The Boeing Company

Michael Francis Mitchell

John Dalton Williams

Timothy Doyle Messer

John E Rogers

Robert Alan Smith

Fei Cai

Farahnaz Sisco

Corey McKinney Thacker

Ted Ronald Dabrowski

Allon Joseph Stern

Techniques for controlling a process to prevent injury are presented. The techniques include obtaining a location estimation of a mobile transmitter affixed to an object, where the location estimation is relative to a location of a fixed receiver, and where the obtaining the location estimation includes sending an ultra wideband communication from the mobile transmitter to the fixed receiver and acquiring the ultra wideband communication by a phased antenna array of the fixed receiver; assessing, based on the location estimation, that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location; determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate based on a distance between the location estimation and the fixed receiver; and interrupting the process upon both assessing that the mobile transmitter is within an impermissible location and determining that the location estimation is sufficiently accurate.

Ultra wideband location determination with predicative and power saving capabilities

A very low frequency (VLF) receiver is provided. The VLF receiver comprises a magnetometer that detects a magnetic field, wherein the magnetometer comprises a rubidium gas cell. Processing circuitry receives an electrical signal representative of VLF electromagnetic signals detected by the magnetometer. A multi-axis array encloses the magnetometer. The multi-axis array comprises a number of inductive coils. A closed loop current controller is connected to the inductive coils and runs on the processing circuitry. The closed loop current controller controls the magnetic field strength of the inductive coils to maintain a uniform magnetic field across the rubidium gas cell to allow the processing circuitry to detect the VLF electromagnetic signals.

Rubidium spin exchange relaxation free magnetometer based receiver

A system for remote sensing of air gaps includes a substrate and a capacitor sensor array attached to the substrate, where the capacitor sensor array includes a plurality of capacitor sensors. The system also includes a transmit antenna attached to the substrate, and a microprocessor electrically connected to the transmit antenna and the capacitor sensor array. The microprocessor is configured to switch on and off at least one capacitor sensor of the plurality of capacitor sensors and to transmit determined air gap measurements using the transmit antenna.

Systems and methods for remote sensing of air gaps using a capacitor sensor array

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Madison, AL, United States of America

Michael Francis Mitchell