Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure may reduce motion noise by mounting vector component sensors on a bottom-weighted instrument platform that is supported with a spherical bearing. An apparatus for data acquisition is provided. The apparatus includes a base assembly, a spherical bearing mounted to the base assembly, and an instrument platform having at least one vector component sensor fixed thereto. The instrument platform is mounted on and supported by the spherical bearing. The spherical bearing couples the instrument platform to the base assembly and allows free angular rotation of the instrument platform, within a tilt angle range. The instrument platform is bottom weighted in that it has a center of mass disposed below its center of rotation. The apparatus may include a controller that receives and/or stores data from the at least one sensor.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure may reduce motion noise by mounting vector component sensors on a bottom-weighted instrument platform that is supported with a spherical bearing. An apparatus for data acquisition is provided. The apparatus includes a base assembly, a spherical bearing mounted to the base assembly, and an instrument platform having at least one vector component sensor fixed thereto. The instrument platform is mounted on and supported by the spherical bearing. The spherical bearing couples the instrument platform to the base assembly and allows free angular rotation of the instrument platform, within a tilt angle range. The instrument platform is bottom weighted in that it has a center of mass disposed below its center of rotation. The apparatus may include a controller that receives and/or stores data from the at least one sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for airborne electromagnetic surveying is provided, comprising a central hub defining an equatorial plane, a transmitter loop, and radials connecting the hub to the transmitter loop. The loop generally lies in a plane during flight, and comprises loop sections, some of which are connected with flexible joints allowing the loop to flex out of the plane during lift-offs and landings. A loop section comprises current conducting elements connected to current conducting elements of adjacent loop sections forming a transmitter loop circuit. A radial connects to the hub at a point that is substantially offset from the transmitter loop plane, thereby contributing to the stability of the transmitter loop connection point in an up-down direction relative to the hub. Additionally, a loop section comprising rigid conductive elements retained in a spaced-apart relationship by a frame member is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus for airborne electromagnetic surveying is provided, comprising a central hub defining an equatorial plane, a transmitter loop, and radials connecting the hub to the transmitter loop. The loop generally lies in a plane during flight, and comprises loop sections, some of which are connected with flexible joints allowing the loop to flex out of the plane during lift-offs and landings. A loop section comprises current conducting elements connected to current conducting elements of adjacent loop sections forming a transmitter loop circuit. A radial connects to the hub at a point that is substantially offset from the transmitter loop plane, thereby contributing to the stability of the transmitter loop connection point in an up-down direction relative to the hub. Additionally, a loop section comprising rigid conductive elements retained in a spaced-apart relationship by a frame member is also provided.

Abstract: A solution for compensating a magnetic field sensor to permit detection of a small magnetic field in the presence of a large magnetic field is disclosed. A magnetic field sensor detects the magnetic field which produces an analog signal then encoded by an analog to digital converter (ADC) into a digital stream. A controller operating on the digital stream incorporates additional sensor data to create a compensation signal which is sent to a digital to analog (DAC) converter. This compensation signal then modifies the output of the magnetic field sensor before entering the ADC. Compensation is software controlled, and is thus adaptable to numerous conditions requiring compensation. Apart from being easily tunable, the compensation may respond dynamically to changing conditions. The invention has particular application to airborne electromagnetic surveying where small fields scattered from the Earth are measured in the presence of a large transmitted field.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for bucking a magnetic field of known geometry and time variation by means of a plurality of bucking loops. It utilizes multiple loops, each of which is energized by an electric current that creates a magnetic field of the known time variation. The multi-loop field forms a bucking magnetic field that better opposes the spatial variation in the known magnetic field over a volume than can the magnetic field from a single loop. The present invention is useful in electromagnetic measurements, where the magnetic field of a controlled source transmitter must be annulled at a magnetic field sensor. It is particularly useful for cases where the magnetic sensor may move relative to the transmitter, such as in certain airborne electromagnetic measurements.

Abstract: A solution for compensating a magnetic field sensor to permit detection of a small magnetic field in the presence of a large magnetic field is disclosed. A magnetic field sensor detects the magnetic field which produces an analogue signal then encoded by an analogue to digital converter (ADC) into a digital stream. A controller operating on the digital stream incorporates additional sensor data to create a compensation signal which is sent to a digital to analogue (DAC) converter. This compensation signal then modifies the output of the magnetic field sensor before entering the ADC. Compensation is software controlled, and is thus adaptable to numerous conditions requiring compensation. Apart from being easily tunable, the compensation may respond dynamically to changing conditions. The invention has particular application to airborne electromagnetic surveying where small fields scattered from the Earth are measured in the presence of a large transmitted field.

Abstract: A stabilized field sensor apparatus collects field data, in particular magnetic field data, with reduced motion noise. The apparatus includes a tear drop shaped housing, a tow frame in the housing, a plurality of vibration isolating dampers spaced around the frame, a base assembly mounted to the dampers, a support pedestal having a bottom end fixed to the base assembly and an upper free end, a single spherical air bearing connected to the upper free end of the pedestal, an instrument platform with a lower hollow funnel having an upper inside apex supported on the air bearing for a one point support, principal and secondary gyro stabilizers for maintaining pivotal and rotational stability, and at least one field sensor mounted to the instrument platform for collecting the field data while being stabilized against motion noise including vibration, pivoting and rotation from the base assembly, from the tow frame and from the housing.

Abstract: A stabilized field sensor apparatus collects field data, in particular magnetic field data, with reduced motion noise. The apparatus includes a tear drop shaped housing, a tow frame in the housing, a plurality of vibration isolating dampers spaced around the frame, a base assembly mounted to the dampers, a support pedestal having a bottom end fixed to the base assembly and an upper free end, a single spherical air bearing connected to the upper free end of the pedestal, an instrument platform with a lower hollow funnel having an upper inside apex supported on the air bearing for a one point support, principal and secondary gyro stabilizers for maintaining pivotal and rotational stability, and at least one field sensor mounted to the instrument platform for collecting the field data while being stabilized against motion noise including vibration, pivoting and rotation from the base assembly, from the tow frame and from the housing.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and reporting incidences of traffic violations at a traffic location is disclosed. The system comprises a digital camera system deployed at a traffic location. The camera system is remotely coupled to a data processing system. The data processing system comprises an image processor for compiling vehicle and scene images produced by the digital camera system, a verification process for verifying the validity of the vehicle images, an image processing system for identifying driver information from the vehicle images, and a notification process for transmitting potential violation information to one or more law enforcement agencies.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and reporting incidences of traffic violations at a traffic location is disclosed. The system comprises a digital camera system deployed at a traffic location. The camera system is remotely coupled to a data processing system. The data processing system comprises an image processor for compiling vehicle and scene images produced by the digital camera system, a verification process for verifying the validity of the vehicle images, an image processing system for identifying driver information from the vehicle images, and a notification process for transmitting potential violation information to one or more law enforcement agencies.

Abstract: A method of processing digital image information, including pixel intensity information, includes the steps of identifying a region of the image in which pixel intensities are similar to each other, but the median pixel intensity differs significantly from the median pixel intensity of other parts of the image; and modifying pixel intensities in the identified region so that the median for the region is closer to the median for the other parts of the image. A related method of processing digital image information involves modifying pixel intensities according to a non-linear algorithm, with the result that one or more regions of the image have their median pixel intensities adjusted to a level which is closer to the median pixel intensity for other parts of the image.

Abstract: A method for directing a digital data processor to translate a program written in a source language into a sequence of machine executable instructions. The method consists of the translation of the source code into an intermediate language, followed by generation of object code for the target machine, the method being generally applicable to known source languages and to digital data processors.