New technological advancements related to circuit interface systems could help the Department of the Air Force (DAF) better adapt to dynamic and varied mission requirements.
Dr. Mohammad “Imran” Vakil, a sensor design engineer affiliated with the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate (AFRL/RY), is a prolific inventor who already holds over a dozen patents. The latest to be awarded pertains to technology called the “read-out integrated circuit interface system for digitization and control” (RIS-DC). The RIS-DC, which was developed in collaboration with several other RY-affiliated researchers, permits DAF to better adapt signal processing systems to complex, divergent mission needs.
Signal processing architectures are made up of several different subsystems and are used to detect the presence of adversary assets, including drones, aircraft and spacecraft. These flying objects give off heat and therefore infrared light. The first part of an imaging system, the detector array, receives the infrared light and produces matching voltage or current. An interface then moves this information to a signal processor, which then produces a digitized image of the detected object. This image can then be displayed on a screen. These systems are therefore very useful in identifying the size and shape of enemy craft and providing DAF warfighters with visualizations of potential enemies.
According to Dr. Vakil, however, a significant problem related to how these systems are produced is their lack of adaptability. Different systems are appropriate for different mission requirements – for example, some missions might require detection accurate to granular levels of detail – down to “every blade of grass,” according to Dr. Vakil. Other missions require only fuzzy levels of detail and therefore only light processing power.
There are other such requirements that change based on mission needs; for example, the need to “clean” the electrical system of background interference changes between missions, as does the necessary size and weight of the system. Drones, for example, need to be equipped with lighter signal processing systems than large aircraft, as weight is a much more significant consideration for smaller drones than for more sizable craft.
Being able to “mix and match” different detector arrays, interfaces, and signal processors would help DAF personnel adapt systems to meet specific mission needs. However, as currently produced, signal processing systems are manufactured and sold as complete, holistic items, with parts unable to be interchanged between and among different systems.
However, Dr. Vakil’s RIS-DC innovation could revolutionize this paradigm. The invention in question is a hardware system that uses embedded firmware and software to perform timing, power, and control functions. The hardware board can be interfaced with piece-parts from different signal processing systems, allowing components to be “swapped out” freely. This capability could allow DAF organizations to adapt signal processing systems much more adeptly to different situations, enhancing the warfighter’s awareness and readiness. Furthermore, the hardware board is compatible for use with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and other advanced capabilities, further enhancing its usefulness.
Dr. Vakil’s work has gone beyond establishing initial “proof of concept” and has successfully demonstrated that the technology functions as intended. The hardware board is currently compatible with an array of industry standard interfaces, but it can also be easily upgraded with minimal hardware modifications or additions to fit new products or prototypes as they emerge. Dr. Vakil hopes that the patent award will inspire stakeholders across the Department of War (DoW) to embrace the new paradigm offered by these important innovations, which would improve the department’s preparedness for the mission ahead.
Dr. Vakil’s patent application was facilitated by RY’s Office of Research and Technology Application (ORTA). Department of the Air Force (DAF) ORTAs protect DAF’s interests as related to new discoveries achieved in DAF research laboratories. DAF ORTAs work with DAF scientists and engineers to navigate the patent application and issuance process, ensuring that DAF’s intellectual property interests are preserved. After patent issuance, many technologies are subsequently licensed to external entities for further development and refinement, and DAF ORTAs also facilitate this process. DAF ORTAs coordinate their activities with the DAF Technology Transfer and Transition (T3) Program Office, which oversees individual ORTAs and performs ORTA functions for DAF laboratories lacking a designated ORTA.
United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent #12,513,414