Raytheon Company

Motorola Corporation

Motorola Mobility LLC

Glafkos K Stratis

Salvador Sibecas

Celestino Anastasio Corral

Wayne Lee Sunne

Alphonso A Samuel

David James Knapp

Shahriar Emami

Douglas Mills

Gregg E Rasor

Michael S Smith

Raymond A Graffam

David G Derrick

Eric Thomas Eaton

Jerry Dean Robichaux

Jim Hicks

Mark A Owens

Anton Vanderwyst

Kevin R Hopkins

Teresa J Clement

Alex Dely

Salvatore Bellofiore

Michael Pitman

Alexander Bijamov

Lorenzo A Ponce De Leon

Robert Mark Gorday

Rudy Michael Emrick

David G Manzi

Howard C Choe

Robert Andrew Kroegel

Christos Kontogeorgakis

Frederick A Baracat

Jeffrey Wadsworth

James P Edmiston

Veeraraghavan A Anantha

Javier Mendoza

Julian Mendoza

Gary L Eisenhauer

Glenn Scott Zax

Shahriar Enami

A reconfigurable polar molecule includes a symmetric nonpolar molecule portion having an elongated shape defined by a longitudinal axis and lateral axis, the longitudinal axis being longer than the lateral axis; a positive ionically charged group at a first end and a negative ionically charged group at a second end of the longitudinal axis, the positive and negative ionically charged groups forming a permanent dipole; a first bridging group and a second bridging group on opposing ends of the lateral axis, the first and second bridging groups being linear nonpolar groups; and a first support portion bonded to the first bridging group, and a second support portion bonded to the second bridging group, the first bridging group and the second bridging group being nonpolar and having structures that enable free rotation of the symmetric nonpolar molecule portion through the first bridging group and the second bridging group.

Solid state materials with tunable dielectric response and rotational anisotropy

An ultra-wide band (UWB) radio frequency (RF)/optical aperture includes a substrate having a plurality of regions. The plurality of regions may have varying characteristics and properties. In some embodiments, the plurality of regions includes a first region having a first relative dielectric constant and being transparent to signals having a frequency in a first frequency range, a second region contained in the first region and having a second relative dielectric constant and being transparent to signals having a frequency in a second frequency range, and a third region contained within the second region and having a third relative dielectric constant and being transparent to signals having a frequency in a third frequency range.

Ultra-wideband RF/optical aperture

A support structure for a reconfigurable molecule includes a first support portion having a first mounting region; a second support portion having a second mounting region; and a rotatable molecule anchored between the first support portion and the second support portion on the first mounting region and the second mounting region, the rotatable molecule having an internal rotational axis extending from the first mounting region to the second mounting region; wherein the first support portion and the second support portion are mirror images of one another.

Method for material packaging and developing rotationally anisotropic materials

A radome structure of an antenna system is provided having a plurality of switchable antenna elements disposed around a perimeter of the radome structure that can simultaneously track multiple targets and be implemented in a variety of different applications. Each of the switchable antenna elements can be individually switched between different radiation patterns to support different applications. The antenna system may include an infrared (IR) sensor pedestal, an IR sensor disposed on the IR pedestal and a plurality of switchable radio frequency (RF) antenna elements disposed in a circumferential direction around the IR sensor pedestal. In an embodiment, each of the plurality of switchable RF antenna elements can be switched from a first radiation pattern to a second radiation pattern to change an array radiation pattern of the antenna.

Systems and techniques for radome-antenna configuration

The present disclosure is directed to a seeker system having an infrared (IR) sensor pedestal, an IR sensor disposed on the IR pedestal and a plurality of radio frequency (RF) antenna elements symmetrically disposed in a circumferential direction around the IR sensor pedestal. The seeker system further includes a plurality of RF waveguiding structures. In an embodiment, each of the RF waveguiding structures have first and second ends and are symmetrically disposed in a circumferential direction around the IR sensor pedestal such that in response to an RF signal incident on a first end of the waveguiding structure, the RF signal is provided to one of the plurality of RF antenna elements such that in response to an RF signal incident on the seeker system from any direction, each of the plurality of RF antenna elements receive the RF signal with a desired phase characteristic.

Systems and techniques for improving signal levels in a shadowing region of a seeker system

A heat sensing system and method for dynamic heat sensing may be implemented in a flight vehicle having a main antenna configured for sending and/or receipt of signals. The system includes an auxiliary antenna system that is arranged within a radome of the flight vehicle for detecting temperatures around the exterior surface of the radome. The auxiliary antenna is configured for receiving and measuring infrared or optical energy. Using the measured energy, the system is configured to determine whether the detected temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature and rotating the vehicle to equalize heat around the vehicle when the current temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature.

Method for dynamic heat sensing in hypersonic applications

A compact, wideband antenna system includes first and second monopole radiating elements positioned near an edge of a common ground plane. The first and second monopole radiating elements may be located on opposite sides of the ground plane. Additional monopole elements may also be provided. In some embodiments, the ground plane includes an opening in a central region thereof to accommodate an optical system. In some embodiments, an additional antenna (e.g., an array antenna) may be provided over the same ground plane in a region between the monopole elements.

Compact wideband radio frequency antenna systems and associated methods

A sensor system and method of reducing plasma-induced communication inhibition for a main antenna includes using auxiliary antennas for detecting a density of plasma that affects operation of the main antenna, and re-orienting an electromagnetic field around the main antenna in response to the density detected to reduce effect of the plasma on the main antenna. The auxiliary antennas are also operable for data link communication and switchable such if the density of the plasma inhibits receipt or sending of signals by one of the auxiliary antennas, another one of the auxiliary antennas may be used for data link communication.

Method for plasma dynamic cancellation for hypersonic vehicles

A compact transducer system includes both an antenna subsystem and an optical transducer subsystem. The antenna subsystem may include multiple radio frequency (RF) radiating elements disposed adjacent to a ground plane. The ground plane may also serve as an optical reflector within an optical path of the optical transducer subsystem. A secondary reflector may also be provided within the optical path of the optical transducer subsystem. The secondary reflector may be formed of dielectric material (e.g., meta-material) in some embodiments to prevent undesired coupling with RF circuitry.

Wideband antenna structure with optics reflector as ground plane and associated methods

A radio frequency (RF) module having a plurality of channels includes a heat sink having at least one tapered edge; a substrate disposed over a surface of the heat sink such that the tapered edge of the heat sink extends past a boundary of the substrate. RF, logic and power circuitry is disposed on the substrate and one or more RF signal ports are formed on an edge of the substrate to allow the RF module to be used in an array antenna having a brick architecture. The tapered edge heat sink provides both a ground plane for RF signal components and a thermal path for heat generating circuits disposed in the substrate.

UWB and IR/optical feed circuit and related techniques

A missile includes a radar system that has a radome through which a main antenna sends and receives signals. The radome includes a radome body and a radome tip include different transmissive materials, with for example the radome body primarily made of a lossy optically nontransparent material, and the radome tip primarily made of a lossless (permittivity with low imaginary part) glass material that may also be optically transparent. A laser may be used in conjunction with the radome to send and receive encoded signals. The laser may be located behind (aft of) the main antenna, and one or more optical fibers may extend into and/or along the radome to guide laser signals to the radome tip. The laser may be used to emit encoded signals so as to allow multiple radar systems operating in the same area at the same time to discriminate between different targets.

Antenna/optics system and method

A missile radar system includes a tapered radome covering a front face of a main antenna. A calibration antenna is the combination of a metal tip and an attached one or more radiating or excitation elements (monopole) on the tip. A narrow end (wedge) of the radome may aid in directing planar calibration waves toward the main antenna. The metal tip has a curved inner surface that acts, with the attached radiating element(s), as an aperture antenna. Signals are emitted from the calibration antenna back toward the front face of the main antenna. The signals pass from the tip/reflector to the front face of the main antenna through a substantially-metal-free and substantially-dielectric-free volume defined by the inner surface of the radome. The radar system allows for calibration of the antenna prior to launch and/or during flight of the missile.

Dynamic calibration radar system

A method () and simulation tool () having enhanced accuracy and speed for simulation using ray launching in a mixed environment () by using adaptive ray expansion mechanisms can include a memory () coupled to a processor (). The processor can select () a target area within the mixed environment and modify () the propagation properties of the adaptive ray expansion mechanisms according to characteristics classified for the target area. The processor can further classify characteristics for the target area by transmitting and reflecting rays for indoor building regions and for outdoor building regions. The number of bounces or a power level threshold assigned to a transmitted ray is a function of the environment where it propagates. The simulation tool can determine the target area or a region of interest by using a global positioning service device () externally attached to a device performing functions of the simulation tool.

Method and apparatus for enhancing the accuracy and speed of a ray launching simulation tool

A system () and method () for improving Radio Frequency (RF) Antenna Simulation is provided. The method can include determining () a proximity of an antenna () to a scattering structure (), determining () a switching distance to the scattering structure that establishes when to switch the antenna on () and off () from a composite antenna pattern to a free space antenna pattern, and predicting RF coverage of the antenna responsive to the switching. The switching distance can be a function of a material type and a surface geometry of the scattering structure and a wavelength of the antenna. The method can also include evaluating a sensory mismatch in the antenna, and using a composite antenna pattern corresponding to the sensory mismatch.

System and method to improve RF simulations

A system () and method () for ray launching is provided. The system can include a transmitter () for successively launching a plurality of rays, and a receiver () for receiving transmission rays and reflection rays. A controller () can be included for selectively adjusting an angular spacing and eliminating rays in successive launches to focus an energy on the receiver. A method () of terminating rays for reducing computational complexity is provided. A method () for ray weighting for increasing a computational speed of ray propagation is provided. In one aspect, a quality of service () can be determined at the receiver based on ray propagation.

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Lake Worth, FL, United States of America

Glafkos K Stratis