The Boeing Company

Roland Nelson Freeman

Robert John Rencher

Rahul C Thakkar

Depti Patel

Luis Alfonso Vinuelas

Guijun Wang

Mark James Boyer

Marco R Calderon

Brandon Edward Wickline

John William Glatfelter

Alimuddin Mohammad

Nicholas William Jones

Faye I Francy

Karrie Ruth Guymon

A method for observing and directing the movement of a physical object from a location to a destination, the method comprising. The method includes receiving specifications governing the physical dimensions, a material composition, a movement parameter, and an environmental control condition requirement for a physical object and storing those specifications in a shared, distributed ledger accessible by the relevant actors in a supply chain. By requiring significant events to be recorded in the distributed ledger, such a confirmations of product conformance to the specifications, documentation regarding the transport and receipt of the object, and relevant environmental conditions, the movement of the object through the supply chain can be ascertained and controlled with a high degree of visibility and accountability.

Object tracking in a multi-modal transportation environment

A method of acquiring software by a source node in a wireless ad hoc network. The method includes the source node executing application software from which a need to process a particular modality of data is identified, and making a determination that the source node is incapable of processing the particular modality of data. Responsive to the determination, the source node searches a local module repository (MR) of the source node for a software module usable to process the particular modality of data, and responsive to the source node failing to locate the software module in the local MR, broadcasts a request for the software module to neighbor nodes of the plurality of nodes in radio range of the source node. The source node receives the software module from the neighbor node, and uses the software module to process the particular modality of data.

Software distribution in a wireless ad hoc network for ad-hoc data processing on a source node

A system is provided that includes a rack including mount positions to accept electronic equipment modules that are rack mountable and equipped with respective RFID tags, and a RFID reader array including RFID readers each of which is associated with a respective mount position, and has a read field that among the mount positions extends into only the respective mount position. Processing circuitry causes an RFID reader to radiate an interrogation signal within its read field, and in response, receive module identifiable information from an RFID tag of an electronic equipment module mounted at the mount position. A signal including the module identifiable information and mount position identifiable information is transmitted to the processing circuitry, and a second signal to a computer configured to identify the electronic equipment module from the module identifiable information, and locate the electronic equipment module at the mount position from the mount position identifiable information.

Autonomously identifying and locating electronic equipment modules in a rack

A method of acquiring software by a source node in a wireless ad hoc network. The method includes the source node executing application software from which a need to perform a task is identified, and making a determination that the source node is incapable of performing the task. Responsive to the determination, the source node searches a local module repository (MR) of the source node for a software module usable to perform the task, and responsive to the source node failing to locate the software module in the local MR, broadcasts a request for the software module to neighbor nodes of the plurality of nodes in radio range of the source node. The source node receives the software module from the neighbor node, and uses the software module to perform the task.

Distributed ledger for software distribution in a wireless ad hoc network for ad-hoc data processing on a source node

Networkable digital life jackets and associated methods are disclosed. An example life jacket includes a state manager and a swarm manager. The state manager is configured to selectively operate the life jacket in one of multiple operational states of the life jacket based on data obtained from one or more sensors of the life jacket. The swarm manager is configured to form a swarm network including the life jacket and one or more other life jackets.

Networkable digital life jackets and associated methods

A method of operating an aircraft. The method includes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted parameter of the aircraft during operation of the aircraft; receiving, at a processor, the trusted parameter; entering, by the processor, the trusted parameter as a first immutable entry into a ledger stored on an immutable non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, wherein immutable is defined as unchangeability of data stored on the non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, and wherein the ledger also contains additional immutable entries regarding operations of the aircraft and an aircraft environment; executing, by the processor, a recursive analysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together with the additional immutable entries to produce analyzed data; and using, by the processor, the analyzed data to improve future operational performance of the aircraft by ordering changes in how a component of the aircraft performs during operation of the aircraft based on the analyzed data.

Aircraft digital event ledger

Methods and apparatus for reducing probabilities of collisions between humans and automated machines operating within a workplace are disclosed. An apparatus includes a collision probability determiner to determine a first probability of collision between an automated machine and a wearable safety vest. The apparatus further includes a safety manager to determine whether the first probability of collision exceeds a probability of collision threshold. The apparatus further includes a control signal generator to generate a first control signal in response to the safety manager determining that the first probability of collision exceeds the probability of collision threshold. The first control signal is to be transmitted to the automated machine to adjust an operation of the automated machine.

Methods and apparatus for reducing probabilities of collisions between humans and automated machines operating within a workplace

An apparatus is provided for directing movement of a physical object within a three-dimensional (3D) navigable region of an environment. Generally, the apparatus divides the navigable region into geometric segments, and assigns a sequence of the geometric segments from a location to a destination to, and for movement of, the physical object. That is, the apparatus assigns a next geometric segment to the physical object moving in a current geometric segment in the sequence. The next geometric segment is then analyzed based on operational parameters of the physical object and a condition of the environment. In at least one increment, the next geometric segment is adjusted and reassigned to the physical object based thereon. Thereafter, the apparatus directs the physical object to move from the current geometric segment into the next geometric segment so assigned, or into the next geometric segment so reassigned in the at least one increment.

Analysis of object movement within an environment

An Internet of things (IoT) network for managing assembly of a multi-part product in a production environment. A user wears a device that provides a hands-free display of assembly instructions while the user is assembling the product. The user also wears sensors for transmitting data about the user's location within the production environment. Point of assembly sensors are disposed at locations within the production environment for transmitting data regarding where the product is and should be assembled. The product's parts also include sensors that transmit data regarding location of the parts and how they are assembled. A backend computer system stores product assembly information including the assembly instructions, where the user should be to assemble the product, how the product should be assembled, and verification of assembly accuracy. Alerts are generated if information from the sensors does not corresponding with the preprogrammed information in the computer system.

System and method for using an internet of things network for managing factory production

Systems, methods, and computer program products manage retention of data associated with a business record are described herein. In one embodiment, a computer-based system to manage retention of data associated with a business record comprises at least one processor and logic instructions stored in a tangible computer readable medium which, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to determine whether the business record has reached a record retention threshold, and in response to a determination that a business record has reached the record retention threshold to separate a business record into a plurality of data elements, wherein the data elements have at least one defined retention policy associated therewith, determine a selected storage location for each of the plurality of data elements based on the at least one defined retention policy and store each of the plurality of data elements in the selected storage location.

Data retention management

A system and method for information security management. An anomaly in data traffic directed to a data processing environment is identified. The anomaly indicates a threat to the data processing environment. The data processing environment comprises a number of data processing systems. A threatened data processing system is identified. The threatened data processing system is one of the number of data processing systems to which the threat is directed. The threatened data processing system is isolated. The threatened data processing system is monitored after the threatened data processing system is isolated. The threatened data processing system is replicated to form a replicated data processing system.

Growing community of inventors

Goose Creek, SC, United States of America

Roland Nelson Freeman