third time, a fourth directional vector at a fourth time, and an mth directional vector at an mth time.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a loop made of conductive material; two baluns connected to, and intersecting, opposing sides of the loop, wherein each balun has an output; a 180° hybrid coupler having two input ports, a sum output port, and a delta output port, wherein the two input ports are connected to the outputs of the baluns; a first low noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the sum output port; a second LNA connected to the delta output port; first and second receivers connected to the first and second LNAs respectively; and wherein the antenna is electrically small and is designed to simultaneously receive wideband signals in real time from 3 to 30 MHz.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a ground plane having a center; six receive ports mounted to the ground plane in a circular configuration around the center and separated from each other by approximately 60 degrees; three conductive half-loops, disposed in mutually orthogonal planes, wherein each half-loop has two ends that are connected to separate receive ports; and three 180° hybrids, each 180° hybrid having two input ports, a delta output port, and a sum output port, wherein the two input ports of each 180° hybrid are connected to the two receive ports of one of the half-loops.

Abstract: A cyclic packaging process, such as VFFS or HFFS, packages a product with a viscosity of ?100,000 centipoise without leaving substantial air pockets in the package, by utilizing a means (38) for restricting upstream flow of viscous product in the strand of tubing (24). The result is that packages of uniform weight of the viscous product can be made without substantial air pockets therein, and without having to use metal clips. An apparatus (10) for carrying out the process is disclosed.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a ground plane having a center; six receive ports mounted to the ground plane in a circular configuration around the center and separated from each other by approximately 60 degrees; three conductive half-loops, disposed in mutually orthogonal planes, wherein each half-loop has two ends that are connected to separate receive ports; and three 180° hybrids, each 180° hybrid having two input ports, a delta output port, and a sum output port, wherein the two input ports of each 180° hybrid are connected to the two receive ports of one of the half-loops.

Abstract: An antenna comprising: a loop made of conductive material; two baluns connected to, and intersecting, opposing sides of the loop, wherein each balun has an output; a 180° hybrid coupler having two input ports, a sum output port, and a delta output port, wherein the two input ports are connected to the outputs of the baluns; a first low noise amplifier (LNA) connected to the sum output port; a second LNA connected to the delta output port; first and second receivers connected to the first and second LNAs respectively; and wherein the antenna is electrically small and is designed to simultaneously receive wideband signals in real time from 3 to 30 MHz.

Abstract: An adaptive phase offset controller for use with a switching power converter having first and second channels. The controller includes a discriminator which detects a ‘critical condition’ in which a switching signal for the first channel transitions during a critical time interval so as to give rise to crosstalk that can corrupt the operation of the second channel's control circuit. When the discriminator detects a critical condition, a phase offset circuit offsets the phase of the first channel's switching signals, such that subsequent transitions occur outside of the critical time interval. A second discriminator and phase offset circuit are preferably employed to detect critical conditions which can give rise to crosstalk that can corrupt the operation of the first channel's control circuit.

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter suitable for measuring a photocurrent comprises an input node adapted to receive a current to be measured (Imeas), a capacitor connected to the input node, a clocked comparator coupled to the input node and to a reference voltage Vref at respective inputs, and a switchable current source connected to the input node which conducts a reference current Iref when switched on. The converter is arranged in a sigma-delta configuration, with the current source switched on to pull down the voltage (VCMP) at the input node when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP increasing above Vref, and to be switched off when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP falling below Vref, such that the comparator output comprises a digital bitstream which varies with Imeas.

Abstract: An adaptive phase offset controller for use with a switching power converter having first and second channels. The controller includes a discriminator which detects a ‘critical condition’ in which a switching signal for the first channel transitions during a critical time interval so as to give rise to crosstalk that can corrupt the operation of the second channel's control circuit. When the discriminator detects a critical condition, a phase offset circuit offsets the phase of the first channel's switching signals, such that subsequent transitions occur outside of the critical time interval. A second discriminator and phase offset circuit are preferably employed to detect critical conditions which can give rise to crosstalk that can corrupt the operation of the first channel's control circuit.

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter suitable for measuring a photocurrent comprises an input node adapted to receive a current to be measured (Imeas), a capacitor connected to the input node, a clocked comparator coupled to the input node and to a reference voltage Vref at respective inputs, and a switchable current source connected to the input node which conducts a reference current Iref when switched on. The converter is arranged in a sigma-delta configuration, with the current source switched on to pull down the voltage (VCMP) at the input node when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP increasing above Vref, and to be switched off when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP falling below Vref, such that the comparator output comprises a digital bitstream which varies with Imeas .

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter suitable for measuring a photocurrent comprises an input node adapted to receive a current to be measured (Imeas), a capacitor connected to the input node, a clocked comparator coupled to the input node and to a reference voltage Vref at respective inputs, and a switchable current source connected to the input node which conducts a reference current Iref when switched on. The converter is arranged in a sigma-delta configuration, with the current source switched on to pull down the voltage (VCMP) at the input node when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP increasing above Vref, and to be switched off when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP falling below Vref, such that the comparator output comprises a digital bitstream which varies with Imeas.

Abstract: A sigma-delta converter suitable for measuring a photocurrent comprises an input node adapted to receive a current to be measured (Imeas), a capacitor connected to the input node, a clocked comparator coupled to the input node and to a reference voltage Vref at respective inputs, and a switchable current source connected to the input node which conducts a reference current Iref when switched on. The converter is arranged in a sigma-delta configuration, with the current source switched on to pull down the voltage (VCMP) at the input node when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP increasing above Vref, and to be switched off when the comparator output toggles due to VCMP falling below Vref, such that the comparator output comprises a digital bitstream which varies with Imeas.

Abstract: A serial digital communication system includes a master device and a plurality of slave devices connected serially between the master device's output and input—thereby forming a closed chain. Each slave device transmits a predetermined number of PWM pulses to the device following it in the chain upon receipt of an end-of-transmission (EOT) signal from the device preceding it in the chain, and transmits an EOT signal when the transmission of its PWM pulses is completed. The master device transmits an EOT signal to initiate the transmission of PWM pulses from each slave device. Each slave device passively buffers PWM pulses received from the preceding device, such that PWM pulses are transmitted in one direction sequentially to the input of the master device via the intervening slave device.

Abstract: A communication system includes a master device which communicates with a chain of serially-connected slave devices. The master originates messages, each of which is intended for a particular ‘target’ slave device. Each message contains a ‘distance to target device’ value equal to the number of devices between the master and target, and a data packet containing data to be conveyed between the master and target. Each slave device determines if the ‘distance to target device’ value indicates that it is the target. If not, the slave device increments or decrements the value in real time, with no latency, and transmits the modified message to the next slave device until received by the target device. In one embodiment, the target device may place data in the data packet, and the slave devices are arranged to buffer the data back to the master device.

Abstract: A voltage source includes first and second pn junctions which conduct the outputs of respective current sources to establish respective base-emitter voltages Vbe1 and Vbe2 at respective nodes; Vbe1 and Vbe2 can each be generated with a current I or a current N*I. An amplifier A1 has its non-inverting input connected to the second node and its inverting input connected to the first node through an input capacitor; a feedback capacitor is connected between the inverting input and a third node. Switches are connected between A1's inverting input and A1's output, between the third node and A1's output, and between the third node and a circuit common point. A control circuit operates the switches and current sources during first and second operating phases to selectively produce a temperature independent output voltage or a temperature dependent output voltage.