Abstract: A thruster includes a current loop, a magnetic circuit within the current loop, a channel, a propellant reservoir and an ejection outlet. The channel forms an ejection path from an output of the propellant reservoir to the ejection outlet. The current loop is driven by a tuned current density based on at least a selected propellant. The selected propellant is ejected down the channel due to an applied electric field.

Abstract: A system for mitigating backsputter to a thruster in a propulsion test facility includes a plate disposed in an output plume of the thruster and a magnetic field generator disposed about or at the plate and configured to generate a magnetic field between the thruster and the plate. The magnetic field generator is oriented such that a magnetic field is generated transverse to the output plume.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems and methods that provide for fast image acquisition with a CCD camera for tomographic imaging by synchronizing illumination with the image acquisition sequence of the CCD camera. The systems and methods described herein allow images to be acquired with a CCD camera using short image acquisition times that would otherwise result in the introduction of severe artifacts into the acquired images. This unique capability is achieved by selectively illuminating the one or more object(s) to be imaged during specific phases of the CCD camera that are used to acquire an image. Reducing the time required to acquire artifact-free images in this manner allows for rapid imaging with a CCD camera. This capability is of particular relevance to tomographic imaging approaches, in which multiple images of one or more objects are acquired and used to produce a single tomographic image.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems and methods for tomographic imaging that provide for rapid illumination of multiple excitation locations across a large field of view by one or more beams of excitation light from one or more excitation sources. The approaches described herein utilize a galvanometer optical scanner to scan a beam of excitation light through a plurality of locations across a scan region corresponding to the field of view to be imaged. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein utilize beams of excitation light with specifically tailored shapes to maintain small spot sizes across the large scan region. The ability to scan over a large region while still maintaining small spot sizes provided by the approaches described herein allows for accurate, high-resolution tomographic imaging of large or multiple subjects, thereby expanding the capabilities of tomographic imaging systems.

Abstract: A fabric antenna for telecommunications is disclosed. The fabric antenna comprises a host yarn, which is substantially electrically non-conducting, and an antenna yarn, which is substantially electrically conducting. The host yarn and antenna yarn are knitted together to form a host fabric comprising an antenna grid. The antenna grid comprises a plurality of intersecting antenna tracks formed of antenna yarn. The tracks are separated by regions of the host fabric and are electrically coupled together at the regions where the tracks intersect.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems and methods that provide for fast image acquisition with a CCD camera for tomographic imaging by synchronizing illumination with the image acquisition sequence of the CCD camera. The systems and methods described herein allow images to be acquired with a CCD camera using short image acquisition times that would otherwise result in the introduction of severe artifacts into the acquired images. This unique capability is achieved by selectively illuminating the one or more object(s) to be imaged during specific phases of the CCD camera that are used to acquire an image. Reducing the time required to acquire artifact-free images in this manner allows for rapid imaging with a CCD camera. This capability is of particular relevance to tomographic imaging approaches, in which multiple images of one or more objects are acquired and used to produce a single tomographic image.

Abstract: Presented herein are systems and methods for tomographic imaging that provide for rapid illumination of multiple excitation locations across a large field of view by one or more beams of excitation light from one or more excitation sources. The approaches described herein utilize a galvanometer optical scanner to scan a beam of excitation light through a plurality of locations across a scan region corresponding to the field of view to be imaged. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods described herein utilize beams of excitation light with specifically tailored shapes to maintain small spot sizes across the large scan region. The ability to scan over a large region while still maintaining small spot sizes provided by the approaches described herein allows for accurate, high-resolution tomographic imaging of large or multiple subjects, thereby expanding the capabilities of tomographic imaging systems.

Abstract: A fabric antenna for telecommunications is disclosed. The fabric antenna comprises a host yarn, which is substantially electrically non-conducting, and an antenna yarn, which is substantially electrically conducting. The host yarn and antenna yarn are knitted together to form a host fabric comprising an antenna grid. The antenna grid comprises a plurality of intersecting antenna tracks formed of antenna yarn. The tracks are separated by regions of the host fabric and are electrically coupled together at the regions where the tracks intersect.

Abstract: A sleeve for mounting a prosthetic unit on a limb is formed in a knitted fabric comprising elastic yarns to allow circumferential extension of the sleeve to grip the limb. Adherent fibres are integrated within the fabric and exposed on the internal surface of the sleeve to provide additional grip. Such fibres can be silicone or silicone based yarns. An end of the sleeve is adapted to couple with a prosthetic unit. The knitted fabric may include yarns of restricted elasticity to limit longitudinal extension of the sleeve, and the elastic yarns and the yarns of restricted elasticity are typically located in discrete sections (2, 4, 6) of the sleeve. Such discrete sections will normally extend longitudinally in the sleeve. The knitted yarns at the end of the sleeve are normally bonded directly to a coupling element (8, 10, 12) for attachment to a prosthetic unit.

Abstract: An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales.

Abstract: An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales.

Abstract: An apparatus and method reduce distortion in a processed signal. The apparatus includes a first receive path, a second receive path, a summation unit, and a compensation unit. The first receive path is configured to process a received analog signal into a first digital signal. The second receive path is configured to process the received analog signal with a phase shift into a second digital signal. The summation unit is configured to sum the first and second digital signals to form a processed digital signal. The compensation unit is configured to identify a conjugate of the processed digital signal, apply a weighting factor to the conjugate of the processed digital signal to form a weighted signal, and subtract the weighted signal from the processed digital signal to reduce the distortion.

Abstract: An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales. An electro-conductive yarn (4) defines at least one single course in the structure adjacent non-conductive yarns (2), and is to be part of a circuit providing an indication of an electrical characteristic of the yarn. When unextended in either direction, successive loops of the stitches including the electro-conductive yarn are in engagement. Extension of the structure in the course direction separate loops forming the stitches, and extension in the wale direction urges the loops together. The structure can be used in methods of registering extension of the structure in either or both of the course and wale directions.

Abstract: A non-invasive sensor has a contact membrane (6,16) and a cover membrane (2,12), the cover membrane being adapted for extension of a body surface to project the contact membrane against a body surface beneath it. The contact membrane will normally be attached to the cover membrane around its periphery such that at least one of the membranes forms a convex outer surface, and a spacing material (8,20) can be interposed between the membranes to achieve this object. The cover membrane may extend over a support element (10), with the contact membrane overlaying and spaced from the other face of the support element by spacing material.

Abstract: An apparatus for matching impedance for use in a wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a forward path carrying a transmission signal to an antenna. The apparatus further comprises a quadrature feedback path configured to extract and feed back in-phase and quadrature phase components from each of a forward signal being transmitted toward the antenna and a reverse signal reflected from the antenna. A tunable matching network (TMN) is coupled to the forward path, having a plurality of tunable elements for matching an internal impedance to an impedance of the antenna. A controller is configured to calculate TMN input impedance's amplitude and phase based on the in-phase and quadrature phase components from each of the forward signal and the reverse signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for envelope tracking calibration for use in a wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a transmission signal path configured to carry a transmission signal to an antenna. An envelope signal path configured to feed an envelope signal with an envelope tracking power amplifier. A controller is configured to transmit a normal envelope signal being generated in a normal operation mode and measure a first Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR) corresponding to the normal envelope signal. The controller is further configured to transmit a comparison envelope signal being generated in a comparison operation mode and measure a second ACLR corresponding to the comparison envelope signal. The controller is configured to calculate a time misalignment between the transmission signal path and the envelope signal path based on a difference between the first and second ACLRs.

Abstract: An apparatus for envelope tracking calibration for use in a wireless communication is provided. The apparatus includes a transmission signal path configured to carry a transmission signal to an antenna. An envelope signal path configured to feed an envelope signal with an envelope tracking power amplifier. A controller is configured to transmit a normal envelope signal being generated in a normal operation mode and measure a first Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR) corresponding to the normal envelope signal. The controller is further configured to transmit a comparison envelope signal being generated in a comparison operation mode and measure a second ACLR corresponding to the comparison envelope signal. The controller is configured to calculate a time misalignment between the transmission signal path and the envelope signal path based on a difference between the first and second ACLRs.

Abstract: An apparatus and method reduce distortion in a processed signal. The apparatus includes a first receive path, a second receive path, a summation unit, and a compensation unit. The first receive path is configured to process a received analog signal into a first digital signal. The second receive path is configured to process the received analog signal with a phase shift into a second digital signal. The summation unit is configured to sum the first and second digital signals to form a processed digital signal. The compensation unit is configured to identify a conjugate of the processed digital signal, apply a weighting factor to the conjugate of the processed digital signal to form a weighted signal, and subtract the weighted signal from the processed digital signal to reduce the distortion.

Abstract: An electronic transducer comprises a knitted structure extendible in two dimensions defined by its courses and wales. An electro-conductive yarn (4) defines at least one single course in the structure adjacent non-conductive yarns (2), and is to be part of a circuit providing an indication of an electrical characteristic of the yarn. When unextended in either direction, successive loops of the stitches including the electro-conductive yarn are in engagement. Extension of the structure in the course direction separate loops forming the stitches, and extension in the wale direction urges the loops together. The structure can be used in methods of registering extension of the structure in either or both of the course and wale directions.

Abstract: In a method of knitting a garment having a defined axis (A), the knitting layers are formed in a direction parallel to the axis. Pathways (8) defined by distinctive yarns extending substantially parallel to the axis are incorporated in the knitting process seriatim, each distinctive yarn being knitted into its respective pathway using the same yarn feeder. The distinctive yarns are normally conductive, to provide connections to sensors (6) located on the garment, and such sensors may themselves be an integral part of the garment fabric.