Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the owner consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The owner consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail of who had access to which data, and when.

Abstract: A drive through system includes a sensor configured to obtain image data including an image of a lane of the drive through system and a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether the image includes a vehicle; identify, within the image, a personally identifiable feature; modify the image to remove the personally identifiable feature from the image and generate an anonymized image; and in response to a determination that the image includes a vehicle, provide the anonymized image to a remote device along with a request for the remote device to determine a characteristic of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of operating a drive through interface of a drive through system includes detecting a presence of a vehicle at the drive through interface based on image data of a portion of a lane at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to an order being placed by a customer in the vehicle via the drive through interface, operating a display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is not yet ready for pickup and prompting the customer to keep the vehicle at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to the order being ready for pickup at a particular pickup window of multiple pickup windows, operating the display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is ready for pickup and prompt the customer to drive the vehicle to the particular pickup window.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.

Abstract: A control system for a drive through includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, using image data obtained from multiple cameras, a characteristic of a vehicle in a lane of the drive through. The processing circuitry can operate a point of sale unit to provide an indication of the characteristic of the vehicle. The processing circuitry can, responsive to detection of one or more of a plurality of vehicles using the image data, perform at least one of (i) initiating an alert via the point of sale unit for staff of the drive through, (ii) initiating an action to open an additional lane, or (iii) initiating a kitchen action to prepare one or more food or beverage items.

Abstract: A control system for a drive through includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, using image data obtained from multiple cameras, a characteristic of a vehicle in a lane of the drive through. The processing circuitry can operate a point of sale unit to provide an indication of the characteristic of the vehicle. The processing circuitry can, responsive to detection of one or more of a plurality of vehicles using the image data, perform at least one of (i) initiating an alert via the point of sale unit for staff of the drive through, (ii) initiating an action to open an additional lane, or (iii) initiating a kitchen action to prepare one or more food or beverage items.

Abstract: A method of operating a drive through interface of a drive through system includes detecting a presence of a vehicle at the drive through interface based on image data of a portion of a lane at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to an order being placed by a customer in the vehicle via the drive through interface, operating a display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is not yet ready for pickup and prompting the customer to keep the vehicle at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to the order being ready for pickup at a particular pickup window of multiple pickup windows, operating the display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is ready for pickup and prompt the customer to drive the vehicle to the particular pickup window.

Abstract: A method of operating a drive through interface of a drive through system includes detecting a presence of a vehicle at the drive through interface based on image data of a portion of a lane at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to an order being placed by a customer in the vehicle via the drive through interface, operating a display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is not yet ready for pickup and prompting the customer to keep the vehicle at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to the order being ready for pickup at a particular pickup window of multiple pickup windows, operating the display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is ready for pickup and prompt the customer to drive the vehicle to the particular pickup window.

Abstract: A method of operating a drive through interface of a drive through system includes detecting a presence of a vehicle at the drive through interface based on image data of a portion of a lane at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to an order being placed by a customer in the vehicle via the drive through interface, operating a display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is not yet ready for pickup and prompting the customer to keep the vehicle at the drive through interface. The method includes, responsive to the order being ready for pickup at a particular pickup window of multiple pickup windows, operating the display screen of the drive through interface to notify the customer that the order is ready for pickup and prompt the customer to drive the vehicle to the particular pickup window.

Abstract: Introduced here is a computational architecture (also referred to as a “computational infrastructure”) that addresses the limitations of traditional data management solutions using a highly secure data management solution coupled with consent-based sharing. At a high level, the computational architecture applies blockchain methodologies to both transaction data and business data such that both types of data are stored “on chain” in the same computational architecture. This enables several significant advantages over traditional data management solutions with respect to data security, data ownership, data sharing, and intelligence.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.

Abstract: A control system for a drive through includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, using image data obtained from multiple cameras, a characteristic of a vehicle in a lane of the drive through. The processing circuitry can operate a point of sale unit to provide an indication of the characteristic of the vehicle. The processing circuitry can, responsive to detection of one or more of a plurality of vehicles using the image data, perform at least one of (i) initiating an alert via the point of sale unit for staff of the drive through, (ii) initiating an action to open an additional lane, or (iii) initiating a kitchen action to prepare one of more food or beverage items.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the owner consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The owner consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail of who had access to which data, and when.

Abstract: Introduced here is a computational architecture (also referred to as a “computational infrastructure”) that addresses the limitations of traditional data management solutions using a highly secure data management solution coupled with consent-based sharing. At a high level, the computational architecture applies blockchain methodologies to both transaction data and business data such that both types of data are stored “on chain” in the same computational architecture. This enables several significant advantages over traditional data management solutions with respect to data security, data ownership, data sharing, and intelligence.

Abstract: A control system for a drive through includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, using image data obtained from multiple cameras, a characteristic of a vehicle in a lane of the drive through. The processing circuitry can operate a point of sale unit to provide an indication of the characteristic of the vehicle. The processing circuitry can, responsive to detection of one or more of a plurality of vehicles using the image data, perform at least one of (i) initiating an alert via the point of sale unit for staff of the drive through, (ii) initiating an action to open an additional lane, or (iii) initiating a kitchen action to prepare one or more food or beverage items.

Abstract: A traffic management system for controlling traffic flow in an area is provided. The system has sensors (10) positioned at respective junctions (2) in the area, forming a network of nodes (2). Software (25) processes the sensor signals to derive vehicle signatures indicative of a particular vehicle detected at the node at a particular time. This is used to track the progress of vehicles traveling across the network and derive vehicle statistics (60) as to traffic volumes (64), routes (66) and journey times (62) at various times. Artificial intelligence (AI) (80) trained on historical vehicle statistics arranged to predict traffic arriving at plural junctions at a future time based on receiving a current count of vehicles sensed at nodes in the network. Based on the prediction, a control plan for traffic lights (3) is determined to optimise traffic flow.

Abstract: A consent block is a type of block that may be stored in a blockchain. Each consent block has an owner and may store an owner consent contract, i.e., a smart contract containing owner-specified access rules that determine who may access data assets that are stored in other blocks of the blockchain and owned by the same owner. The consent block may alternatively store a global consent contract containing global access rules that supersede owner-specified access rules. The consent block also stores a hash value determined from the consent contract and a previous hash value of the block immediately preceding the consent block. The consent contract and the position of the consent block in the blockchain are verifiable from the hash value. Each consent block, once added to the blockchain, becomes part of the immutable record of data stored in the blockchain, and therefore leaves an auditable trail.