Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100253998 | VERY HIGH POWER PULSED FIBER LASER - A high power integrated fiber laser system includes cascaded amplifiers that utilize low numerical aperture fiber amplifiers. The system is rugged and lightweight. | 10-07-2010 |
20130033742 | VERY HIGH POWER PULSED FIBER LASER - A pulsed fiber laser including fiber preamplifier and power amplifier stages is disclosed. A fiber preamplifier includes first and second preamplifier stages that receive and amplify a seed pulse. A filter isolator placed between the preamplifier stages suppresses noise from the first preamplifier stage. An acoustic optical modulator located in the second preamplifier stage eliminates unwanted wavelengths from the amplified seed pulse received from the first preamplifier stage. The pulsed fiber laser is rugged and lightweight. | 02-07-2013 |
20130044309 | Scanning Non-Scanning LIDAR - An all fiber optic laser based scanning system for real time terrain mapping under degraded visual conditions is disclosed. A laser output is modulated to achieve a desired pulse width and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and the modulated signal is amplified. The amplified optical signals are split into N channels that correspond to N elements of an optically phased array that steers light by modulating the phase of light entering and exiting the optical system. By applying a linear phase shift across the beam's wave front, the light propagating along the system's optical axis is steered to an off-axis angle. A real time map of an underlying terrain is accomplished by sweeping the N channel array across the terrain while collecting range information from each scan grid. | 02-21-2013 |
20130083389 | Laser Doppler Velocimeter Optical Electrical Integrated Circuits - A photonic integrated circuit and related method are presented. A photonic integrated circuit comprises a source of radiation, one or more optical amplifiers, a transceiver, and optical waveguides. The optical waveguides couple light between the source of radiation, the one or more optical amplifiers, and the transceiver. The one or more optical amplifiers are configured to increase an optical power of the light up to at least 10 mW. The photonic integrated circuit may be used to perform laser Doppler velocimeter type measurements. | 04-04-2013 |
20130208256 | LDV with Diffractive Optical Element for Transceiver Lens - A transceiver device that includes one or more light sources configured to emit a light beam that includes one or more different wavelengths, and includes a diffractive optical element configured to initiate one or more wavelength specific responses from the light beam to form one or more transmission light beams and to direct the one or more transmission light beams substantially towards a target; and further includes one or more sensor devices configured to receive the one or more transmission light beams and one or more reception light beams that are reflected back from the target. The diffractive optical element (e.g., a holographic element) is used in either a monostatic, bistatic or multistatic design to reduce the required size and/or number of optical elements, lasers and receivers. The transceiver device may be used in a LIDAR system in order to measure air and wind parameters at multiple altitudes. | 08-15-2013 |
20130325213 | LDV for Airdrops - A method of using a light detection system for increasing the accuracy of a precision airdrop is described. Radiation is transmitted to target areas between an airborne vehicle and a dropzone target. Scattered radiation is received from the target areas. Respective wind characteristics are determined from the scattered radiation and a wind velocity map is generated, based on the respective wind characteristics, between the airborne vehicle, and at least the dropzone target. An aerial release point for the precision airdrop is computed based on the generated wind velocity map and a location of the dropzone target. | 12-05-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090278516 | TRANSIENT RECOVERY CIRCUIT FOR SWITCHING DEVICES - A transient recovery circuit for switching devices. The transient recovery circuit includes a detecting circuit for detecting a rapid transient in an output voltage of a switching device by detecting a rate of the output voltage transient; an auxiliary controlling circuit in a feedback loop of the switching device for correcting the output voltage by changing a bandwidth of the feedback loop if the rapid transient is detected; and an initializing circuit for initializing the feedback loop to expected operating points in a continuous conduction mode after correcting the output voltage. | 11-12-2009 |
20100026267 | SINGLE INDUCTOR MULTIPLE OUTPUT SWITCHING DEVICES - Single inductor multiple output (SIMO) switching devices with efficient regulating circuits. The SIMO switching device includes a plurality of time division multiplexing (TDM) switches for switching current through an inductor of the SIMO switching device. The plurality of TDM switches produces a plurality of outputs. The SIMO switching device further includes an error calculation circuit operatively coupled to the plurality of outputs for determining a calculated error from the plurality of outputs; a time slot generation circuit for controlling the plurality of TDM switches according to the calculated error; and a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit operatively coupled to the time slot generation circuit for controlling a plurality of PWM switches of a switching stage of the SIMO switching device in a continuous conduction mode (CCM) of operation. The PWM switches are controlled according to the time slots generated by the time slot generation circuit. | 02-04-2010 |
20100283439 | EFFICIENT SWITCH CASCODE ARCHITECTURE FOR SWITCHING DEVICES - Efficient switch cascode architecture for switching devices, such as switching regulators. The cascode architecture includes a switching stage responsive to an external driver signal for switching transitions, and a bias generator operative to bias the cascode transistor of the switching stage to protect the switching stage from damage during the switching transitions. | 11-11-2010 |
20120176112 | CIRCUIT FOR SENSING LOAD CURRENT OF A VOLTAGE REGULATOR - A circuit for sensing load current of a voltage regulator. The circuit includes a power transistor and a minor transistor. A first transistor sizing circuit is coupled to the power transistor and is operable to control size of the power transistor based on a bias voltage of the power transistor, thereby regulating a first voltage for varying load conditions. The circuit also includes a feedback amplifier coupled to the power transistor and the mirror transistor. A transistor is coupled to the feedback amplifier and the mirror transistor. An analog to digital converter (ADC) is coupled to the transistor. A second transistor sizing circuit is coupled to the mirror transistor, the transistor, and the ADC. The second transistor sizing circuit is responsive to an output voltage to control size of the minor transistor, thereby ensuring that accuracy of output voltage sensed by ADC is not limited by ADC's resolution. | 07-12-2012 |
20120193986 | HARVESTING POWER FROM DC (DIRECT CURRENT) SOURCES - In a solar panel array, each solar panel in a series-connected string has a current source connected across its output terminals. The current source generates a programmable output current equal to the difference of the load current drawn from the panel and the current corresponding to the maximum power point (MPP) of the panel. As a result, each of the panels in the string is operated at its MPP. When the array contains multiple strings connected in parallel, a voltage source is additionally connected in series with each string. The voltage sources are programmable to generate corresponding output voltages to enable operation of each panel in each of the multiple strings at its MPP. Respective control blocks providing the current sources and voltage sources automatically determine the MPP of the corresponding panels. In an embodiment, the control blocks are implemented as DC-DC converters in conjunction with measurement and communication units. | 08-02-2012 |
20120193989 | OPERATING DIRECT CURRENT (DC) POWER SOURCES IN AN ARRAY FOR ENHANCED EFFICIENCY - In a solar panel array that includes a string of series-connected panels, the load current flowing through the string is measured. The peak current (Ipp) of a panel in the string is determined. A current equal to the difference of the load current and the peak current (Ipp) is generated in a current source connected across the output terminals of the panel. The panel is thereby operated at its maximum power point (MPP). To determine the peak current (Ipp) of the panel, the magnitude of current flowing through the panel is iteratively changed and the corresponding power generated by the panel is computed. The change in the current through the panel and the measurement of the corresponding power are repeated until a maximum power is determined as being generated by the panel. The maximum power corresponds to the maximum power point (MPP) and the peak current (Ipp) of the panel. | 08-02-2012 |
20120299580 | TRANSIENT RECOVERY CIRCUIT FOR SWITCHING DEVICES - A transient recovery circuit for switching devices. The transient recovery circuit includes a detecting circuit for detecting a rapid transient in an output voltage of a switching device by detecting a rate of the output voltage transient; an auxiliary controlling circuit in a feedback loop of the switching device for correcting the output voltage by changing a bandwidth of the feedback loop if the rapid transient is detected; and an initializing circuit for initializing the feedback loop to expected operating points in a continuous conduction mode after correcting the output voltage. | 11-29-2012 |
20140198423 | CURRENT LIMITER CIRCUIT FOR CONTROL AND PROTECTION OF MOSFET - A circuit for controlling a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) to generate a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage includes a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET. The circuit includes a gate resistor coupled to the first MOSFET. The circuit includes a first resistor and a zener diode coupled to the second MOSFET. In addition, the circuit includes a diode coupled to the zener diode and the first MOSFET. The circuit includes a first current path wherein the first current path includes the diode and the first MOSFET. The circuit includes a third MOSFET. Further, the circuit includes a Resistor-Capacitor (RC) filter coupled to source terminal of the third MOSFET. The circuit includes a third resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the second terminal is coupled to drain terminal of the third MOSFET. The circuit also includes a fourth MOSFET. | 07-17-2014 |
20140239725 | MAXIMIZING POWER OUTPUT OF SOLAR PANEL ARRAYS - A system for generating electric power includes a first DC source, a second DC source and a shared optimizer. The first DC source provides a first voltage across a first node and a second node, while the second DC source provides a second voltage across the second node and a third node. The shared optimizer is designed to provide a first programmable current source between the first node and the second node as well as a second programmable current source between the second node and the third node. In an embodiment, the first and second DC sources are solar panels, and the optimizer includes a DC-DC converter, which operates to maximize power output of the solar panels. The use of a single (shared) optimizer may obviate the need for separate optimizers for each solar panel, and thereby reduce system cost. | 08-28-2014 |