University of Rhode Island

Rhode Island Board of Education, State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education

Pilgrim Screw Corporation

Other

University of Missouri

Greene, Tweed Technologies, Inc.

Tao Wei

Otto J Gregory

Gerald Hefferman

Zhen Chen

Geoffrey Grove

Mookkan Periyasamy

Ken Qing Yang

Elizabeth Sassano

Carmen J Quartapella

Zakary Kinzel

Noah A Burke

Godi Fischer

Zhenyu Xu

Jie Huang

Zheyi Yao

Yan Sun

Methods, systems and a self-sensing valve assembly are described for monitoring seal life. The method includes providing a valve assembly movable from an open position to a closed position and including a seal seated within the valve and in contact with a surface of the valve assembly, wherein when the seal is in operation it is subject to degradation. At least one sensor is placed for measuring micro strain on a surface of the valve assembly or within the valve assembly. The valve assembly is placed in an operation wherein the seal is subject to degradation and the operation of the valve assembly is initiated. At a time after the operation is initiated, micro strain data is recorded and at least one other property related to a condition selected from an ambient condition of operation and a condition related to degradation of the seal is recorded; and the recorded data is analyzed against baseline data associated with 100% seal life to evaluate seal life at the time after the operation is initiated as a percentage of seal life less than 100%.

Smart seals for monitoring and analysis of seal properties useful in semiconductor valves

Methods and apparatuses for detection of probing attacks or other tampering on any bus, including on chip and off chip buses. The method can be performed during runtime, concurrently with normal data transfer on the bus, without stopping the normal data transfer, and without imposing any latency to communications on the bus. The tampering or attack is detected by detecting a phase shift between the input waveform and the output waveform of the bus transmitter. The phase shift is induced by an input impedance change at the output of the bus transmitter caused by the tampering. The phase shift can be measured by detecting a change in the output probability of a metastable flip flop.

Method and apparatus for runtime detection of bus probing/tampering in computer systems

Method and apparatus for detecting in impedance change in a transmission line, such as a line in a computer bus. A CMOS-compatible time domain reflectometer circuit comprising a comparator is embedded in one or more chips and connected to the transmission line. The circuit measures the impedance inhomogeneity pattern (IIP) of the transmission line prior to use, and then repeatedly measures the HP during operation of the transmission line to detect a change in IIP, without Interfering with data transfer through the transmission line. The present invention can detect and locate wire-tapping magnetic probing or snooping, and Trojan and cold boot attacks on interconnecting buses between computer chips or integrated circuits in a computer system, such as on external memory buses.

Bus authentication and anti-probing architecture

The present disclosure is generally directed to an RFID tag for use with a metal fastener where the fastener operates as the antenna of the RFID tag. The RFID tag includes a microchip for storing data. The chip is electrically coupled to the metal fastener in order to receive and transmit the RF signal, the metal fastener thereby operating as the antenna for the RFID tag.

Metal fastener with embedded RFID tag and method of production

Methods and apparatuses for using the impedance inhomogeneity pattern (IIP) of a transmission line, or one or more segments thereof, to verify the identity of the transmission line and/or detect whether or not the transmission line has been altered or tampered with. Because the impedance inhomogeneity pattern of a transmission line is unique, unpredictable, and uncontrollable, it can be used as a physical unclonable function (PUF). The IIP can be obtained by a method such as frequency domain reflectometry or time domain reflectometry, and is then compared with a previously stored intrinsic IIP obtained from a transmission line (or segment(s)) prior to first use through the use of, for example, correlation or coherence functions. The method can be used on any transmission line, including electrical, optical and acoustic transmission lines. The method is useful for enabling or enhancing physical layer communication link security, transmission line sensing security, supply chain security, product authentication, physical encryption, anti-counterfeiting, manufacturing traceability, and the like.

Methods and apparatuses for identifying transmission lines via impedance inhomogeneity patterns

The present disclosure provides a unique digitally integrated, self-trained pre-distortion curve generation method and apparatus for semiconductor lasers (SCLs) to generate linearly swept optical signals that are applicable to a wide range of sweep velocities and semiconductor laser types. The method requires no prior knowledge of the frequency response of the laser and is highly accurate.

Digitally integrated self-trained pre-distortion curve finder for linearly frequency swept semiconductor laser systems

The present disclosure provides a novel distributed coaxial cable strain sensor that can measure a strain profile over the entire length of a cable. Individual strain sensing elements are constructed using Fabry-Perot interferometers, coaxial cable Bragg gratings, or other reflectometry-based sensing structures. By assembling three or more strain sensors together in a bundle, a coaxial cable shape sensing device can be constructed which is capable of accurate three dimensional position measurement.

Coaxial cable sensor device for distributed strain measurement and shape sensing applications

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus to improve the dynamic coherent length of a sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator (SV-LLPG) in an all-electronic fashion. A digital SV-LLPG is disclosed with two operation modes, i.e., unidirectional and bidirectional sweep modes; self-adaptive and time-dependent loop parameters (gain and location of poles/zeros); and, self-adaptive initial input curve. High frequency locking architectures, both single-side band (SSB) modulation method and direct phase measurement method, are provided to suppress the linewidth, or improve the coherent length, of the swept laser. A combination of high and low frequency locking, or a combination of multiple architectures disclosed in this invention, is utilized to achieve a higher level of linewidth reduction. The enhanced laser coherence extends the measurement range by at least one order of magnitude for applications including frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and optical fiber distributed sensing applications.

Method and apparatus for coherence enhancement of sweep velocity locked lasers via all-electronic upconversion

The present disclosure provides a novel fiber optic sensing device using ultra-weak, terahertz-range reflector structures. A fiber optic sensor device for distributed measurements (strain/temperature) includes an optical fiber detection arm having an inner core extending along a length of the optical fiber, an outer cladding surrounding the inner core, and at least one ultra-weak, terahertz-range reflector structure. Each reflector structure is comprised of two or more ultra-weak range reflectors (gratings) written at a spacing corresponding to the terahertz range and formed along a length of the inner core of the optical fiber. A narrow bandwidth, tunable laser interrogation system interrogates the optical fiber and measures changes in reflections and interference patterns caused by physical changes in the optical fiber.

Weak reflection terahertz fiber optic devices for distributed sensing applications

The present disclosure provides a sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator (SV-LLPG) controlled using a digital phase locked loop (DPLL) circuit. The SV-LLPG is utilized for the interrogation of sub-terahertz-range fiber structures for sensing applications that require real-time data collection with mm-level spatial resolution. A laser generates chirped laser pulses via injection current modulation and a DPLL circuit locks the optical frequency sweep velocity. A high-quality linearly chirped laser pulse with a frequency excursion of 117.69 GHz at optical communication bands using a distributed feedback laser is provided.

Growing community of inventors

West Kingston, RI, United States of America

Tao Wei