Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Other

John H Murphy

John Xavier Przybysz

Michael R Daniel

Terry A Jeeves

Harvey C Nathanson

Charles C Sterrett

Arthur A Anderson

Robert S Littlepage

Laurence E Kline

Harry V Winsor

David K McLain

Trent A Skidmore

A new approach for designing satellite constellations whereby each satellite follows a common ground track is being proposed for performing high-precision change detection imagery for long periods of time. By precisely prescribing the orbital parameters, i.e., the relationship between the right ascension of the ascending nodes (RAAN) and the phase angle difference between successive satellites, for example, sharpened change detection images may be taken from successive satellites in the constellation without the need to process out blurring by any special image re-working software. The relationship between the orbital parameters of the satellites is precisely tuned to the earth's rotation rate for the altitude of the satellites. A reduction in the total satellite count is achievable due to tiling the satellite coverage in near optimal arrangements. Such high-precision change detection imaging by successive satellites in orbit around the earth is at least useful in the detection of underground facilities activities and the detection of slow moving objects.

Space based change detection using common ground track constellations

A new approach for designing satellite constellations whereby the satellites are distributed into contiguous groups forming longitudinal lengths at least equal to 360 degrees. Gaps between the contiguous groups are uniformly distributed along the tracks. These contiguous groups of satellites may be populated by having multiple satellites onboard a single launch vehicle, whereby the satellites are nested into multiple common ground track sub-constellations to form a constellation with multiple common ground tracks.

Space based change detection using common ground track constellations capable of being configured for multi-manifest launches

A new method of constellation design based on combining repeating ground tracks with common ground tracks and/or sun-synchronous orbits is used for performing high-precision change detection imagery for longer periods of time while minimizing battery usage. By precisely prescribing the orbital parameters, sharpened change detection images may be taken without the need to process out blurring by any special image re-working software. The relationship between the orbital parameters of the satellites is precisely tuned to the earth's rotation rate for the altitude of the satellites. The unique set of earth orbits minimizes satellite battery requirement while optimizing the ability to perform coherent change detection (CCD).

Solar dominated satellite constellations capable of having repeating common ground tracks

A non-uniform planar spaced constellation of satellites for providing continuous global or regional coverage including at least one pair of orbital planes having inclined co-rotating orbits, and at least one other orbital plane immediately adjacent one orbital plane of the pair of orbital planes having an inclined counter-rotating orbit, and wherein the fields of view of the satellites in the one pair of co-rotating orbital planes form an overlapped array of hexagonal packing at the equator, and the field of view of the satellites in the one other counter-rotating orbital plane and the one co-rotating orbital plane of the pair of co-rotating orbits form an overlapped array of rectangular packing at the equator, and wherein the spacing between the pair of co-rotating orbital planes is greater than the spacing between the one other counter-rotating orbital plane and the one co-rotating orbital plane.

Inclined non-uniform planar spaced constellation of satellites

A radio frequency navigation receiver has analog and digital sections. In the analog section, a CRPA antenna module receives global navigation signals and provides two steerable nulls for jammer suppression. An analog RF module has an amplifier and a YIG filter for amplifying and filtering an antenna output signal with jammer suppression. An analog receiver receives and downconverts an RF output signal from the RF system with additional jammer suppression. The analog receiver provides broadband signal filtering with at least 30 dB rejection and narrow band signal filtering with at least 45 dB rejection. In the digital section, a digital receiver module receives and converts an analog receiver output signal to generate a digital output signal for navigation control. A configuration manager processor responds to detected jammer signals to configure the receiver modules accordingly.

Hybrid radio frequency system with distributed anti-jam capabilities for

An array of individual and autonomous modules are deployed in a region to be surveilled. Each module, contained in an air dropable bomblet, includes a GPS system for determining the exact location of the deployed module. The module also includes an rf receiver and transmitter, as well as an atomic clock circuit for providing highly precise time and clocking signals, with operation of the module circuitry being governed by a control computer. The computers of the modules are individually programmed such that the modules of the array collectively operate as a distributed phased array antenna system, but without any hardwired interconnection between the modules. In another embodiment a single receiver is utilized and the apparatus operates on the frequency set of the GPS system.

Distributed phased array antenna system

A GPS radio navigation system utilizes an atomic clock in each user's GPS receiver station and a ground reference station located at a fixed, precisely known position which determines GPS time from satellite information and transmits an absolute time signal together with time-of-flight information over a communications path of precisely known length to the user stations, each at a fixed position. Once the atomic clock in a GPS receiver has been set to the precise GPS time, the user station is free to maneuver for an extended period of time during which its position is calculated from pseudorange and time information received from as few as three satellites and the time maintained by its atomic clock.

Atomic clock augmented global positioning system receivers and global

A neural network is disclosed in which communication between processing elements occurs by radio waves in a waveguide. Radio wave communication using common carrier signals by transceivers in a waveguide allows processing elements to communicate wirelessly and simultaneously. Each processing element includes a radio frequency transceiver and an accompanying antenna which performs the neuron summing operation because input signals simultaneously received from plural processing elements by the antenna add. The weights on each input are provided by different spatial relationships between the transmitting processing elements and the receiving processing element which causes signal strength loses through the waveguide to be different. Each receiving processing element performs a neural threshold or sigmoid operation on the summed signal received from the transceiver and then a strength (amplitude scaling) can be applied to the output before the processing element transmits that output to the other processing elements in the system. Processing elements are grouped, allowing one group to transmit while the other group is receiving. Wafer scale electronics including transceivers and analog processing elements are combined with a comparably sized waveguide to produce a compact device.

Wireless neural network and a wireless neural processing element

The invention relates to an apparatus for laying pipe and/or drainage tile at a desired depth below ground, and a preferred level grade within a trench. The invention maintains the placement of the pipe and, upon substantial completion of backfilling operations of the trench, may be removed for reuse. The invention includes a shaft having an adjustable sleeve and an adjustable pipe-grasping sleeve adapted for engagement to a variety of sized pipes and/or drainage tile. The invention may be securely placed into a trench by manual manipulation of the handles and/or by striking of the strike plate with a hammer. The invention is designed for fast and convenient removal from a trench.

Apparatus for laying pipe

Push-pull flux quantum gate array cells synchronously process a pair of polarized data signals. These polarized data signals can be derived from dual polarity data signals by separating the input signals into positive polarity data signals and negative polarity data signals. At least one logic or arithmetic operation is performed on each of the positive and negative polarity signals to produce modified positive and negative polarity signals respectively. These modified positive polarity and negative polarity signals can also be combined to produce a modified dual polarity output data signal. Numerous logic operations can be achieved in gate array cells which perform this signal processing method. By using push-pull flux quantum circuits, the need for auxiliary timing signals or interferometers is minimized.

Superconducting push-pull flux quantum gate array cells

Push-pull flux quantum superconducting digital logic circuits are provided with a circuit branch having a pair of Josephson junctions electrically connected in series with each other. This circuit branch is connected between positive and negative bias voltage supplies which supply a bias current to the Josephson junctions. A dual polarity input voltage signal is applied to a node in the circuit branch and an output signal is extracted from a second node in the circuit branch. Various logic operations can be performed on the input signal by adding additional components and changing the points at which voltage is input to and output from the Josephson junction circuit branch.

Superconducting push-pull flux quantum logic circuits

Superconducting digital logic circuits constructed in accordance with this invention include a circuit branch having first and second Josephson junctions electrically connected in series with each other, with a junction point between the first and second Josephson junctions connected to a neutral point; a positive bias voltage is connected to one end of the circuit branch, and a negative bias voltage is connected to a second end of the circuit branch; a first rail for applying a first input voltage signal, having a first polarity, and for extracting a first output signal is connected to one end of the circuit branch; and a second rail for applying a second input voltage signal, having a second polarity, and for extracting a second output signal is connected to the other end of the circuit branch. This invention encompasses both the above circuit and the method of signal processing performed by such circuits.

Superconducting push-pull flux quantum digital logic circuits

Superconducting timed gate array cells for use in single-rail logic circuits are provided by adding inputs to modified variable threshold logic (MVTL) timed inverter circuits. Data signals which are inphase with a first phase of a power source are coupled to gate array cells in which Josephson junction bias current is provided by a second phase of the power source. NOR, NAND, 2NOR-OR and 2NAND-AND circuits are disclosed for use as building blocks in the production of specialized digital logic circuits.

Superconducting gate array cells

A digital set theoretic system is disclosed that expands the reasoning capability from reasoning with probability measures to reasoning with set theory measures and other Venn diagram type operations using linear transformations and power series transformations, and appropriate hardware and software implementations. This expansion also leads to an increase in precision of the output which can be provided by a hardwired power series expansion. A recursive power series expansion increases this precision while reducing the spatial requirements. The system also enhances flexibility by allowing the constants of the power series expansion to be selectable.

Digital probabilistic reasoning element

The present system performs linear transformations on input probabilities and produces outputs which indicate the likelihood of one or more events. The transformation performed is a product of linear transforms such as P.sub.o =[A.sub.j P.sub.j +B.sub.j ].multidot.[A.sub.k P.sub.k +B.sub.k ] where P.sub.j and P.sub.k are input probabilities, P.sub.o is an output event probability and A.sub.j, B.sub.j, A.sub.k and B.sub.k are transformation constants. The system includes a basic processing unit or computational unit which performs a probabilistic gate operation to convert two input probability signals into one output probability signal where the output probability is equal to the product of linear transformations of the input probabilities. By appropriate selection of transformation constants logical and probabilistic gates performing the functions of AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, NOT, IMPLIES and NOT IMPLIES can be created. The basic unit can include three multipliers and two adders if a discrete component hardwired version is needed for speed or a single multiplier/adder, associated storage and multiplex circuits can be used to accomplish the functions of the hardwired version for economy. This basic unit can also be provided as a software implementation, can be implemented as a hardwired decision tree element implementation or implemented as a universal probabilistic processor and provided with a bus communication structure to create expert systems or neural networks suitable for specific tasks. The basic units can be combined to produce a virtual basic building block which has more virtual processors than physical processors to improve processor utilization. The building blocks can be combined into an array to produce either a high speed expert system or a high speed neural network.

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Churchill Boro, PA, United States of America

John H Murphy