International Electronic Machines Corp.

International Business Machines Corporation

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Bruce P McKenney

Zahid F Mian

Ryk E Spoor

Robert W Foss

Peter Hayes

Marc Robert Pearlman

Randy A Leet

A solution for measuring torque and other parameters of a mechanical component is provided. At least two bands can be affixed to the mechanical component and at least two sensing assemblies can be operatively coupled to each band. Each sensing assembly generates signals indicative of relative movement between a respective band and the sensing assembly. A signal conditioner conditions the signals for a computing unit to determine the torque to the mechanical component. The computing unit can determine the torque from a twist of the mechanical component that can be correlated with the torque.

Mechanical component torque measurement

A solution for managing vehicles both individually and as a group of associated vehicles is provided. A vehicle node can be located on each vehicle in the group and obtain and process data from a plurality of sensors also located on the vehicle. The vehicle node can be configured to communicate, either directly or indirectly, with a group system assigned to the group using a wireless communications solution. The group system can acquire monitoring data for all of the group of associated vehicles, which can be used to manage the group of associated vehicles and/or one or more individual vehicles in the group. The group system can be located on a vehicle traveling as part of the group of associated vehicles or at a fixed location.

Network communications for vehicle group monitoring

A solution for acquiring pressure data for an object, such as an airfoil, is provided. One or more pressure sensor nodes are utilized, each of which includes a set of pressure sensors and a processing component. The pressure sensor node(s) are affixed to the object in a manner that enables the pressure sensors to acquire pressure data for a set of locations on the surface of the object. A pressure sensor node also can include a wireless communications component to provide wireless communications between the pressure sensor node and a computer system.

Pressure profiling system

A network of nodes communicating with a central node using a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) communications network is disclosed. Each node can synchronize an internal clock with an internal clock of the central node when entering the TDMA communications network using a packet received from the central node. Furthermore, each node can maintain synchronization using subsequent packets communicated in the TDMA communications network and a time slot assigned for the subsequent packet.

TDMA communications with clock synchronization

Vehicle group monitoring

A solution for communicating between devices located within and outside of an effective Faraday cage volume is provided. An enclosure structure forming the effective Faraday cage volume can be used as an antenna for a transceiver of a wireless device located within the Faraday cage volume. An antenna connector of a transceiver of the wireless device can be physically connected to the conductive material of the enclosure structure using any solution. The enclosure structure can transmit wireless signals generated by the wireless device external of the enclosure structure and/or transmit external wireless signals to the transceiver of the wireless device for processing by the device.

Wireless transmission through faraday cage enclosure

A sensor node for use in a sensor system includes a core component a sensor component and a power component. The core component includes processing and transmission/receiving components. Additionally, the core component includes interfaces for selectively connecting sensor and power components of any one of a plurality of types. In this manner, the core component enables the corresponding power and sensor components to be matched according to a particular application to generate the desired sensor node.

Modular sensor node and communications system

A computerized method and apparatus transfers data between source and destination memories using a programmed input/output loop executing on a central processing unit which controls a cache memory to perform the data transfer. Blocks of the cache are mapped to respective source and a destination memories, which are preferably I/O memories associated with I/O devices. Cache transfers are done using bursting which allows multiple data units to be returned in response to a single request for data. To perform the transfer of data, a source block in the cache is cleared and multiple memory units are read into the source block in the cache via bursting. A destination block in the cache which is mapped to the destination memory is then cleared and the source block in the cache is written to the destination block in the cache. Finally, the destination block in the cache is flushed out via bursting into the destination memory. The clearing of the source and destination blocks in the cache may be done concurrently with the reading and writing of data blocks. Through the use of the programmed input/output loop and bursting, overall data throughput and transfer rates can exceed throughput rates of a DMA unit configured for a similar transfer. Bursting provides minimal system bus overhead. Preferred embodiments are implemented using the Motorola MPC860 PowerPC microprocessor.

Growing community of inventors

Selkirk, NY, United States of America

Bruce P McKenney