| United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Spac Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120111599 | Inkjet Printing of Conductive Carbon Nanotubes, Inherently Conductive Polymers, and Metal Particle Inks - Systems and methods for forming conductive materials. The conductive materials can be applied using a printer in single or multiple passes onto a substrate. The conductive materials are composed of electrical conductors such as carbon nanotubes (including functionalized carbon nanotubes and metal-coated carbon nanotubes), grapheme, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (e.g. pentacene and bisperipentacene), metal nanoparticles, an inherently conductive polymer (ICP), and combinations thereof. Once the conductive materials are applied, the materials are dried and sintered to form adherent conductive materials on the substrate. The adherent conductive materials can be used in applications such as damage detection, particle removal, and smart coating systems. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120041913 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS FOR OTOACOUSTIC PROTECTION OF AUTONOMIC SYSTEMS - Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an autonomic unit transmits an otoacoustic signal to counteract a potentially harmful incoming signal. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120034384 | MOLELCULAR ADSORBER COATING - A molecular adsorber coating for collecting and retaining outgassed molecular effluent may include a mass fraction of about 0.20 to about 0.40 of zeolite, a mass fraction of about 0.40 to about 0.80 of a binder, and a mass fraction of about 0.0 to about 0.30 of water. The mass ratio of the binder to the zeolite may be in a range of about 1.6 to about 2.4. The binder may comprise, on a mass basis, about 30 to about 40 percent particles of nonporous silica dispersed in a liquid phase. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120023581 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS FOR OTOACOUSTIC PROTECTION OF AUTONOMIC SYSTEMS - Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an autonomic unit transmits an otoacoustic signal to counteract a potentially harmful incoming signal. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110256197 | Preparation of Metal Nanowire Decorated Carbon Allotropes - In the method of embodiments of the invention, the metal seeded carbon allotropes are reacted in solution forming zero valent metallic nanowires at the seeded sites. A polymeric passivating reagent, which selects for anisotropic growth is also used in the reaction to facilitate nanowire formation. The resulting structure resembles a porcupine, where carbon allotropes have metallic wires of nanometer dimensions that emanate from the seed sites on the carbon allotrope. These sites are populated by nanowires having approximately the same diameter as the starting nanoparticle diameter. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110078498 | RADIATION-HARDENED HYBRID PROCESSOR - A method of providing radiation hardening for a modular computational component having a first memory and a second memory and being connectable to an external platform comprises providing a radiation tolerant field programmable gate array having a pair of processors, processing data from the external platform according to instructions stored in the first memory, and executing instructions stored in the second memory to provide radiation hardening by software. The instructions comprise instructions to execute identical processing operations for the data of the external platform in each of the pair of processors, instructions to identify a data corruption indicia for each of the identical processing operations, instructions to compare the identified data corruption indicia, and instructions to repeat the identical processing operations if the data corruption indicia show corrupted data. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110073754 | HIGH PRECISION ELECTRIC GATE FOR TIME-OF-FLIGHT ION MASS SPECTROMETERS - A time-of-flight mass spectrometer having a chamber with electrodes to generate an electric field in the chamber and electric gating for allowing ions with a predetermined mass and velocity into the electric field. The design uses a row of very thin parallel aligned wires that are pulsed in sequence so the ion can pass through the gap of two parallel plates, which are biased to prevent passage of the ion. This design by itself can provide a high mass resolution capability and a very precise start pulse for an ion mass spectrometer. Furthermore, the ion will only pass through the chamber if it is within a wire diameter of the first wire when it is pulsed and has the right speed so it is near all other wires when they are pulsed. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110051990 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIGNAL PROCESING NON-UNIFORMLY SAMPLED DATA - According to various embodiments, a method is provided for improving data and a system is provided that is configured to perform the method. The method can comprise processing a data signal by using an optical system comprising a signal processor. The method can comprise collecting data generated by the optical system, wherein the data comprises non-uniformly sampled data. The method can comprise performing an interpolation operation on the non-uniformly sampled data using the signal processor, to generate interpolated data. Further, the method can comprise adjusting the data with the interpolated data using the signal processor, to generate improved data. The improved data can be output to a user, for example, by displaying the improved data on a display unit, or by printing out the improved data. According to various embodiments, the data can comprise any desired data, for example, image data. The method can comprise improving the image resolution, improving the image brightness, improving the image contrast, and/or improving the image focus. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110045223 | Method for Exfoliation of Hexagonal Boron Nitride - A new method is disclosed for the exfoliation of hexagonal boron nitride into mono- and few-layered nanosheets (or nanoplatelets, nanomesh, nanoribbons). The method does not necessarily require high temperature or vacuum, but uses commercially available h-BN powders (or those derived from these materials, bulk crystals) and only requires wet chemical processing. The method is facile, cost efficient, and scalable. The resultant exfoliated h-BN is dispersible in an organic solvent or water thus amenable for solution processing for unique microelectronic or composite applications. | 02-24-2011 |
| 20100318316 | Insulation Test Cryostat with Life Mechanism - A multi-purpose, cylindrical thermal insulation test apparatus is used for testing insulation materials and systems of materials using a liquid boil-off calorimeter system for absolute measurement of the effective thermal conductivity (k-value) and heat flux of a specimen material at a fixed environmental condition (cold-side temperature, warm-side temperature, vacuum pressure level, and residual gas composition). The apparatus includes an inner vessel for receiving a liquid with a normal boiling point below ambient temperature, such as liquid nitrogen, enclosed within a vacuum chamber. A cold mass assembly, including the upper and lower guard chambers and a middle test vessel, is suspended from a lid of the vacuum canister. Each of the three chambers is filled and vented through a single feedthrough. All fluid and instrumentation feedthroughs are mounted and suspended from a top domed lid to allow easy removal of the cold mass. A lift mechanism allows manipulation of the cold mass assembly and insulation test article. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100215311 | Method and Apparatus for Shape and End Position Determination Using an Optical Fiber - A method of determining the shape of an unbound optical fiber includes collecting strain data along a length of the fiber, calculating curvature and bending direction data of the fiber using the strain data, curve-fitting the curvature and bending direction data to derive curvature and bending direction functions, calculating a torsion function using the bending direction function, and determining the 3D shape from the curvature, bending direction, and torsion functions. An apparatus for determining the 3D shape of the fiber includes a fiber optic cable unbound with respect to a protective sleeve, strain sensors positioned along the cable, and a controller in communication with the sensors. The controller has an algorithm for determining a 3D shape and end position of the fiber by calculating a set of curvature and bending direction data, deriving curvature, bending, and torsion functions, and solving Frenet-Serret equations using these functions. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100039644 | Arrayed Micro-Ring Spectrometer System and Method of Use - A spectrometer system includes an array of micro-zone plates (MZP) each having coaxially-aligned ring gratings, a sample plate for supporting and illuminating a sample, and an array of photon detectors for measuring a spectral characteristic of the predetermined wavelength. The sample plate emits an evanescent wave in response to incident light, which excites molecules of the sample to thereby cause an emission of secondary photons. A method of detecting the intensity of a selected wavelength of incident light includes directing the incident light onto an array of MZP, diffracting a selected wavelength of the incident light onto a target focal point using the array of MZP, and detecting the intensity of the selected portion using an array of photon detectors. An electro-optic layer positioned adjacent to the array of MZP may be excited via an applied voltage to select the wavelength of the incident light. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100027602 | TIME DELAY AND DISTANCE MEASUREMENT - A method for measuring time delay and distance may include providing an electromagnetic radiation carrier frequency and modulating one or more of amplitude, phase, frequency, polarization, and pointing angle of the carrier frequency with a return to zero (RZ) pseudo random noise (PN) code. The RZ PN code may have a constant bit period and a pulse duration that is less than the bit period. A receiver may detect the electromagnetic radiation and calculate the scattering profile versus time (or range) by computing a cross correlation function between the recorded received signal and a three-state RZ PN code kernel in the receiver. The method also may be used for pulse delay time (i.e., PPM) communications. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100012849 | DETECTOR FOR DUAL BAND ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION - The invention concerns a single detector with two designable wavelengths and bandwidths for ultraviolet detection based on n | 01-21-2010 |
| 20090310270 | Fast-Responding Short Circuit Protection System with Self-Reset for Use in Circuit Supplied by DC Power - A short circuit protection system includes an inductor, a switch, a voltage sensing circuit, and a controller. The switch and inductor are electrically coupled to be in series with one another. A voltage sensing circuit is coupled across the switch and the inductor. A controller, coupled to the voltage sensing circuit and the switch, opens the switch when a voltage at the output terminal of the inductor transitions from above a threshold voltage to below the threshold voltage. The controller closes the switch when the voltage at the output terminal of the inductor transitions from below the threshold voltage to above the threshold voltage. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090230315 | Neutron Imaging Camera, Process and Apparatus for Detection of Special Materials - Systems, processes, and apparatus are described through which fast neutrons are detected, their momenta are measured and a position of a source of the fast neutrons is determined from the measured momenta. For example, a multiple-cell neutron-sensitive camera is described. Each cell includes a neutron detection cell that also functions as a time expansion chamber and a micro-well detector coupled to the time expansion chamber. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090102578 | BROADBAND PLANAR MAGIC-T WITH LOW PHASE AND AMPLITUDE IMBALANCE - A planar Magic-T that incorporates complementary microstrip-slotline tee junction and microstrip-slotline transition area to produce a compact broadband out-of-phase combining structure with minimum loss due to slotline radiation. The Magic-T structure layout is symmetric which causes the structure to be less dependent on the transmission line phase variation. The Magic-T produces broadband in-phase and out-of-phase power combiner/divider responses, has low in-band insertion loss, and small in-band phase and amplitude imbalance. A multi-section impedance transformation network is used to increase the operating bandwidth and minimize the parasitic coupling around the microstrip-slotline tee junction. As a result, the improved magic-T has greater bandwidth and lower phase imbalance at the sum and difference ports than the earlier magic-T designs. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090051926 | MULTIPLE FREQUENCY OPTICAL MIXER AND DEMULTIPLEXER AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE SENSING - A pulsed laser system includes a modulator module configured to provide pulsed electrical signals and a plurality of solid-state seed sources coupled to the modulator module and configured to operate, responsive to the pulsed electrical signals, in a pulse mode. Each of the plurality of solid-state seed sources is tuned to a different frequency channel separated from any adjacent frequency channel by a frequency offset. The pulsed laser system also includes a combiner that combines outputs from each of the solid state seed sources into a single optical path and an optical doubler and demultiplexer coupled to the single optical path and providing each doubled seed frequency on a separate output path. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20080238791 | INTERFEROMETRIC POLARIZATION CONTROL - A signal conditioning module provides a polarimeter capability in a photometric system. The module may include multiple variable delay polarization modulators. Each modulator may include an input port, and a first arm formed to include a first reflector and first rooftop mirror arranged in opposed relationship. The first reflector may direct an input radiation signal to the first rooftop mirror. Each modulator also may include an output port and a second arm formed to include a second reflector and second rooftop mirror arranged in opposed relationship. The second reflector can guide a signal from the second rooftop mirror towards the output port to provide an output radiation signal. A beamsplitting grid may be placed between the first reflector and the first rooftop mirror, and also between the second reflector and the second rooftop mirror. A translation apparatus can provide adjustment relative to optical path length vis-à-vis the first arm, the second arm and the grid. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080238260 | HYBRID PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTING TRANSDUCER SYSTEM - A hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system includes: (a) first and second symmetric, pre-curved piezoelectric elements mounted separately on a frame so that their concave major surfaces are positioned opposite to each other; and (b) a linear piezoelectric element mounted separately on the frame and positioned between the pre-curved piezoelectric elements. The pre-curved piezoelectric elements and the linear piezoelectric element are spaced from one another and communicate with energy harvesting circuitry having contact points on the frame. The hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system has a higher electromechanical energy conversion efficiency than any known piezoelectric transducer. | 10-02-2008 |
