Abstract: Synchronizing at least one wireless sensor includes sending at least one reference message along with a request for acquired data from an access point to the at least one wireless sensor, where the reference message includes a first timestamp indicating when the reference message was sent according to time of a clock of the access point, receiving from the at least one wireless sensor a response that includes the requested data, the first timestamp, and at least one other timestamp corresponding to time of a clock of the at least one wireless sensor, and determining a relative clock offset of the at least one wireless sensor using the timestamps.

Abstract: Synchronizing a wireless sensor includes receiving a first command at the wireless sensor, noting a first timestamp value indicating when the first reply is sent, responding to the first command with a first reply, receiving a second command at the wireless sensor that contains a second timestamp value indicating when the first reply was received and a third timestamp value indicating when the second command was sent to the wireless sensor, noting a fourth timestamp value indicating when the second command was received by the wireless sensor, and determining an offset at the wireless sensor using the first, second, third, and fourth timestamp values. The presence of the first timestamp value may be interpreted as a request to provide timestamp information for synchronization. An access point may communicate with the wireless sensor.

Abstract: Wireless communication may be provided between an access point and one or more wireless devices, such as wireless sensors used in avionics applications for sensing, monitoring and control systems. Synchronization of wireless devices may be required so that certain actions, such as data acquisition, are performed at precisely controlled time instances. The system described herein provides for rapid synchronization of wireless devices that does not require the use of prior timing data and that may be performed without communication directly between the wireless devices. Further, techniques are provided for addressing packet losses and packet propagation delays.

Abstract: A health and usage monitoring system for use in monitoring health and usage of one or more components of a vehicle. In various embodiments, the present invention uses at least one roving wireless sensor that can be temporarily placed in a first position to monitor one or more components of the vehicle and then moved to another position to monitor one or more other components of the vehicle, thus reducing the total number of sensors used to monitor the vehicle. In some embodiments, a system according to the present invention may comprise at least one or more roving wireless sensors. Other embodiments may comprise one or more roving wireless sensors used in conjunction with one or more wired sensors. The present invention also provides similar embodiments for a method of monitoring the health and usage of one or more components of a vehicle.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame. The reference frame corresponds to a video frame taken when no fire is present, video frame immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames, or a video frame immediately preceding a frame that is immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames. Image-based and non-image based techniques are described herein in connection with fire detection and/or verification and other applications.

Abstract: Synchronizing a wireless sensor includes receiving a first command at the wireless sensor, noting a first timestamp value indicating when the first reply is sent, responding to the first command with a first reply, receiving a second command at the wireless sensor that contains a second timestamp value indicating when the first reply was received and a third timestamp value indicating when the second command was sent to the wireless sensor, noting a fourth timestamp value indicating when the second command was received by the wireless sensor, and determining an offset at the wireless sensor using the first, second, third, and fourth timestamp values. The presence of the first timestamp value may be interpreted as a request to provide timestamp information for synchronization. An access point may communicate with the wireless sensor.

Abstract: Synchronizing at least one wireless sensor includes sending at least one reference message along with a request for acquired data from an access point to the at least one wireless sensor, where the reference message includes a first timestamp indicating when the reference message was sent according to time of a clock of the access point, receiving from the at least one wireless sensor a response that includes the requested data, the first timestamp, and at least one other timestamp corresponding to time of a clock of the at least one wireless sensor, and determining a relative clock offset of the at least one wireless sensor using the timestamps.

Abstract: Wireless communication may be provided between an access point and one or more wireless devices, such as wireless sensors used in avionics applications for sensing, monitoring and control systems. Synchronization of wireless devices may be required so that certain actions, such as data acquisition, are performed at precisely controlled time instances. The system described herein provides for rapid synchronization of wireless devices that does not require the use of prior timing data and that may be performed without communication directly between the wireless devices. Further, techniques are provided for addressing packet losses and packet propagation delays.

Abstract: Providing wireless communication between an access point and a wireless device includes the wireless device operating in a first reduced power mode for a first period of time, where the wireless device does not receive communications while operating in the first reduced power mode and includes the wireless device operating in a full power mode for a second period of time, where the wireless device transitions back into the first reduced power mode in response to there being no communication from the access point to the wireless device during the second period of time. The wireless device may be a wireless sensor. In response to the access point directing the wireless sensor to collect data at a particular collection time, the wireless sensor may enter the first reduced power mode for a time prior to the collection time.

Abstract: Described are techniques for using statistical analysis to reduce the number of samples required in accordance with statistical analysis confidence intervals to verify correctness of a component. These techniques may be used in verification of a neural network or other hardware or software component.

Abstract: Alternative direct sequence spread spectrum symbol to chip mappings and methods for generating the same for use in a direct sequence spread spectrum wireless protocol and embedded in a transceiver chip used by wireless subsystems are provided. The present invention discloses alternative symbol to chip mappings that are orthogonal or nearly orthogonal to the N/2 unused chip sequences defined by a standard transmission protocol. The present invention is advantageous because it provides for an increased number of users and better reliability for wireless subsystems operating in increasingly overcrowded frequency bands. Other advantages of the present invention include a reduction in the negative effects of clear channel assessment including delayed or cancelled signal transmission and interference for wireless subsystems that transmit time-sensitive data.

Abstract: Providing wireless communication between an access point and a wireless device includes the wireless device operating in a first reduced power mode for a first period of time, where the wireless device does not receive communications while operating in the first reduced power mode and includes the wireless device operating in a full power mode for a second period of time, where the wireless device transitions back into the first reduced power mode in response to there being no communication from the access point to the wireless device during the second period of time. The wireless device may be a wireless sensor. In response to the access point directing the wireless sensor to collect data at a particular collection time, the wireless sensor may enter the first reduced power mode for a time prior to the collection time.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame. The reference frame corresponds to a video frame taken when no fire is present, video frame immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames, or a video frame immediately preceding a frame that is immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames. Image-based and non-image based techniques are described herein in connection with fire detection and/or verification and other applications.

Abstract: A health and usage monitoring system for use in monitoring health and usage of one or more components of a vehicle. In various embodiments, the present invention uses at least one roving wireless sensor that can be temporarily placed in a first position to monitor one or more components of the vehicle and then moved to another position to monitor one or more other components of the vehicle, thus reducing the total number of sensors used to monitor the vehicle. In some embodiments, a system according to the present invention may comprise at least one or more roving wireless sensors. Other embodiments may comprise one or more roving wireless sensors used in conjunction with one or more wired sensors. The present invention also provides similar embodiments for a method of monitoring the health and usage of one or more components of a vehicle.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame. The reference frame corresponds to a video frame taken when no fire is present, video frame immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames, or a video frame immediately preceding a frame that is immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames. Image-based and non-image based techniques are described herein in connection with fire detection and/or verification and other applications.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame. The reference frame corresponds to a video frame taken when no fire is present, video frame immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames, or a video frame immediately preceding a frame that is immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames. Image-based and non-image based techniques are described herein in connection with fire detection and/or verification and other applications.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame. The reference frame corresponds to a video frame taken when no fire is present, video frame immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames, or a video frame immediately preceding a frame that is immediately preceding each of the subset of the plurality of frames. Image-based and non-image based techniques are described herein in connection with fire detection and/or verification and other applications.

Abstract: Alternative direct sequence spread spectrum symbol to chip mappings and methods for generating the same for use in a direct sequence spread spectrum wireless protocol and embedded in a transceiver chip used by wireless subsystems are provided. The present invention discloses alternative symbol to chip mappings that are orthogonal or nearly orthogonal to the N/2 unused chip sequences defined by a standard transmission protocol. The present invention is advantageous because it provides for an increased number of users and better reliability for wireless subsystems operating in increasingly overcrowded frequency bands. Other advantages of the present invention include a reduction in the negative effects of clear channel assessment including delayed or cancelled signal transmission and interference for wireless subsystems that transmit time-sensitive data.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. The plurality of sources may include cameras having a sensitivity of between 400 nm and 1000 nm and/or may include cameras having a sensitivity of between 7 and 14 micrometers. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame.

Abstract: Detecting video phenomena, such as fire in an aircraft cargo bay, includes receiving a plurality of video images from a plurality of sources, compensating the images to provide enhanced images, extracting features from the enhanced images, and combining the features from the plurality of sources to detect the video phenomena. The plurality of sources may include cameras having a sensitivity of between 400 nm and 1000 nm and/or may include cameras having a sensitivity of between 7 and 14 micrometers. Extracting features may include determining an energy indicator for each of a subset of the plurality of frames. Detecting video phenomena may also include comparing energy indicators for each of the subset of the plurality of frames to a reference frame.