Patents by Inventor Robert Malm

Robert Malm has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7353135
    Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and process for obtaining values for one or more alignment quantities using one or more transportable devices. The process consists of establishing and maintaining a transportable device in a reference position and a reference orientation, then establishing and maintaining the transportable device in a fixed position and orientation with respect to a target object, then determining the transportable object's position and orientation with respect to the target object from measurements of acceleration and angular velocity of the transportable device as it moves from the reference position and orientation to the fixed position and orientation with respect to the target object, determining the position and orientation of the target object from the position and orientation of the transportable device, repeating the preceding steps as required to obtain position and orientation data for other target objects, and finally determining the values of the alignment quantities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Publication number: 20070213852
    Abstract: The invention is an apparatus and process for obtaining values for one or more alignment quantities using one or more transportable devices. The process consists of establishing and maintaining a transportable device in a reference position and a reference orientation, then establishing and maintaining the transportable device in a fixed position and orientation with respect to a target object, then determining the transportable object's position and orientation with respect to the target object from measurements of acceleration and angular velocity of the transportable device as it moves from the reference position and orientation to the fixed position and orientation with respect to the target object, determining the position and orientation of the target object from the position and orientation of the transportable device, repeating the preceding steps as required to obtain position and orientation data for other target objects, and finally determining the values of the alignment quantities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Inventor: ROBERT MALM
  • Patent number: 4385321
    Abstract: A device for cyclically sampling the output voltage of a column of electrodes in a two-dimensional array of radiation detectors. The device samples the column voltage three times within a cycle and combines these samples in a manner which cancels out any linear change in column voltage with time during the cycle and obtains a measure of the voltage change due to charge transfer from a selected electrode in the column to an adjacent row electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1983
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4338633
    Abstract: A frame integrator for integrating each of the outputs of an array of radiation detectors whose output is obtained by the charge-injection-device technique. An array of analog integrators is connected using row and column interconnection techniques with an array of radiation detectors. The output from each radiation detector is sampled periodically and the detector returned to its unexposed condition to avoid saturation of the detector. The analog integrator associated with each detector integrates the sampled output of the detector to increase the effective sensitivity of the detector and to reduce the noise in the output. Each analog integrator consists of a precharged capacitor which is discharged through a field effect transistor in an amount proportional to the output of the associated radiation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1980
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1982
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4290140
    Abstract: A system of modulation and demodulation for the transmission of binary data in the presence of multipath. The binary data modulates the phase of the carrier and the same binary data, after a delay of ".delta." bits, also modulates the frequency of the carrier. Following reception, the binary data is obtained either by frequency demodulation or by a method of coherent phase shift demodulation wherein the mark or the space frequency is selected for detection of each bit in accord with the bit received "n" bits previously. The system selects between the demodulation methods to obtain one which operates satisfactorily in the instant electromagnetic environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1981
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4247943
    Abstract: A system for demodulating piecewise coherent, combined frequency and phase-shift-keyed signals that are modulateed by orthogonal or biorthogonal code words. Rather than maintain local reference signals in phase-lock with the received signal, the system mixes the received signal with both sine and cosine signals at both the mark and the space frequencies to obtain multiple outputs which are correlated with each of the code words utilized by the system to determine the particular code words that have been received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1981
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4246653
    Abstract: A system for demodulating a coherent, phase-shift-keyed signal that is modulated by a set of orthogonal or biorthogonal code words. The system does not require a local phase reference that is phase locked with the received signal. The system is made up of two demodulators and a microprocessor. One demodulator utilizes a local sinusoidal signal in the demodulation process, and the second uses a local cosinusoidal signal in the demodulation process. Because the phases of the local signals do not change significantly with respect to the unmodulated phase of the received signal during the period of time occupied by a single code word, the output of one or the other of the two demodulators resembles the code word which was transmitted. The set or orthogonal code words is compared with the outputs of the two demodulators to determine which code word was transmitted, and the data which corresponds to that code word is output by the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4246654
    Abstract: A digital system for demodulating coherent phase shift keyed signals. Maximum likelihood estimates of the unmodulated phase and rate of change of the unmodulated phase of the received signal relative to a local oscillator signal are used to improve the demodulation process. The maximum likelihood estimates are obtained from measurements of the phase of the received signal relative to the local oscillator signal over a predetermined set of keying intervals. The digital demodulation process permits rapid "lock-on" at low signal-to-noise ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm
  • Patent number: 4189733
    Abstract: An adaptive antenna system which enhances the desired signal in the output of the system while reducing the interference from signals arriving from directions other than that of the desired signal. The antenna system operates in conjunction with a modulation/demodulation system for spreading and despreading the spectrum of the desired signal. By a series of deterministic perturbations of phase shifters or other signal varying devices attached to the antenna elements, the system measures the effects of these perturbations: (1) on the wide-band energy in the output of the antenna, prior to spectrum despreading, and (2) on the narrow-band energy following despreading, and then adjusts the phase shifters or other signal varying devices so as to enhance the desired signal while reducing the interfering signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1980
    Assignee: Northrop Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Malm