Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Stuart John Collar

Mark D Hischke

Steven Frederic Davidson

Jeffrey Jay Stone

Scott Alan Stratmoen

Stephen G Kaiser

Donald A Sofia

Shannon Mary Nelson

Daniel Gerard Maglaya

David L Richardson

William Edward Jacklin

Michael J Trainor

Roger Brunner Williams

Michael F DiCicco

Kim D Vollendorf

Robert J Sutowski

Brian James Fitzpatrick

Beverly Jean Timm

Dana Lynn Bourbonnais

Kenneth Alan Gustafson

Infrared communications scheme for use in an embedded system. According to a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises the use of an infrared communications scheme, according to IrDA protocol, which is utilized to transmit and receive data via an electrical interface between circuit cards housed within an enclosed, embedded system. Preferably, each respective circuit card is provided with a digital tri-stateable transmitter element and a digital receiver to respectively transmit and receive data. The systems and methods of the present invention provide increased reliability than prior-art systems and methods.

Shock-resistant backplane utilizing infrared communication scheme with electrical interface for embedded systems

An unattended ground sensor for the monitoring of a remote area. The unattended ground sensor comprises a housing that supports a power source, a communications module, at least one sensor module and a mainframe module. Additionally, the unattended ground sensor includes a common electrical bus in electrical communication with the power source, the communications module, the at least one sensor module, and the mainframe module. The common electrical bus is operative to provide a communications pathway between the power source, the communications module, the at least one sensor, and the mainframe module. Accordingly, the mainframe module is operative to control the operation of the unattended ground sensor through the common electrical bus.

Modular open system architecture for unattended ground sensors

A communications interface adapter facilitates both wired and wireless communications between crew members of a vehicle having a wired intercom and has an intercom communications circuit having an input/output port for providing electrical communication between the interface adapter and the wired intercom and also has a fixed radio transceiver. The fixed radio transceiver comprises a receive circuit for receiving radio communications and for communicating the received radio communications via the intercom communications circuit to the wired intercom of the vehicle and a transmit circuit for transmitting communications received via the intercom communication circuit from the wired intercom of the vehicle. A crew member is provided wired communications with the wired intercom when the crew member's headset is in electrical communication with the wired intercom and is provided wireless communications with the wired intercom via the fixed radio transceiver and the crew member's portable radio transceiver when the crew member's headset is not in electrical communication with the wired intercom.

Communications interface adapter

A personal communication system provides full duplex digital communications between multiple users for both audio and data. A universal adaptor interface receives a plurality of wireless communications. The wireless adaptor interface multiplexes the plurality of wireless communications into a composite signal. The universal adapter interface transmits the composite signal wirelessly. At least one personal communications unit receives the composite signal. Multiplexing the plurality of wireless communications facilitates simultaneous reception thereof by the personal communications units.

Personal communication system architecture

A moving target simulator for testing a radar system has a radio frequency receiver, a digital radio frequency memory in electrical communication with the radio frequency receiver for storing a signal received thereby, a digital delay circuit in electrical communication with the digital radio frequency memory for providing a time delay between reception and transmission of the radio frequency signal, an amplitude modulation circuit in electrical communication with the digital radio frequency memory for modulating an amplitude of the radio frequency signal, a Doppler modulation circuit in electrical communication with the digital radio frequency memory for providing a Doppler-modulated signal, and a radio frequency transmitter for transmitting the radio frequency signal after it has been delayed, amplitude-modulated, and/or Doppler-modulated.

Moving target simulator

A personal communications unit facilitates both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom. The personal communications unit has a headset, an intercom connection cable placeable in electrical communication with the wired headset and also placeable in electrical communication with the wired intercom, a radio transceiver which is placeable in electrical communication with the headset, and a switching circuit which is configured to place the intercom connection cable in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is in electrical communication with the wired intercom and which is configured to place the radio transceiver in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is not in electrical communication with the headset. Wired communications with the wire intercom are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is connected to the wired intercom and wireless communications with the wired intercom are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is disconnected from the wired intercom.

Personal communications unit

A balanced battery charger maintains a balanced charge upon a plurality of battery cells which are connected in series with one another. The balanced battery changer has a monitoring circuit for determining when an imbalance between the charge upon the battery cells occurs and a charging/discharging circuit for selectively charging and discharging at least a selected one of the battery cells so as to generally balance the charge upon the battery cells. Balancing the charge upon the battery cells substantially enhances the life thereof.

Balanced battery charger

A continuous wave diplex Doppler radar, comprising an oscillator generating a transmit signal having a spectrum at a carrier frequency, the oscillator having a frequency control input, and spread spectrum modulation means coupled to the frequency control input for spreading the spectrum of the transmit signal.

Multiple access diplex doppler radar

A low cost RF link is implemented by summing a wideband amplitude noise dither signal with a band limited RF signal. The summed signal is then amplitude limited. The output of the limiter can be applied directly to the digital fiber optic transmitter. At the remote end of the link, the original signal can be recovered by removing the noise dither signal. This can easily be accomplished with a narrow band filter centered on the original signal. This system uses the same optical fiber transmitters and receivers as the traditional system, but eliminates the need for the ADCs, DACs and parallel/serial format conversion hardware. Adding amplitude dither to the signal mitigates the intermodulation distortion that would normally be associated with the non-linear operation of amplitude limiting. In this way, multiple narrow band signals can be transmitted down a single fiber using digital fiber optic transmitters and receivers without distortion due to intermodulation. The technique of the invention has application in commercial systems requiring low cost transmission of analog narrow band voice or data signals over a digital fiber optic link. The inherent EMI/RFI immunity of optical fiber would make this especially attractive for industrial applications.

Growing community of inventors

Algonquin, IL, United States of America

Stuart John Collar