Abstract: A method for determining a length of a span of electrically conductive material, comprising a first voltage measurement across the entire span, and a second voltage measurement across a constant-length segment of the span. The dual measurements allow the calculation of the span length in a manner that is robust to many disturbances including ambient temperature, material temperature, and material stress and fatigue.

Abstract: A braided, open structure composite made with large prepreg tow can be cured without bonding at the yarn crossovers and after removal from the mandrel, it can be used directly as a spring in which the spring constant in bending, torsion, tension or compression can be controlled by the geometry of the braided structure as well as the size of the structural elements. Alternatively the spring may be curved in multiple directions to form complex shapes and then crossovers can be re-bonded to make more rigid open structure composites that would be difficult or impractical to manufacture by conventional techniques.

Abstract: Preforms for open structured (lattice) composite tubular members manufactured from large (i.e. high filament count) prepreg yarns on a conventional maypole braiding machine, and subsequently cured to produce fiber reinforced composites of high strength and light weight.

Abstract: A method for determining a length of a span of electrically conductive material, comprising a first voltage measurement across the entire span, and a second voltage measurement across a constant-length segment of the span. The dual measurements allow the calculation of the span length in a manner that is robust to many disturbances including ambient temperature, material temperature, and material stress and fatigue.

Abstract: A composite prepreg yarn designed and constructed is a very large, strong yarn with resin infused throughout, which can be used to prepare composite preforms via conventional Maypole braiding or other textile processes. The invention increases the loads that can be transmitted by the cured yarn in a composite structure, decreases the stickiness that can prevent their use in braiding and other textile processes, provides protection to the high-strength fibers from abrasion that is encountered during and after composite preform manufacturing via braiding.

Abstract: A braided, open structure composite made with large prepreg tow can be cured without bonding at the yarn crossovers and after removal from the mandrel, it can be used directly as a spring in which the spring constant in bending, torsion, tension or compression can be controlled by the geometry of the braided structure as well as the size of the structural elements. Alternatively the spring may be curved in multiple directions to form complex shapes and then crossovers can be re-bonded to make more rigid open structure composites that would be difficult or impractical to manufacture by conventional techniques.

Abstract: An electro-optical-mechanical tether to transmit both optical signals and electricity to and from airborne and other movable devices from a base structure, in which the tether includes a mechanical strengthening core covered by a first intermediate compressive layer which is helically wrapped by a plurality of electrical and fiber optic conductors, which constitute an second intermediate layer of the tether, and a outer protective layer.

Abstract: Preforms for open structured (lattice) composite tubular members manufactured from large (i.e. high filament count) prepreg yarns on a conventional maypole braiding machine, and subsequently cured to produce fiber reinforced composites of high strength and light weight.

Abstract: Preforms for open structured (lattice) composite tubular members manufactured from large (i.e. high filament count) prepreg yarns on a conventional maypole braiding machine, and subsequently cured to produce fiber reinforced composites of high strength and light weight.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving data that is stored on a backup or secondary storage system located at a remote location to a local storage system. Restoring of backup data involves the transferring of a point-in-time copy of primary system data from a secondary storage system to the local system. The point-in-time copy is created on the secondary system using an asynchronous remote copy scheme. The point-in-time copy that is restored may be either an entire volume or portions thereof.

Abstract: A data structure, method, and computer system for fast data copy is provided which uses control structures in a data copy track table. The control structures include a physical location pointer, a physical location pointer flag, a forward track pointer and a backward source pointer. These control structures are used in an update-in-place architecture. Requests for source or target data updates do not require additional write cycles.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving data that is stored on a backup or secondary storage system located at a remote location to a local storage system. Restoring of backup data involves the transferring of a point-in-time copy of primary system data from a secondary storage system to the local system. The point-in-time copy is created on the secondary system using an asynchronous remote copy scheme. The point-in-time copy that is restored may be either an entire volume or portions thereof.

Abstract: A data structure, method, and computer system for fast data copy is provided which uses control structures in a data copy track table. The control structures include a physical location pointer, a physical location pointer flag, a forward track pointer and a backward source pointer. These control structures are used in an update-in-place architecture. Requests for source or target data updates do not require additional write cycles.

Abstract: A storage control system and method for storing and retrieving data to and from a tape backup system that is located remotely from a primary host system. The primary system is coupled to a remote storage system for remote copy applications. The tape backup system is coupled to the remote storage system and operated at the remote site. Conducting control signals through the primary storage controller to the remote storage controller enables control over the tape backup system from the local or primary site. Data can be backed up to the tape system from the remote storage site which enables the local host to perform applications during the backup window. Data can also be restored from the tape system to the remote storage system and transferred back to the primary system via the communications link.

Abstract: A braiding machine which operates to deliver a first set of yarns about a vertical axis along a first plane to a braiding point and a second set of yarns about the vertical axis along a second plane located above the first plane to the braiding point and a third set of yarns stationarily arranged about the vertical axis for delivery along a third plane intermediate of the first and second planes to the braiding point. The machine includes an interlacing mechanism which is associated with each yarn of the third set of yarns and including a rotating interlacing member.

Abstract: An axially stable tubular braided fabric comprising a longitudinal set of yarns extending longitudinally of the fabric, a first set of yarns arranged substantially along a first cylindrical plane and at an angle relative to the longitudinal yarns and a second set of yarns arranged substantially along a second cylindrical plane and transversely of the first set of yarns. The yarns of the longitudinal set are passed consecutively over one and under the other of the yarns of the first and second sets interlocking these yarns together in an axially stable position with the yarns of the first set predominating the outer surface and the yarns of the second set predominating the inner surface.

Abstract: A fabric forming device including a stationary yarn supply and a rotating yarn supply, each delivering yarn to a common point along a vertical axis where they are interlaced. The stationary yarn supply includes a plurality of yarn carrying cones which are arranged along a common horizontal plane about the vertical axis. The rotating yarn supply includes a plurality of yarn spools mounted with a rotating plate about the vertical axis. A plurality of vertically moveable guide members which are adapted to engage with the yarns of the rotating yarn supply act to selectively alter the horizontal path along which the yarns travel. The guide members act to control the yarns of the rotating yarn supply to be selectively positioned to pass above or below the cones carrying the stationary yarns so that the yarns interlace in a desired manner.

Abstract: The knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the functional resource which is the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, "fence" or isolate the failed functional resource that has caused the error. In addition, the knowledge based system makes use of resource related rules to remove a resource or set of resources available for concurrent other failure management operations. The resource related rules allow resources to function in any one non-operational or operational mode or to functional simultaneously in multiple non-operational modes.

Abstract: The knowledge based system functions in a machine initiated maintenance environment to provide efficient and timely maintenance of customer equipment. The knowledge based system provides the failure evaluation function through the use of an expert or knowledge based system that is installed in the customer equipment. The knowledge based system makes use of a set of rules and hypotheses to operate on data collected from various points within the customer equipment to monitor the operational integrity of the customer equipment. This knowledge based system identifies the occurrence of a failure within the customer equipment and functions using its rules, hypotheses and collected data to isolate the source of the error in the customer equipment and, whenever possible, "fence" or isolate the failed field replaceable unit that has caused the error.

Abstract: A disk storage system that writes multiple copies of records directed to user-specified volumes. A plurality of spaced apart control units interconnected by direct data links and a corresponding plurality of sets of recording means communicate over the direct data links when a write request is received by one control unit to cause one volume in each set of recording means to write a copy of the received record.