1. A magnetron oscillator characterized by comprising:
a first magnetron;
a launcher which extracts an output power of said first magnetron;
an impedance generator which has one terminal connected to an output terminal of said launcher, and adjusts a load impedance of said first magnetron; and
a reference signal supplier which is connected to the other terminal of said impedance generator, and supplies, to said first magnetron, a reference signal lower in electric power and stabler in frequency than the output from said first magnetron, characterized in that at least one of the load impedance of said first magnetron and the electric power of the reference signal supplied from said reference signal supplier changes in synchronism with the output power of said first magnetron.
2. A magnetron oscillator characterized by comprising:
a first magnetron;
a launcher which extracts an output power of said first magnetron;
an impedance generator which has one terminal connected to an output terminal of said launcher, and adjusts a load impedance of said first magnetron; and
a reference signal supplier which is connected to the other terminal of said impedance generator, and supplies, to said first magnetron, a reference signal lower in electric power and stabler in frequency than the output from said first magnetron, characterized by further comprising a synchronous controller which controls at least one of said impedance generator and said reference signal supplier on the basis of at least one of an anode current and the output power of said first magnetron.
3. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 2, characterized in that said synchronous controller comprises:
a detection unit which detects at least one of the anode current and output power of said first magnetron;
a data storage unit which stores characteristic data of said first magnetron; and
a control unit which controls at least one of said impedance generator and said reference signal supplier by referring to the characteristic data stored in said data storage unit on the basis of a detection result from said detection unit.
4. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said reference signal supplier comprises:
a reference signal oscillator which oscillates the reference signal; and
an irreversible member which guides the reference signal from said reference signal oscillator to said impedance generator, and guides the output power of said first magnetron, which is supplied from said impedance generator, in a direction of a load.
5. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 4, characterized in that said irreversible member is one of a circulator, a directional coupler, and a branchingcoupling device.
6. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 4, characterized in that said reference signal supplier further comprises an amplifier which amplifies the reference signal from said reference signal oscillator.
7. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 6, characterized in that said amplifier comprises a plurality of amplifiers, and said plurality of amplifiers are connected in series or parallel.
8. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 4, characterized in that said reference signal supplier further comprises a second magnetron having an output power higher than that of said reference signal oscillator and lower than that of said first magnetron, and supplies, to said first magnetron, an output power of said second magnetron having an oscillation frequency locked to a frequency of the reference signal by injection of the reference signal.
9. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by further comprising an isolator which is connected between said reference signal supplier and a load, absorbs a reflected power from said load, and guides the output power of said first magnetron, which is supplied from said reference signal supplier, in a direction of said load.
10. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 9, characterized in that said isolator comprises:
a dummy load which absorbs an electric power; and
a circulator which guides the reflected power from said load to said dummy load, and guides the output power of said first magnetron, which is supplied from said reference signal supplier, in a direction of said load.
11. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said reference signal supplier comprises:
a reference signal oscillator which oscillates the reference signal;
an isolator having one terminal connected to said reference signal oscillator; and
an irreversible member connected to the other terminal of said isolator, the other terminal of said impedance generator, and a load, said irreversible member guides the output power of said first magnetron, which is supplied from said impedance generator, in a direction of said load, and guides a reflected power from said load to said isolator, said isolator absorbs the reflected power from said irreversible member, and guides the reference signal from said reference signal oscillator to said irreversible member, and said irreversible member further guides the reference signal from said isolator to said impedance generator.
12. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said first magnetron comprises a cathode which emits electrons when heated, a heater which heats said cathode in accordance with an applied voltage, and an anode which forms an electric field with respect to said cathode, and said magnetron oscillator further comprises a heater power supply which decreases the voltage to be applied to said heater as an electric current flowing through said anode increases.
13. A magnetron oscillator according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by being used as a microwave power supply of a plasma processor which performs predetermined processing on an object to be processed, by using a plasma generated by a microwave.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An adaptive collision load path modification system for a vehicle comprising:
a plurality of object detection sensors generating object detection signals;
at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device coupled within a frame rail of the vehicle; and
a controller coupled to said plurality of object detection sensors and said structural stiffness-adjusting device and activating said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to said object detection signals.
2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said object detection signals comprise collision detection information.
3. A system as in claim 1 further comprising contact sensors generating collision detection signals, said controller activating said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to said collision detection signals.
4. A system as in claim 3 wherein said contact sensors are selected from at least one of a discretized patch sensor and an accelerometer.
5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said object detection sensors are selected from at least one of a vision sensor, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and a contact sensor.
6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device comprises at least one of an air bag and a magneto-rheological device.
7. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device comprises an outer body at least partially filled with a magneto-rheological material.
8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller activates said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to at least one collision object parameter selected from speed, heading, size, weight, and location, relative to the vehicle.
9. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device is coupled within a frame rail kick-up area.
10. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device is coupled within a front rail between a front suspension attachment points and an occupant compartment of the vehicle.
11. A system as in claim 1 further comprising at least one tire deflation apparatus coupled to said controller, said controller activating said at least one tire deflation apparatus to at least partially deflate at least one tire on the vehicle in response to said object detection signals.
12. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device comprises:
a first structural stiffness-adjusting device coupled within a left frame rail of the vehicle; and
a second structural stiffness-adjusting device coupled within a right frame rail of the vehicle;
said controller activating at least one of said first structural stiffness-adjusting device and said second structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to said object detection signals.
13. An adaptive collision load path modification system for a vehicle comprising:
a plurality of object detection sensors generating object detection signals;
at least one tire deflation apparatus; and
a controller coupled to said plurality of object detection sensors and said tire deflation apparatus and activating said at least one tire deflation apparatus to at least partially deflate at least one tire on the vehicle in response to said object detection signals.
14. A system as in claim 13 further comprising a structural stiffness-adjusting device coupled to said controller and within a frame rail of the vehicle, said controller activating said structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to said object detection signals.
15. A system as in claim 13 wherein said at least one tire deflation apparatus is selected from at least one of a pyrotechnic element.
16. A system as in claim 13 wherein said at least one tire deflation apparatus comprises:
a first tire deflation apparatus coupled to a left tire of the vehicle; and
a second tire deflation apparatus coupled to a right tire of the vehicle;
said controller activating at least one of said first tire deflation apparatus and said second tire deflation apparatus in response to said object detection signals.
17. A method of modifying collision load paths of a vehicle comprising:
generating object detection signals; and
activating at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device within a frame rail of the vehicle in response to said object detection signals.
18. A method as in claim 17 further comprising at least partially deflating at least one tire on the vehicle.
19. A method as in claim 17 further comprising:
classifying at least one object;
determining velocity of said at least one object relative to the vehicle;
determining heading of said at least one object relative to the vehicle;
determining collision type in response to said heading;
assessing collision threat in response to said velocity and said collision type; and
activating at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device in response to said collision threat.
20. A method as in claim 17 wherein activating at least one structural stiffness-adjusting device comprises modifying a collision load path within at least one side of the vehicle.