Abstract: A gas turbine engine generates noise during use, and one particularly important flight condition for noise generation is take-off. A gas turbine engine that has high efficiency provides low noise, in particular from the fan and the turbine that drives the fan. Values are defined for a noise parameter NP that results in a gas turbine engine having reduced combined fan and turbine noise.

Abstract: A method, system and/or computer usable program product for managing optimization of a transportation network system including identifying a set of items for transportation between a set of origins and a set of destinations during a set of time periods, prioritizing each of the set of items, utilizing a set of network constraints and costs, utilizing a set of loading constraints for a set of transportation units, the loading constraints limiting the quantity and placement of items for each transportation unit, optimizing a quantity of the set of transportation units for transporting the set of items between the set of origins and the set of destinations during the set of time periods based on the prioritization of each of the set of items, the network constraints and costs, and the loading constraints for each transportation unit, and adjusting the optimized quantity of transportation units to a discrete quantity based on the prioritization of each of the set of items and the network constraints and costs.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to message validation. A computing platform may receive a message, sent by a first device and directed to a second device, from an electronic messaging server. The computing platform may verify, based on message sender details, an identity of a sender of the message. The computing platform may generate, after verifying the identity of the sender of the message, an authentication token for the message, and may inject the authentication token into the message. The computing platform may route, to the electronic messaging server and after injecting the authentication token into the message, the message. The computing platform may receive a request to validate the message, which may include the authentication token and details of the message. The computing platform may identify, using the authentication token and the details of the message, that the message is authenticated.

Abstract: Inspection robots and methods for inspection of curved surfaces with sensors at selected horizontal distances are described. An example of such an inspection robot includes a housing; a drive module with a wheel and a motor operatively linked to the housing, a plurality of sensor sleds, and a payload. The payload, which is coupled to the housing, may include a first and a second rail component, each with at least one connector, where the rail components are connectable at a first selected position of a plurality of discrete engagement positions. Each of the rail components may be structured to support at least one of the plurality of sleds where each of the plurality of sleds is coupled to the payload at a respective selected horizontal position such that the plurality of sleds are at selected horizontal distances from each other.

Abstract: A method includes determining, by a processor of a computing device, a subset of models included in a plurality of models generated based on a genetic algorithm and corresponds to a first epoch of the genetic algorithm. Each of the plurality of models includes data representative of a neural network. The method includes aggregating the subset of models to generate an ensembler. The ensembler, when executed on an input, provides at least a portion of the input to each model of the subset of models to generate a plurality of intermediate outputs. An ensembler output of the ensembler is based on the plurality of intermediate outputs. The method further includes executing the ensembler on input data to determine the ensembler output.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mobile wallet payments are disclosed. In one embodiment, in an information processing apparatus comprising at least one computer processor, a method for conducting a payment using an electronic wallet may include: (1) a mobile application receiving a selection of an alternate payment currency; the mobile application receiving a payment payload from an issuer; the mobile application providing the selection of the alternate payment currency and an identifier to the issuer; and the mobile application providing the payment payload and the identifier to a merchant host. The merchant host may communicate the identifier to the issuer, and the issuer may identify selection of the alternate payment currency based on the identifier.

Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network. In one form, the aggregated data may be used to control access to a hazard-prone environment in order to reduce the likelihood of exposure of a service technician to unsafe conditions within such environment.

Abstract: A method of providing spark ignition for an engine or other equipment having a combustion chamber. A radio frequency wave or a microwave (RF/microwave) generator delivers radio frequency waves or microwaves to a transmit antenna inside the combustion chamber. At least one RF/microwave receive antenna is attached to an internal surface of the combustion chamber and comprises two or more RF/microwave focusing features with a spark gap between them. The transmit antenna wirelessly energizes the receive antenna, which generates a spark between the two focusing features.

Abstract: A replacement part validation system is presented that includes a scanning system that scans a received part and provides the scan results of the received part. The system also includes a part recognition module that, based on the received scan results of the received part and provides a part identification and a part quality metric. The system also includes a job assignment module that assigns the received part to an outstanding repair job. The system also includes an output generator that outputs the outstanding repair job and the part quality metric. The system also includes a computing processor that, based on the received scanned results, causes the part recognition module to review a database of parts and retrieve a most-likely match. The part quality metric is based on a comparison of the received part to the most-likely match. The computing processor causes the output generator to output the outstanding repair job and part quality metric to a source.

Abstract: A method of providing spark ignition for an engine or other equipment having a combustion chamber. A radio frequency wave or a microwave (RF/microwave) generator delivers radio frequency waves or microwaves to a transmit antenna inside the combustion chamber. At least one RF/microwave receive antenna is attached to an internal surface of the combustion chamber and comprises two or more RF/microwave focusing features with a spark gap between them. The transmit antenna wirelessly energizes the receive antenna, which generates a spark between the two focusing features.

Abstract: A personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device, a system and methods of using the personal area network that includes a wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device can act as an aggregator of the data that is being acquired by the one or more sensors and from other devices that are within wireless signal range of the personal area network in order to send some or all of the data over a wireless low power wide area network to remote locations within a larger network for subsequent processing, user notification, analysis of location-determination, contact tracing or the like. Data may flow in a bidirectional manner between the wearable electronic device and at least some of the other devices within the personal area network. In one form, the aggregated data may be used to provide information related to one or more operational parameters of an industrial asset and, if necessary, take control-based action in order to adjust one or more such operational parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.

Abstract: The present application describes providing an attestation level to a received communication. The attestation level may be used to communicate a level of security to a network or a called party that receives the communication. The attestation level associated with the communication may indicate to a destination network and/or recipient that the phone number associated with the communication is secure and/or the telephone number has not been spoofed.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method of identifying a vehicle, and a system thereof. The method can include receiving a first image of a vehicle from a first camera and classifying the vehicle in the first image with a vehicle class label. The method can also include determining a first vehicle fingerprint for the vehicle. The method can also include detecting any changes in the first vehicle fingerprint and the vehicle class label after a first time period. The detected changes in the first vehicle fingerprint can correspond to a disassembly state of the vehicle. The method can also include performing, if the vehicle class label is unchanged, at least one action in response to detected changes in the first vehicle fingerprint.

Abstract: A test system for detecting corrosion under a coating on a structure, the coating being transmissive to microwaves and the surface being reflective to microwaves. A microwave generator generates microwaves of a desired power and frequency, which are delivered to a test head that both transmits the microwaves to the surface and receives the microwaves as reflected from the structure. A corrosion detection processor measures the phase and amplitude of the reflected signal, and compares measurement data to reference data to determine if corrosion under the coating is indicated.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine generates noise during use, and one particularly important flight condition for noise generation is take-off. A gas turbine engine that has high efficiency provides low noise, in particular from the fan and the turbine that drives the fan. Values are defined for a noise parameter NP that results in a gas turbine engine having reduced combined fan and turbine noise.

Abstract: Systems and methods for mobile wallet payments are disclosed. In one embodiment, in an information processing apparatus comprising at least one computer processor, a method for conducting a payment using an electronic wallet may include: (1) a mobile application receiving a selection of an alternate payment currency; the mobile application receiving a payment payload from an issuer; the mobile application providing the selection of the alternate payment currency and an identifier to the issuer; and the mobile application providing the payment payload and the identifier to a merchant host. The merchant host may communicate the identifier to the issuer, and the issuer may identify selection of the alternate payment currency based on the identifier.

Abstract: Inspection robots with a multi-function piston connecting a drive module to a central chassis and systems thereof are disclosed. An example inspection robot may include a center chassis coupled to a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors. The inspection robot may further include a drive module coupled to the center chassis, the drive module having a drive wheel to engage an inspection surface and a drive piston mechanically interposed between the center chassis and the drive module. The example may further include wherein the drive piston in a first position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a minimum distance between and the drive piston in a second position couples the drive module to the center chassis at a maximum distance between. The example may further include wherein the drive module is independently rotatable relative to the center chassis.

Abstract: A portable building formed from transportation containers that are unloaded and connected together to form modular building units. The building units have roof parts that unfold to connect to one another, to form a building, with openings, and with a roof, sized according to a number of modular units that have been attached together.

Abstract: System and methods for traversing an obstacle with an inspection robot are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot including an obstacle sensor to interrogate an inspection surface. The example may further include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by the obstacle sensor, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The example system may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.