Abstract: A redundant information processing system with sufficient reliability is provided at a moderate cost without any part that could be a single fault point in the system. In the redundant information processing system in which an actuator 5 is controlled based on a signal from a sensor 4, each of processing devices 1A to 1C collects command signals from other processing devices and determines which command signal to be valid according to a logical decision, for example, a majority decision. When the command signals of more than two of the processing devices including the relevant processing device which determines are valid, the command signals are output according to priority while a control information blocking signal is output to a processing device other than those which are valid.

Abstract: A communication system is provided that allows the use of low-cost, low-power remote terminal units that communicate substantially asynchronously and independently to a base station. To minimize cost and complexity, the remote terminal units are configured similarly, including the use of substantially identical transmission schemes, such as a common Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) code. To minimize collisions among transmissions, the communication system is designed to use a high-gain antenna with a limited field of view, to limit the number of cotemporaneous, or overlapping transmissions that are received at the base station. To cover a wide area, the limited field of view is swept across the area of coverage. To overcome potential losses caused by collisions, the remote terminal units are configured to repeat transmissions; to minimize repeated collisions, the repeat interval and/or duration is randomized.

Abstract: A communication system is provided that allows the use of low-cost, low-power remote terminal units that communicate substantially asynchronously and independently to a base station. To minimize cost and complexity, the remote terminal units are configured similarly, including the use of substantially identical transmission schemes, such as a common Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) code. To minimize collisions among transmissions, the communication system is designed to use a high-gain antenna with a limited field of view, to limit the number of cotemporaneous, or overlapping transmissions that are received at the base station. To cover a wide area, the limited field of view is swept across the area of coverage. To overcome potential losses caused by collisions, the remote terminal units are configured to repeat transmissions; to minimize repeated collisions, the repeat interval and/or duration is randomized.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in catch basin openings and being located on the inside peripheral edge of the storm sewer opening at or immediately below the point where storm water enters the catch basin opening. The apparatus includes a plurality of troughs located along the inside peripheral edge of the storm sewer opening. Each trough or trough section is located on the inside peripheral edge of the catch basin opening and discharges to one or more sumps or bags. The troughs are positioned at or below the elevation of the point where the storm water would normally discharge down into the storm sewer and diverts this storm water to the bag. The sump or bag rests upon the troughs of the support and flow diversion device by means of gravity with some form of handle or string to attach the device to said trough. An absorbent material is incorporated into the apparatus.

Abstract: The excess space and weight capacity of a conventional launch vehicle for a high-energy orbit, such as GEO, is used to deploy satellites to a low-energy orbit, such as LEO. In a preferred embodiment, an orbit-transfer vehicle provides the navigation, propulsion, and control systems required to transport a payload satellite from a high-energy-transfer orbit, such as GTO, to a predetermined low-energy orbit. Upon entering the low-energy orbit, the payload satellite is released from the orbit-transfer vehicle. To reduce the fuel requirements for this deployment via the orbit-transfer vehicle, a preferred embodiment includes aerobraking to bring the satellite into a low-earth orbit.

Abstract: An orbit-transfer vehicle provides the navigation, propulsion, and control systems required to transport a payload satellite from a geosynchronous-transfer orbit (GTO) to a predetermined low-earth orbit (LEO). Upon entering low-earth orbit, the payload satellite is deployed from the orbit-transfer vehicle. To reduce the cost and complexity of the payload satellite, the orbit-transfer vehicle is configured to provide common functional services, such as communications and power regulation, to the payload satellite during the transport, and/or after deployment. To reduce the fuel requirements for this deployment via the orbit-transfer vehicle, a preferred embodiment includes aerobraking to bring the satellite into a low-earth orbit.

Abstract: The excess space and weight capacity of a conventional launch vehicle for a high-energy orbit, such as GEO, is used to deploy satellites to a low-energy orbit, such as LEO. In a preferred embodiment, an orbit-transfer vehicle provides the navigation, propulsion, and control systems required to transport a payload satellite from a high-energy-transfer orbit, such as GTO, to a predetermined low-energy orbit. Upon entering the low-energy orbit, the payload satellite is released from the orbit-transfer vehicle. To reduce the fuel requirements for this deployment via the orbit-transfer vehicle, a preferred embodiment includes aerobraking to bring the satellite into a low-earth orbit.

Abstract: A receiving system dynamically searches the communications band for transmissions of messages having the same nominal communications parameters, including the use of the same spreading code, but having potentially different specific frequencies and code-phases. The receiver, which is independent of the transmitters, samples the communications band at each code-phase of the spreading code over a span of downconverted transmission frequencies. When a message element is detected at a particular code-phase and frequency, it is forwarded to a demodulator that demodulates the message and sends it to its intended destination. In a preferred embodiment, a progressive Fourier Transform is used to incrementally determine the power level at each successive code-phase at a given frequency, thereby substantially reducing the time required to search for transmissions at each discrete code-phase.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in catch basin openings and being located on the inside peripheral edge of the storm sewer opening at or immediately below the point where storm water enters the catch basin opening. The apparatus includes a plurality of troughs located along the inside peripheral edge of the storm sewer opening. Each trough or trough section is located on the inside peripheral edge of the catch basin opening and discharges to one or more sumps or bags. The troughs are positioned at or below the elevation of the point where the storm water would normally discharge down into the storm sewer and diverts this storm water to the bag. The sump or bag rests upon the troughs of the support and flow diversion device by means of gravity with some form of handle or string to attach the device to said trough. An absorbent material is incorporated into the apparatus.

Abstract: A communication system is provided that allows the use of low-cost, low-power remote terminal units that communicate substantially asynchronously and independently to a base station. To minimize cost and complexity, the remote terminal units are configured similarly, including the use of substantially identical transmission schemes, such as a common Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) code. To minimize collisions among transmissions, the communication system is designed to use a high-gain antenna with a limited field of view, to limit the number of cotemporaneous, or overlapping transmissions that are received at the base station. To cover a wide area, the limited field of view is swept across the area of coverage. To overcome potential losses caused by collisions, the remote terminal units are configured to repeat transmissions; to minimize repeated collisions, the repeat interval and/or duration is randomized.

Abstract: The satellite communication system has a ground station and multiple remote terminal units (RTUs). The RTUs are designed to infrequently transmit relatively short duration messages, and to repeatedly transmit the same message, so that it is received by a sweeping high gain satellite antenna. To minimize costs, the system is designed to allow the use of RTUs that use a fixed modulation scheme. Because the transmissions are infrequent and short, the loss of messages due to collisions is unlikely. As a further optimization, the RTUs have CDMA transmitters that each use the same CDMA code, and the ground station has multiple CDMA correlators using the same CDMA code. By using the same CDMA code, the loss of messages due to collisions is further reduced. For transmitting to the RTUs, the ground station has multiple CDMA modulators, each using a second CDMA code that is preferrably orthogonal to the first CDMA code.

Abstract: A redundant information processing system with sufficient reliability is provided at a moderate cost without any part tat could be a single fault point in the system. In the redundant information processing system in which an actuator 5 is controlled based on a signal from a sensor 4, each of processing devices 1A to 1C collects command signals from other processing devices and determines which command signal to be valid according to a logical decision, for example, a majority decision. When the command signals of more than two of the processing devices including the relevant processing device which determines are valid, the command signals are output according to priority while a control information blocking signal is output to a processing device other than those which am valid.

Abstract: A spacecraft architecture is defined that distinguishes components and sub-systems based on both functional and physical dependencies. On one side of the interface are kernel components that are both functionally and physically independent of the vehicle configuration and functionally and physically independent of the mission-specific system. On the other side of the interface are components that depend on either the spacecraft configuration or the mission-specific system. The kernel components can be included in a variety of spacecraft, independent of the spacecraft architecture and independent of the spacecraft mission. The kernel includes a communications system for communicating with an earth station, a command and data handling processor, and a power regulation and distribution system.

Abstract: The satellite communications system of this invention provides high-gain coverage to a wide geographic area with a minimum number of satellites. The satellites each include a high-gain antenna that periodically sweeps the satellite's service area to receive the messages from remote terminal units within the entire service area. In order to provide high gain, the antenna is designed to have a narrow beamwidth in at least one dimension. To cover the entire area, the antenna's field of view is swept across the entire service area. In the preferred embodiment, the antenna's field of view is essentially rectilinear, having a narrow beamwidth in one dimension and a beamwidth that extends across the entire service area in the other dimension, such that the sweeping effect is akin to that of a common push-broom. Because of the high gain of the satellite antenna, communications via the satellite can be accomplished using a low-gain wide-beamwidth antenna at the remote terminal unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are position determining apparatus and conductor structures or grids therefor. The conductor structure for each axis includes a number of conductors which are run in a serpentine-type path each with uniform repeat increment. The repeat increment, which is the spacing or span between one run and the next of the same serpentine-type conductor, are uniform for each conductor (but may change from conductor to conductor) and is constrained by a maximum repeat increment, or a minimum repeat increment. In the preferred embodiments, there is at least a constraint on the maximum repeat increment to provide noise immunity. The conductors are arranged for each axis of the grid in a pattern such that signals obtained for that axis may be processed to provide binary numbers in a Gray-type code each unique to a small region of the active area in which the coil center is located.