[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 20 (Friday, January 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5095-5096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01760]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of Army


Notice of Intent To Seek Partners for a Cooperative Research and 
Development Agreement and Licensing Opportunity for Smoothed Symbol 
Transition Modulation Invented by U.S. Army Aviation and Missile 
Command

AGENCY: Department of Army, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Intent Seeking Partners.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMRDEC) is seeking 
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partners to 
collaborate in transitioning smoothed symbol transition modulation 
(SSTM) into commercial and/or government application(s). SSTM 
references approved for public release are provided [2-4]. Interested 
potential CRADA collaborators will receive detailed information on the 
current status of the project after signing a confidentiality 
disclosure agreement (CDA) with AMRDEC. Guidelines for the preparation 
of a full CRADA proposal will be communicated shortly thereafter to all 
respondents with whom initial confidential discussions will have 
established sufficient mutual interest. CRADA applications submitted 
after the due date may be considered if a suitable CRADA collaborator 
has not been identified by AMRDEC among the initial pool of 
respondents. Licensing of background technology related to this CRADA 
opportunity is also available to potential collaborators.

DATES: Interested candidate partners must submit a statement of 
interest and capability to the AMRDEC point of contact before March 8, 
2015 for consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments and questions may be submitted to: Department of 
Army, US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aviation 
and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, ATTN: RDMR-
CST, Office of Research and Technology Applications (Ms. Wallace), 5400 
Fowler Road, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions about the proposed action 
can be directed to Ms. Cindy Wallace (256) 313-0895, Office of Research 
and Technology Applications, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Project Description. AMRDEC seeks to ensure that technologies 
developed by AMRDEC are expeditiously commercialized and brought to 
practical use. The purpose of a CRADA is to find partner(s) to 
facilitate the development and commercialization of a technology that 
is in an early phase of development. Respondents interested in 
submitting a CRADA proposal should be aware that it may be necessary 
for them to secure a patent license to the above-mentioned patent 
pending technology in order to be able to commercialize products 
arising from a CRADA. CRADA partners are afforded an option to 
negotiate an exclusive license from the AMRDEC for inventions arising 
from the performance of the CRADA research plan.
    2. Technology Overview. Conventional modulation techniques have 
step changes between symbols. The step changes embed rectangular 
windowing functions, with poor power spectral density function 
characteristics, into the modulated waveform [1], [2], [3].
    Smoothed symbol transition modulation (SSTM) [1], [2], [3], [4] 
waveform consists of half cycle raised cosine waveforms and zero slope 
line segments waveforms concatenated together to create a smooth 
waveform. All SSTM symbol transitions occur at zero slope points. The 
SSTM waveform requires less bandwidth and has a much faster power 
spectral density convergence than conventional modulation.
    Binary SSTM and 16 quadrature amplitude modulation SSTM (QAM-SSTM) 
simulations demonstrate the utility of the modulation technique [1], 
[2], [3], [4]. Smoothed symbol transition modulation simply adds one 
more block before the output (final) modulation stage [1], [2], [3], 
[4]. SSTM offers opportunities for improved performance under 
intersymbol interference, multipath signal conditions, dispersive 
channel conditions and timing jitter conditions. In terms of digital 
signal processing, SSTM is low cost, and offers significant performance 
improvements over conventional rectangular windowing function limited 
modulators.
    Under the CRADA, further research and development will be conducted 
on current and new algorithm(s) and further development in 
characterization is also needed. Based on the results of these 
experiments and other data, the program will then develop a target 
product profile. The developed algorithm(s) might be further improved 
to address specific aspects of this target product profile and, if 
necessary, to optimize its computation requirements and performance. 
The CRADA scope will also include studies beyond candidate selection 
including all aspects of algorithm studies, developments, simulations, 
optimization, and performance testing leading to a successful smoothed 
symbol transition modulation application.
    Collaborators should have experience in the development of digital 
signal processing algorithms, digital modulation, software defined 
radios, communications systems, and technology transition. The target 
end products include government and commercial communications systems, 
wireless applications (radio, television, WiFi, telecom, cell phones, 
data, satellite communications, et al.), radar, internet applications 
(cable modems), medical imaging, and other unique applications 
identified by the CRADA partner.
    The full CRADA proposal should include a capability statement with 
a detailed description of collaborators' expertise in the following and 
related technology areas: (1) Conventional digital modulation, digital 
signal processing, software defined radios, communications systems, 
testing and evaluation of communications systems, etc.; (2) 
communications theory, information theory, and bit error rate; (3) 
expertise in windowing functions; (4) collaborators' expertise in 
successful technology transition; and (5) collaborator's ability to 
provide adequate funding to support some project studies is strongly 
encouraged. A preference will be given to collaborators

[[Page 5096]]

who shall manufacture smoothed symbol transition modulation systems in 
the United States.
    Collaborators are encouraged to properly label any proprietary 
material in their CRADA proposal as PROPRIETARY. Do not use the phrase 
``company confidential.''
    3. Publications.

    a. P. Jungwirth: ``Smoothed Symbol Transition Modulation,'' US 
Patent Application 14/181221, February 14, 2014. Not yet published.
    b. P. Jungwirth: ``Smoothed Symbol Transition Modulation,'' 
AlaSim International Conference & Exposition,'' Huntsville, Alabama, 
pp. TBD, May 2014. http://www.almsc.org/alasim-international.shtml.
    c. P. Jungwirth: ``Smoothed Symbol Transition Modulation DSP 
Algorithm,'' TAPR Conference, Austin, TX, pp. 32-51, September 2014. 
https://www.tapr.org/pdf/DCC2014-SmoothedSymbolTransitionModulation-Patrick-Jungwirth.pdf.
    d. P. Jungwirth: ``Smoothed Symbol Transition Modulation 16 QAM, 
Submitted to The Forum for Communications Experimenters, December 
2014. (email Ms. Wallace at [email protected] to request 
a copy of this paper).

Brenda S. Bowen,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-01760 Filed 1-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-08-P