Raytheon Company

Hughes Aircraft Company

He Holdings, Inc.

John M Brauninger

Carl W Townsend

Clifford A Megerle

John McHardy

J Brian Murphy

Mohi Sobhani

The composition of an electrically conductive mixture, such as a mixture of gasoline and alcohol, is measured using a single measurement cell having a first electrode and a second electrode with a measurement space therebetween for receiving a specimen of the mixture. With a specimen of the mixture in the measurement space, the first electrode is alternatively connected to a reference discharge voltage, preferably ground, and to an applied voltage through a resistor. A first operational state encompasses the period when the first electrode is connected to the reference discharge voltage and a second operational state encompasses the period when the first electrode is connected to the applied voltage through the resistor. A first operational state peak voltage is measured during the first operational state, and a second operational state peak voltage is measured during the second operational state. The first operational state peak voltage and a preselected constant proper fraction of the second operational state peak voltage are summed to obtain a summed voltage output, which may be correlated to the composition of the mixture.

Dielectric mixture composition sensor with compensation for mixture

The composition of an electrically conductive mixture, preferably a mixture of gasoline and alcohol, is measured using a single measurement cell having a first electrode and a second electrode with a measurement space therebetween for receiving a specimen of the mixture. With a specimen of the mixture in the measurement space, the first electrode is alternatively connected to a reference discharge voltage, preferably ground, and to a feedback control voltage. A first operational state encompasses the period when the first electrode is connected to the reference discharge voltage and a second operational state encompasses the period when the first electrode is connected to the feedback control voltage. A first operational state peak voltage is measured during the first operational state, and a peak second operational state voltage is measured during the second operational state. The first operational state voltage and a preselected constant proper fraction of the peak second operational state voltage are mathematically combined to obtain a voltage output, which may be correlated to the composition of the mixture. The voltage output is also used as the feedback control voltage, to produce a linear signal output as a function of dielectric constant of the conductive mixture.

Dielectric mixture composition linear sensor with compensation for

A three dimensional stacked integrated circuit system. The system includes a motherboard, a plurality of stacked integrated circuit subassemblies, and a plurality of Z-flex circuits coupled therebetween. The plurality of stacked integrated circuit subassemblies each comprise a base, an integrated circuit, and an X-Y flexprint circuit folded around the edges of the base that provides conducting paths thereto. The base comprises a heat conducting material, such as aluminum, aluminum nitride, alumina, beryllium oxide, or copper, for example. The X-Y flexprint circuits comprise printed interconnects that provide conducting paths between the motherboard and the integrated circuit subassemblies. The Z-flex printed circuits comprise a plurality of bumps that mate with a plurality of rings of the X-Y flexprint circuits, and a plurality of wrinkles that accommodate tolerance build up between the integrated circuit subassemblies. The Z-flex printed circuits may be single layer or multilayer flex circuits, or may comprise a lateral Z-flex printed circuit. The present invention thus interconnects several integrated circuits together to provide for a very high density, low weight, repairable microelectronic integrated circuit package. The system utilizes flexprint, bump, ring, and wire bonding (beam lead or tab) technologies that have been proven and tested for commercial and military applications. The system provides for a high density integrated circuit package that implements a thermal management scheme to maximize heat transfer away from the integrated circuits.

Stacked high density interconnected integrated circuit system

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

John M Brauninger