Method of robotic manipulation using fluidic patterning, US6786174, 9/7/2004

A system and method for robotic manipulation of objects is provided wherein a liquid is agitated by the transfer of energy thereto for establishing an oscillatory motion instability in the liquid. The energy input into the liquid forms standing waves. The objects align themselves with nodes of the standing waves and thus are dynamically arranged in a configuration established by the location of the standing waves. The location of the standing waves can be predetermined by controlling the energy input by energy application system and the size and shape of the container. Predetermined waveforms are supplied from the signal source to the energy application system.

Robotic manipulation system utilizing fluidic patterning, US6776118, 8/17/2004

A system and method for robotic manipulation of objects is provided wherein a liquid is agitated by the transfer of energy thereto for establishing an oscillatory motion instability in the liquid. The energy input into the liquid forms standing waves. The objects align themselves with nodes of the standing waves and thus are dynamically arranged in a configuration established by the location of the standing waves). The location of the standing waves can be predetermined by controlling the energy input by energy application system and the size and shape of the container. Predetermined waveforms are supplied from the signal source to the energy application system.

Single and dual-band patch/helix antenna arrays, US6720935, 4/13/2004

Single and dual frequency band spatial null steering antenna arrays are disclosed, comprised of primary resonant quadrifilar helix antennas and auxiliary resonant patch antennas, which comprise stacked patches in the dual-band embodiments. Several feed networks are described for producing, preferably, circularly polarized radiation in satellite frequency bands (e.g., L1 and L2) with pattern nulls steerable to desired elevation angles. Various top and bottom-fed quadrifilar helix antennas configurations are also described.

Method for conducting a moving vehicle along a trajectory of a coordinated maneuver based on state information broadcast by other vehicles participating in the coordinated maneuver, US6718236, 4/6/2004

A method for coordinating numerous vehicles within a common maneuver is characterized by receiving, at a moving vehicle, state and projected maneuver information of other vehicles participating in the maneuver via a broadcast link and utilizing the information to control the trajectory of the moving vehicle based on predicted paths of all participating vehicles for future times for which the maneuver is to be conducted. For simple maneuvers, such as flight-deck based self-spacing of aircraft in a runway approach, the method allows each participating vehicle to virtually perform the coordinated maneuver by predictive simulation using current state data to determine if corrective measures need be undertaken, or, if the predicted maneuver shows that it would complete as planned, maintaining its current trajectory. This affords vehicle operators the freedom to perform other duties, as the operators are alerted only when a change in state is necessitated. In the runway approach problem, the state changes are primarily in a change of speed and the choice of a simple, stepped speed profile reduces the amount of speed control that must be attended to by aircraft flight crews, allows for fuel efficient flight profiles within constraints of solving the spacing problem, and allows for higher runway throughput as compared with the prior art.