Other

The Boeing Company

Bunker Ramo Corporation

Basic Electronics, Inc.

Armando W Benavides

Alfiero Balzano

Carl W Peterson

Stanley R Hall

The present invention relates to a remote meter reading method and system of the type that may be poled by wireless communication. Other remote reading systems require a periodic change of batteries used to supply the power to the communication and other systems used in the remote meters. The present invention mitigates this need by using the water and gas flow into homes or other buildings to generate power used to recharge those batteries.

Method and system for reading utility meters

A system and method for determining the location of the phase center of an antenna are provided. For the transverse location of the phase center, the system may include radio frequency (RF) probes symmetrically surrounding the antenna's geometrical center to define RF probe pairs, a plurality of phase detectors for determining a phase difference between the signals detected by each pair and a processor for determining the transverse location of the phase center based upon probe position and the phase differences. For the longitudinal location of the phase center, the system may include first and second RF probes having a common transverse position, but being longitudinally separated, a phase detector for determining a phase difference between the signals detected by the probes and a processor for determining the longitudinal location of the phase center based upon the longitudinal separation and the phase difference.

System and method for determining the location of the phase center of an antenna

A system for determining a propellant content and a center of gravity in a three-axis stabilized spacecraft includes a ranging device that is coupled to an interior of a propellant tank of the spacecraft. The ranging device is configured to receive a ranging echo to facilitate determining a location of a membrane within the propellant tank.

Systems and method for determining propellant mass and center of gravity for a space-based asset

A method for controlling code power levels of individual codes of a composite quadrature phase shift keyed (QPSK) signal. The method may involve obtaining a sample of the composite QPSK signal; separating the individual codes from the composite QPSK signal; analyzing the individual codes against corresponding commanded code power settings for the individual codes; and determining a code power correction signal needed for each of the individual codes needed to adjust a code power for each of the individual codes to match their corresponding commanded code power settings.

System and method for accurate downlink power control of composite QPSK modulated signals

A system and method for determining the beam center location of an antenna, such as a global positioning system (GPS) antenna, are provided. A system for determining the beam center of an antenna may include a plurality of radio frequency (RF) probes, such as Integrated Transfer System (ITS) antenna elements, located at respective predefined positions surrounding the geometrical center of the antenna. The system may also include at least one detector configured to provide a measure of the RF power detected by each respective RF probe. The system may also include a processor configured to determine the beam center of the antenna based upon the predefined position of each RF probe and the measure of the RF power detected by each respective RF probe. A corresponding method is also provided.

System and method for determining the beam center location of an antenna

A GPS transponder system incorporating a phase error monitoring and compensation subsystem. The phase error monitoring and compensation subsystem includes a demodulator subsystem that demodulates modulated carrier signals being output from each one of a pair of GPS transponders to obtain the navigation codes being generated by each of the transponders from their respective carrier signals. The navigation codes obtained from the modulated carrier signals are compared to separate navigation codes that are generated by a navigation data unit (NDU) of the system and supplied over a thermally stable signal transmission line. The signal transmission line has a known, fixed delay and is not affected by temperature changes that affect the modulated carrier signals. A phase comparator subsystem uses the comparison to generate needed error correction signals that are applied via phase shifters to each of the transponders. The error correction signals modify the modulated carrier signals to remove the influence caused by temperature variations that the transponders experience during operation.

System and method for compensating for temperature effects on GPS transponders

A handbill is rolled to form a coil that is retained within a collapsible cup as it is ejected from an elongated tube and delivered to its destination. The collapsible cup has a cylindrical wall and a bottom member at one end that does not contribute to the structural strength of the cup. A variety of bottom members are provided with each having an exposed adhesive within the cup that is encountered when the handbill is inserted within the cup. The elongated tube is connected to a controllable source of pressurized fluid that is used to eject the handbill assembly from the tube. The handbill assembly and delivery system avoids the problems of prior assemblies and systems that projected cone-shaped paper flyers through the air.

Handbill assembly launching system

A handbill is rolled to form a coil that is retained within a collapsible cup as it is ejected from an elongated tube and delivered to its destination. The collapsible cup has a cylindrical wall and a bottom member at one end that does not contribute to the structural strength of the cup. The bottom member has an exposed adhesive within the cup that is encountered when the handbill is inserted within the cup. The elongated tube is connected to a controllable source of pressurized fluid that is used to eject the handbill assembly from the tube. The handbill assembly and delivery system avoids the problems of prior assemblies and systems that projected cone-shaped paper flyers through the air.

A moisture resistant handbill is rolled to form a coil that is retained within a collapsible cup as it is ejected from an elongated tube and delivered to its destination. The collapsible cup has a cylindrical wall and a bottom member at one end that does not contribute to the structural strength of the cup. The elongated tube is connected to a controllable source of pressurized fluid that is used to eject the handbill assembly from the tube. The handbill assembly and delivery system avoids the problems of prior assemblies and systems that projected cone-shaped paper flyers through the air. Moisture resistance is provided by a plastic sheet, which may be larger than the coiled handbill, that wraps the handbill along its length prior to insertion.

A crystal oscillator including a laser light source for emitting a laser beam to an aligned quartz crystal coupled to an oscillator circuit by an optical feedback network. The optical feedback network is responsive to variations of misalignment of the laser beam with the crystal and correction signals generated for introduction back to the crystal to bring its frequency back to a constant standard frequency output.

Laser controlled crystal and dielectric resonator oscillators

A handbill is rolled to form a coil that is retained within a collapsible cup as it is ejected from an elongated tube and delivered to its destination. The collapsible cup has a cylindrical wall and a bottom member at one end that does not contribute to the structural strength of the cup. The elongated tube is connected to a controllable source of pressurized fluid that is used to eject the handbill assembly from the tube. The handbill assembly and delivery system avoids the problems of prior assemblies and systems that projected cone-shaped paper flyers through the air.

Handbill assembly and delivery system for handbills

Circuits are disclosed for normalizing a device which has a current-controlled frequency response, such as a YIG or a TWM device, to a predetermined current-frequency (I-F) characteristic in order that a device equipped with such a circuit can be preadjusted for substitution in a system for a like device without realigning the system. The normalizing circuit is in parallel with the device, and is comprised of a transistor and a compensating current-sensing resistor in series with the transistor. A shunt compensating current, I.sub.C, through the transistor is set by a voltage on a potentiometer to offset the I-F characteristic of the composite device and circuit from that of the device to a predetermined level and also by a feedback control circuit connected to the compensating current-sensing resistor. The slope of the offset characteristic is then adjusted to a predetermined value by adjusting the gain of a feedback control circuit between the transistor and a resistor which senses a voltage, V.sub.S, proportional to the current, I.sub.T, which is the sum of the drive current, I.sub.Y, through the device and the shunted compensating current, I.sub.C, through the transistor.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Armando W Benavides