Abstract: A fill level sensor monitors the level of material, such as grain, in a storage silo. A controller includes a logic circuit, a solenoid assembly including an electromagnet fixedly attached to an external wall of the silo and a plunger which is displaceable in response to electrical energization of the electromagnet between a first position spaced from the silo wall and a second position contacting the silo wall to affect an impact noise. A microphone detects each time the plunger contacts the wall. A memory records each plunger strike, and the time between successive plunger strikes. The controller and microphone are affixed to an outer wall of the silo by permanent magnets. A warning signal alerts when a fill level drops below a pre-determined level or reports in real time the estimate of the fill level in terms of percentages or actual height from the bottom of the silo.

Abstract: In an example, a system includes a plurality of acoustically coupled nodes. Each of the nodes includes a transducer, a communication circuit and a controller. The transducer is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a medium. The communication circuit is coupled to the transducer to send and receive acoustic signals via the medium according to at least one communication parameter. The controller is to adaptively configure the at least one communication parameter of the communication circuit based on an acoustic signal received from at least one other of the nodes.

Abstract: In an example, a system includes a plurality of acoustically coupled nodes. Each of the nodes includes a transducer, a communication circuit and a controller. The transducer is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a medium. The communication circuit is coupled to the transducer to send and receive acoustic signals via the medium according to at least one communication parameter. The controller is to adaptively configure the at least one communication parameter of the communication circuit based on an acoustic signal received from at least one other of the nodes.

Abstract: In an example, a system includes a plurality of acoustically coupled nodes. Each of the nodes includes a transducer, a communication circuit and a controller. The transducer is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a medium. The communication circuit is coupled to the transducer to send and receive acoustic signals via the medium according to at least one communication parameter. The controller is to adaptively configure the at least one communication parameter of the communication circuit based on an acoustic signal received from at least one other of the nodes.

Abstract: An example sensing system includes a non-contact sensing electrode configured to sense an electric potential and provide a sensor signal at an output of the sensing electrode based on the sensed electric potential. The output of the sensing electrode is coupled to a first input of an amplifier. The amplifier is configured to provide an amplified output signal representative of at least one measured biosignal based on the sensor signal and a feedback signal provided to the second input of the amplifier. A compensation signal generator is coupled between the output of the amplifier and the second input. The compensation signal generator is configured to estimate corresponding noise and provide the feedback signal to include a filtered signal representative of the estimated noise to the second input to the corresponding noise at the first input of the amplifier and mitigate saturation of the amplifier.

Abstract: In an example, a system includes a plurality of acoustically coupled nodes. Each of the nodes includes a transducer, a communication circuit and a controller. The transducer is adapted to be mechanically coupled to a medium. The communication circuit is coupled to the transducer to send and receive acoustic signals via the medium according to at least one communication parameter. The controller is to adaptively configure the at least one communication parameter of the communication circuit based on an acoustic signal received from at least one other of the nodes.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage assembly including a first elongated structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one wing assembly including a second structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one horizontal stabilizer assembly including a third structural member formed of electrically conductive material, and at least one vertical stabilizer assembly including a fourth structural member formed of electrically conductive material. The wing assembly, the horizontal stabilizer, and the vertical stabilizer are each interconnected with the fuselage assembly in a flight configuration normal to the fuselage. The first, second, third and fourth structural members are electrically insulated from one another. An electronic communication device within the aircraft is configurable for selective electrical interconnection of two or more of said structural members to form a dipole or monopole type transmitting/receiving antenna.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage assembly including a first elongated structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one wing assembly including a second structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one horizontal stabilizer assembly including a third structural member formed of electrically conductive material, and at least one vertical stabilizer assembly including a fourth structural member formed of electrically conductive material. The wing assembly, the horizontal stabilizer, and the vertical stabilizer are each interconnected with the fuselage assembly in a flight configuration normal to the fuselage. The first, second, third and fourth structural members are electrically insulated from one another. An electronic communication device within the aircraft is configurable for selective electrical interconnection of two or more of said structural members to form a dipole or monopole type transmitting/receiving antenna.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage assembly including a first elongated structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one wing assembly including a second structural member formed of electrically conductive material, at least one horizontal stabilizer assembly including a third structural member formed of electrically conductive material, and at least one vertical stabilizer assembly including a fourth structural member formed of electrically conductive material. The wing assembly, the horizontal stabilizer, and the vertical stabilizer are each interconnected with the fuselage assembly in a flight configuration normal to the fuselage. The first, second, third and fourth structural members are electrically insulated from one another. An electronic communication device within the aircraft is configurable for selective electrical interconnection of two or more of said structural members to form a dipole or monopole type transmitting/receiving antenna.

Abstract: A patch antenna system comprises a patch antenna having a patch spatially separated from a ground plane, a plurality of shorting pins interposed between the patch and the ground plane to selectively interconnect one or more predetermined fixed locations of the patch to the ground plane. A control module is operably coupled to a discrete RF switch associated with each shorting pin to set the operating frequency characteristic of the patch antenna by selectively connecting the patch to the ground plane through one or more of the plurality of shorting pins.

Abstract: A patch antenna system comprises a patch antenna having a patch spatially separated from a ground plane, a plurality of shorting pins interposed between the patch and the ground plane to selectively interconnect one or more predetermined fixed locations of the patch to the ground plane. A control module is operably coupled to a discrete RF switch associated with each shorting pin to set the operating frequency characteristic of the patch antenna by selectively connecting the patch to the ground plane through one or more of the plurality of shorting pins.

Abstract: A multi-beam, polarization diversity, narrow-band cognitive antenna system is disclosed. The antenna system includes a plurality of antenna elements, switching elements, and transmission feed lines disposed on a PCB substrate, inside or on the enclosure of a consumer wireless device, on the airframe of an air vehicle, or on the surface of a ground vehicle. The plurality of switching elements are arranged with the antenna elements and transmission feed lines to, when selectively closed, electrically couple selected ones of the antenna elements and transmission feed lines to one another to generate an antenna configuration selected from a plurality of antenna configurations. A non-volatile memory is configured to store data representing at least some of the plurality of antenna configurations. A control arrangement operatively coupled to the plurality of switching elements and configured to close selected ones of the switching elements as a function of the data stored in said memory.

Abstract: An integrated planar antenna including a metalized ground plane printed on a dielectric slab. One or more slot antenna elements are etched into the metalized layer, and resonate at a particular resonant frequency band. A plurality of voids extend through the slab and act to vary the dielectric constant of the slab so that resonant waves are suppressed in the slab, thus reducing power loss in the antenna. The voids can be selectively localized in the slab to provide various functions, such as impedance matching and reduction of antenna element coupling. The voids can take on any shape and configuration in accordance with a particular antenna design scheme so as to optimize the effective dielectric constant for a particular application. In one particular design, the voids are formed in a random manner completely through slab, and the voids have an opening diameter less than {fraction (1/20)}th of the operational wavelength of the antenna.

Abstract: An integrated planar antenna including a metalized ground plane printed on a dielectric slab. One or more slot antenna elements are etched into the metalized layer, and resonate at a particular resonant frequency band. A plurality of voids extend through the slab and act to vary the dielectric constant of the slab so that resonant waves are suppressed in the slab, thus reducing power loss in the antenna. The voids can be selectively localized in the slab to provide various functions, such as impedance matching and reduction of antenna element coupling. The voids can take on any shape and configuration in accordance with a particular antenna design scheme so as to optimize the effective dielectric constant for a particular application. In one particular design, the voids are formed in a random manner completely through slab, and the voids have an opening diameter less than {fraction (1/20)}th of the operational wavelength of the antenna.