Abstract: The present invention is particularly efficacious when practiced as a system for transferring payloads between sideways-adjacent vessels at sea. As typically embodied, an inventive inter-locational transfer system includes: a trolley; a set of parallel cable-rails upon and along which the trolley is rollable; a pair of pulling cables, respectively connected to the two sideways-adjacent ships, for exerting pulling forces on the trolley in opposite directions along the cable-rails; at least four hoisting cables, separately and distantly attached at the bottom of the trolley and at peripheral points of the payload, for suspending a rectangular payload (e.g.

Abstract: According to typical inventive practice, each inventive sensor node performs computer processing that is tri-chotomized in a progressive, power-regulating scheme of three processors, namely, a low-performance processor, a middle-performance processor (which remains in sleep mode until activated upon demand for a middle-computation function), and a high-performance processor (which remains in sleep mode until activated upon demand for a high-computation function). The low-performance processor performs low computation functions such as routine sensing functions. The middle-performance processor performs middle-computation functions such as validative sensing functions. The high-performance processor performs high computation functions such as remedial communicative functions. Each sensor node has one or more transceivers for wirelessly transmitting and receiving radio signals (e.g. remedial communication) to and from transceivers of other sensor nodes.

Abstract: The condition of a fluid piping system is monitored by multiple intercommunicative smart valves, each executing a computer algorithm that designates smart valves as critical or non-critical, compares measurement data versus simulation data, and makes decisions based on the critical-or-noncritical designations and the measurement-versus-simulation comparisons. Initial measurement-versus-simulation comparisons are made for downstream pressure, flow rate, and temperature. If a measurement-versus-simulation discrepancy is found in either the downstream pressure or the flow rate, then the algorithm compares a measurement rupture determinant versus a simulation rupture determinant; if a measurement-versus-simulation discrepancy is found in the rupture determinant, then the smart valve is closed.

Abstract: An apparatus for wirelessly transmitting electric currents walls. The walls may be bulkhead compartment walls of a fixed structure or a vehicle or the like. The apparatus includes a wireless electric power transmission arrangement that includes an electronic device on one side of a wall, which is powered by a power source on another side of the wall. The electronic device may be a sensor arrangement having one or more sensors, a battery charging device, a through-the-bulkhead repeater device or other electronic device requiring power.

Abstract: Interdependencies between pairs/groups of individual systems are evaluated in determining the composition of a universal system of interdependent systems. Data tables reflecting the interdependencies are contained in a central database resident in a server's memory. Plural/multiple computers are connected to the server, each computer having running thereon at least one simulation program, each simulation program being associated with at least one individual system and being characterized by individual time steps. In each individual time step, the simulation program updates (reads data from and writes data to) the central database, and displays updated information. In each universal time step (characterizing the simulation of the universal system), all simulation programs are temporally coordinated so that each simulation program's individual time step takes place once; no universal time step is perfected until every individual time step has completed its updating of pertinent data in the central database.

Abstract: Conventional multi-hop routing of ad hoc wireless networks involves considerations such as costs, connection quality, distances, and numbers of hops. A conventional wireless routing algorithm may fail when a destructive event takes place and is rapidly expanding in area, as the route discoveries may perpetually lag behind the rate of expansion of the destructive area. As typically embodied, the present invention's wireless routing algorithm detects a destructive event early, assumes rapid expansion of the destruction area, establishes “subnets” of nodes, and predetermines one or more routes that circumvent the rapidly expanding destruction area by exiting from and returning to the subnet in which the destructive event originates. Typical inventive practice avails itself of the architectural character of the physical setting for the wireless network, for instance by establishing subnets corresponding to compartments formed by wall-like structures (e.g.