Santa Barbara Research Center

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Hughes Aircraft Company

Richard A Dye

Robert J Cinzori

Mark E Preiser

Donald A Rowley

Clyde R Berry

An automatic alignment mechanism for use in a reciprocal tracking laser communicator. A cylindrical transceiver unit having oppositely disposed laser transmitter and detector sections is mounted within an outer cylinder. The outer cylinder has an open end and a closed end with a spherical, mirrored inner surface. Means for mounting the cylindrical transceiver positions the detector facing the mirrored inner surface and constrains the detector to movement in the focal sphere of the mirror. Electromechanical means, responsive to received optical energy reflected by the mirror and focussed onto the detector, rotates the transceiver in accordance with the location of the blur circle of said energy on said detector so that the transceiver is aligned with the source of the optical transmission.

Self-aligning laser communicator utilizing reciprocal tracking

The present invention discloses an automatic range containment system for e in an electric/optical or electromagnetic active 'radar' type sensor to discriminate against background obstructions within a sensor field of view. The system comprises an intrusion timer initiated by a signal received from a target sensor; a containment interval timer initiated by a turn-on pulse; a transmitter oscillator in combination with a clock generating pulses; a range containment timer initiated by the pulses; a range set-back timer in combination with a range gate and a gate; a range counter for counting and totalling a signal passed through the gate; and a digital-to-analog converter converting the signal from the range counter to the range containment timer providing a range control causing the system to reduce operational range if the background obstructions appear within the sensor's field of view.

Automatic range containment system

A method of and apparatus for modulating, demodulating, and ordering independent signals transmitted over a single link provides mux-demux capability by asymmetric average interpulse spacing so that the information will be received only by the proper listening station despite interruptions or errors in transmission. In the two signal embodiment, a master oscillator provides an asymmetric carrier pulse train to a pair of ramp generators, one leading pulse edge triggered and the other trailing edge triggered. The ramps pulse position modulate the signals by means of a pair of comparators. The modulated outputs of the comparators are applied to an OR gate which combines the pulses to provide a time division multiplexed stream of modulated data having an asymmetric average interpulse spacing. The data stream is transmitted over a pulsed data link to a pair of synchronizers, each of which contains a phase-locked loop having a voltage controlled oscillator whose free running pulse repetition frequency is one-half that of the multiplexed stream and whose loop filter high frequency cutoff is considerably below the lowest modulation frequency. A flip-flop correlator compares the average start times of the voltage controlled oscillators of the two phase-locked loops to provide the control signals for a steering network which directs each of the signals to the proper listening station, assuring the independence of the transmissions.

Apparatus and method for ordering independent signals

A realistic laser weapon simulator is disclosed which utilizes a laser transmitter in combination with a rifle for teaching marksmanship by firing laser 'bullets' at an infrared detector equipped target. The laser weapon includes a piezoelectric crystal coupled to a laser in a housing for mounting axially to a rifle barrel. The rifle may develope a mechanical force by firing a blank cartridge which generates a shock wave and vibrates the piezoelectric device. A mechanical force may also be applied directly to the piezoelectric device by the rifle's hammer.

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Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Richard A Dye