Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system and method for close proximity vehicular data transmission may include detecting, by a processor onboard a vehicle, a predetermined condition for activating a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver onboard the vehicle. The onboard short range RF transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals within a limited distance from the onboard short range RF transceiver. The onboard short range RF transceiver is activated in response to at least detecting the predetermined condition. A communications link is established between the onboard short range RF transceiver and a predetermined mobile communications device assigned to a particular crew member. Vehicular data is transmitted from the onboard short range RF transceiver to the predetermined mobile communications device.

Abstract: A system and method for close proximity vehicular data transmission may include detecting, by a processor onboard a vehicle, a predetermined condition for activating a short range radio frequency (RF) transceiver onboard the vehicle. The onboard short range RF transceiver is configured to transmit and receive signals within a limited distance from the onboard short range RF transceiver. The onboard short range RF transceiver is activated in response to at least detecting the predetermined condition. A communications link is established between the onboard short range RF transceiver and a predetermined mobile communications device assigned to a particular crew member. Vehicular data is transmitted from the onboard short range RF transceiver to the predetermined mobile communications device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify components from images of components are disclosed. An example method includes generating first keypoint signatures of an object from at least one image of the object and identifying the object using the first keypoint signatures. Identifying the object comprises: comparing the first keypoint signatures to assembly reference keypoint signatures at a first level in a hierarchical database, the assembly reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of multiple views of assemblies containing sets of components; and based on the comparison of the first keypoint signatures to the assembly reference keypoint signatures, comparing the first keypoint signatures to component keypoint signatures at a second level in a hierarchical database lower than the first level, the component reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of the components.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify components from images of components are disclosed. An example method includes generating first keypoint signatures of an object from at least one image of the object and identifying the object using the first keypoint signatures. Identifying the object comprises: comparing the first keypoint signatures to assembly reference keypoint signatures at a first level in a hierarchical database, the assembly reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of multiple views of assemblies containing sets of components; and based on the comparison of the first keypoint signatures to the assembly reference keypoint signatures, comparing the first keypoint signatures to component keypoint signatures at a second level in a hierarchical database lower than the first level, the component reference keypoint signatures comprising keypoint signatures of the components.

Abstract: A method for administering object-based multi-level security in a service oriented architecture includes: (a) defining a plurality of multi-level security attributes for each of selected respective life-cycle states of a plurality of life-cycle states of a service object; (b) receiving a request from a requestor for the service object; (c) determining permitted actions for the service object based upon at least one selected multi-level security attribute of the plurality of multi-level security attributes, and based upon at least one life-cycle state of the plurality of life-cycle states of the service object; and (d) generating a quality of service security contract based upon the determination of permitted actions.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a result for a post-query may include: (a) Algorithmically treating the query to create a signature. (b) Composing a pseudo-get web identifier including a web address identifying a responding station and the signature. (c) Sending the query via a network to the responding station to request the result. (d) Determining whether the result is stored in a cache unit in the network. (e) If the result is stored in a cache unit, providing the result to the requesting station. (f) If the result is not stored in a cache unit, acquiring the result from the responding station. (g) Storing the result in a receiving cache unit. (h) Sending a resubmitted query via the network to the responding station in a format appropriate to retrieve the stored result from the receiving cache unit. The resubmitted query format includes the signature phrase.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adaptive multipath content streaming in communication networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-based system to manage content streaming from a sender to a receiver comprises a processor and logic instructions stored in a tangible computer-readable medium coupled to the processor which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to split an encoded content stream into a plurality of parallel content streams including a first content stream comprising a base layer and at least a first additional layer, wherein the base layer contains a low-bandwidth content stream and reference information for additional layers and a second content stream comprising the base layer and at least a second additional layer, and a transmitter to transmit at least one of the first content stream or the second content stream from the sender to the receiver based at least in part on an available bandwidth parameter.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a request for information from a relational database, translating the received request to at least one of an object and a relational persistent query, parsing the query to determine one or more of table names, attributes and attribute types, and generating at least one set of related files. The parsing results are used to update at least one configuration file to accept the related files for use by at least one of the object and the relational persistent query service, and execute at least one of the persistent query services based on the translated queries, wherein the persistent query services are programmed to receive the translated query. Based on the execution of the translated query, the results are either fetched from at least one of the object cache or retrieved from at least one of the database, stored, and the results are transmitted to the user.

Abstract: A system for conveying priority associated with a communication conveyed among networks includes: (a) a first network originating the communication in packets; each respective packet including two segments; a first segment containing a portion of the communication in information payload bits in a first encoding scheme; a second segment containing overhead information relating to the packet in overhead bits in a second encoding scheme; a number of the overhead bits being configured to indicate the priority; and (b) a second network cooperating with the first network to alter encoding of the first segment of a selected packet-set to express the information payload bits in a third encoding scheme that is unreadable in the second network; the second network employing the priority-indicating bits to ascertain priority for handling the communication by the second network; the second network preempting lower priority resources to reserve resources for higher priority packet-sets.

Abstract: A system for conveying priority associated with a communication conveyed among networks includes: (a) a first network originating the communication in packets; each respective packet including two segments; a first segment containing a portion of the communication in information payload bits in a first encoding scheme; a second segment containing overhead information relating to the packet in overhead bits in a second encoding scheme; a number of the overhead bits being configured to indicate the priority; and (b) a second network cooperating with the first network to alter encoding of the first segment of a selected packet-set to express the information payload bits in a third encoding scheme that is unreadable in the second network; the second network employing the priority-indicating bits to ascertain priority for handling the communication by the second network; the second network preempting lower priority resources to reserve resources for higher priority packet-sets.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a request for information from a relational database, translating the received request to at least one of an object and a relational persistent query, parsing the query to determine one or more of table names, attributes and attribute types, and generating at least one set of related files. The parsing results are used to update at least one configuration file to accept the related files for use by at least one of the object and the relational persistent query service, and execute at least one of the persistent query services based on the translated queries, wherein the persistent query services are programmed to receive the translated query. Based on the execution of the translated query, the results are either fetched from at least one of the object cache or retrieved from at least one of the database, stored, and the results are transmitted to the user.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a result for a post-query may include: (a) Algorithmically treating the query to create a signature. (b) Composing a pseudo-get web identifier including a web address identifying a responding station and the signature. (c) Sending the query via a network to the responding station to request the result. (d) Determining whether the result is stored in a cache unit in the network. (e) If the result is stored in a cache unit, providing the result to the requesting station. (f) If the result is not stored in a cache unit, acquiring the result from the responding station. (g) Storing the result in a receiving cache unit. (h) Sending a resubmitted query via the network to the responding station in a format appropriate to retrieve the stored result from the receiving cache unit. The resubmitted query format includes the signature phrase.

Abstract: A method for administering object-based multi-level security in a service oriented architecture includes: (a) defining a plurality of multi-level security attributes for each of selected respective life-cycle states of a plurality of life-cycle states of a service object; (b) receiving a request from a requestor for the service object; (c) determining permitted actions for the service object based upon at least one selected multi-level security attribute of the plurality of multi-level security attributes, and based upon at least one life-cycle state of the plurality of life-cycle states of the service object; and (d) generating a quality of service security contract based upon the determination of permitted actions.