Systems and methods are described for securely monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly using elements of a wireless node network of sensor-based ID nodes disposed within the container and a command node associated with the container. The method has the command node identifying which of the ID nodes are confirmed as trusted sensors based upon a security credential specific to each of the ID nodes; monitoring only the confirmed ID nodes for sensor data broadcast those ID nodes; detecting the anomaly based upon the sensor data from at least one of the confirmed ID nodes; automatically generating an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly for the shipping container; and transmitting the alert notification to the external transceiver to initiate a mediation response related to the detected environmental anomaly.

An improved system detects an environmental anomaly in a shipping container and initiates a mediation response through a generated layered alert notification. The system includes sensor-based ID nodes associated with packages within the container, and a command node mounted to the container communicating with the ID nodes and an external transceiver on a vehicle transporting the container. The command node is programmed to detect sensor data from the ID nodes; compare the sensor data to package environmental thresholds in context data related to each ID node; detect the environmental anomaly when the comparison indicates an environmental condition for at least one package exceeds its environmental threshold; responsively generate a layered alert notification identifying a mediation recipient and mediation action, and establishing a mediation response priority based upon the comparison; and transmit the layered alert notification to the transceiver unit to initiate a mediation response related to the mediation action.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

An enclosed volume is provided for performing operations in space, or on any astronomical object, in a manner separated from aspects of the external environment. The enclosed volume can be a flexible container for a satellite. The enclosed volume can include a membrane having a fluid barrier layer and being configured to contain a propellant gas or fluid; and an expulsion device configured to expel material from the membrane. In a stowed configuration, the flexible container is contained within the satellite, and in a deployed configuration, the flexible container extends away from the satellite. The flexible container can inflate from one shape, in the undeployed configuration, to another shape, in a deployed configuration. The other shape can be toroidal or other appropriate shapes. The flexible container can provide bipropellant, blowdown, and gas/fluid metering functionality. Entertainment and game play can be enabled by the enclosed volume involving robots and other devices.

Systems, apparatus, and methods detect and respond to environmental anomalies in a shipping container on a transit vehicle having an external transceiver. Systems generally have wireless ID nodes at different locations within the container and a command node mounted to the container. The command node is programmatically adapted to selectively assign a subset of the ID nodes as dedicated monitor beacons deployed within the container, identify an unresponsive group from the assigned subset of the ID nodes monitored to be in an unanticipated state of ceased broadcasting based upon the monitoring step. The command node detects the environmental anomaly when a size of the unresponsive group in the assigned subset of ID nodes exceeds a threshold setting maintained by the command node, automatically generates an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly, and initiates a mediation response for the anomaly by transmitting the alert notification to the vehicle's transceiver.

The present disclosure discusses a transportation vehicle configured for transforming between a drive mode and a flight mode. The vehicle includes a chassis with a body coupled thereto and a plurality of fenders coupled to the body. Each of the fenders includes a rim comprising spokes and a tire configured to rotate during drive mode and a suspension configured to pivot the plurality of fenders from a substantially vertical orientation during drive mode to a substantially horizontal orientation during flight mode. Each of the fender also includes a propulsion mechanism configured to rotate independently of the rim to generate lift during flight mode and a motor configured to independently provide rotational force to the tire built into the rim during drive mode and rotational force to the propulsion mechanism during flight mode.

A node-enabled battery system having integrated environmental detection and reporting. The system may have a battery and sensor-based node attached to the battery. The system's sensor-based node has a processor, memory (maintaining a battery monitoring program code and a battery threshold metric value), a wireless communication interface and a sensor operative to sense a battery status condition for the battery. When executing the battery monitoring program code, the processor is programmatically configured and adapted to be operative to receive status data from the sensor reflecting the battery status condition as sensed by the sensor, automatically trigger generation of a layered alert notification related to the battery when the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value, and cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the layered alert notification to initiate a mediation response related to the battery status condition for the battery.

An improved system on a transit vehicle is described for coordinated mediation action in response to an identified environmental anomaly on a shipping container transported by the vehicle. The system has wirelessly broadcasting ID nodes at different locations within the container, and a fire suppression system on the vehicle having a wireless transceiver-based controller operating as a master node that can cause the suppression system to deliver fire suppressant material to the container using a delivery nozzle and pump. The controller, as master node, is configured to operate as a primary monitor for the anomaly by being operative to monitor ID node signals; identify the anomaly based on the signals; generate a layered alert notification related to the anomaly (identifying a targeted mediation action and establishes a mediation response priority); and initiate a mediation response by the suppression system related to the targeted mediation action and the mediation response priority.

A dynamically transitioning system for monitoring a shipping container transported by a transit vehicle for an environmental anomaly has ID nodes within the container (at least some being associated with objects being transported), a command node on the container, and an external master node at a known location on the vehicle. The command node operates as a primary monitor for the anomaly by monitoring signal activity from the ID nodes; identifying the anomaly based upon the signal activity; generating a layered alert notification that identifies a targeted mediation recipient and mediation action, and establishes a mediation response priority; and transmits the notification to an external transceiver on the transit vehicle to initiate a mediation response for the mediation action. The command node dynamically instructs the external master node to temporarily operate as the primary monitor when the command node is within a threshold distance from the external master node's location.

An enclosed volume is provided for performing operations in space, or on any astronomical object, in a manner separated from aspects of the external environment. The enclosed volume can be a flexible container for a satellite. The enclosed volume can include a membrane having a fluid barrier layer and being configured to contain a propellant gas or fluid; and an expulsion device configured to expel material from the membrane. In a stowed configuration, the flexible container is contained within the satellite, and in a deployed configuration, the flexible container extends away from the satellite. The flexible container can inflate from one shape, in the undeployed configuration, to another shape, in a deployed configuration. The other shape can be toroidal or other appropriate shapes. The flexible container can provide bipropellant, blowdown, and gas/fluid metering functionality. Entertainment and game play can be enabled by the enclosed volume involving robots and other devices.