Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, facilitating a first addition to a blockchain of a first transaction, the first addition to the blockchain of the first transaction being based at least in part upon first data that identifies a product; facilitating a second addition to the blockchain of a second transaction, the second addition to the blockchain of the second transaction being based at least in part upon second data that is indicative of a purchase by a consumer of the product; and facilitating a third addition to the blockchain of a third transaction, the third addition to the blockchain of the third transaction being based at least in part upon third data that is indicative of a placement into a recycling stream of the product. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method of tracking a recyclable product includes activating one or more communications devices embedded within or attached to at least one part of the recyclable product. The one or more communications devices include circuitry configured to monitor a location of the at least one part of the recyclable product, and to communicate via a wireless communications network. In response to the one or more communications devices being activated, the one or more communications devices switch from an inactive state in which the one or more communications devices do not transmit an indication of the location of the at least one part of the recyclable product to a recycling state in which the one or more communications devices transmit the indication of the location of the at least one part of the recyclable product to a tracking entity via the wireless communications network. An arrangement is provided in which a product may be recycled by a party which is independent from the consumer of the product and a manufacturer of the product and the recycling may be tracked by the consumer or another entity to monitor a recycling of the product.

A required time prediction apparatus (2000) acquires utilization facility information and assumed date and time information. The utilization facility information is information enabling to determine a departure facility and a destination facility. The assumed date and time information is information enabling to determine an assumed departure date and time assuming departure from the departure facility or an assumed arrival date and time assuming arrival at the destination facility. The apparatus (2000) estimates a waiting time at each facility being present between the departure facility and the destination facility, regarding a case of assuming departure from the departure facility at the assumed departure date and time, or a case of assuming arrival at the destination facility at the assumed arrival date and time. Then, the apparatus (2000) computes, based on the estimated waiting time, a predicted required time from departure from the departure facility to arrival at the destination facility.

A management system operates in conjunction with entities to provide component recommendations for objects. The management system trains a machine learning model used to generate the component recommendations. The machine learning model is trained based on historical component entries describing components previously provided and identifiers of the components. The management system generates training data by classifying the historical component entries into predetermined component classifications. After the machine learning model is trained, the management system generates a customized recommendation of components for an object based on likelihoods of selection of the predetermined component classifications.

Secure communication in a geographic incident area is disclosed. Computer-implemented methods are also disclosed, one of which is for restricting access to a resource and includes generating a key and splitting it into N key parts (where N is an integer greater than two). The method also includes encrypting the N key parts. The method also includes transmitting, over a network, to a device: the N encrypted key parts; and identifying information for N secret objects expected to be visible within the area. Each of the N encrypted key parts is decryptable based on at least one video analytics-discernable object attribute for each respective secret object of the N secret objects. The method also includes allowing an additional entity to access the resource only by presentation of a complete key formed from decrypted versions of less than all of the N key parts.

Computing systems for vehicle diagnostics are provided. In accordance with some aspects, a computing system may receive, from a vehicle (e.g., from a computing device installed in and/or at the vehicle), a diagnostic code generated by an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system of the vehicle. The computing system may determine an issue with the vehicle based on the diagnostic code and may determine, based on the issue, a remedial action for addressing the issue and a timeframe for performing the remedial action. The computing system may store data identifying the issue, the remedial action, and the timeframe in a record associated with the vehicle.

An engineering support system that supports engineering of a process control system, the engineering support system includes: a server device that creates a work list including work order information that specifies a work order of work included in the process control system; and at least one client device that gives work authority to each worker based on the work list issued by the server device and that enables work on devices included in the process control system within a scope of given work authority to be implemented in the work order.

Disclosed herein are techniques and tools for verifying data for semantic correctness and/or verifying data for network correctness. In one respect, a method includes receiving an input defining at least two master nodes and at least one master link, each master node having at least one or more respective data properties populated with master node data and the master link having at least one or more master link data, the master nodes and master link defining a master semantic network, importing source data into a second semantic network, comparing the source data to the master node data and making a first determination that the source data reflects a data relationship defined by the master node data, and based on the first determination, populating the source data into the second semantic network, wherein the source data populated within the second semantic network reflects the data relationship defined by the master node data and the master link data.

Methods and systems for transferring information, comprising: transmitting, by a first computing device of the first computing system, a first network function request to a decentralized network, the first network function request including first information; and transmitting, by a second computing device of the second computing system, a second network function request to the decentralized network, the second network function request including second information.

A laboratory system for analyzing biological samples is presented. The laboratory system comprises a plurality of laboratory instruments configured to receive and identify biological samples and to query a laboratory control unit for a processing order indicative of processing steps to be carried out on the biological sample. The laboratory control unit is configured to validate sequence of queries from the plurality of laboratory instruments against a valid query sequence pattern.