SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AEROSPACE REPORTS

A Biweekly Publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VOLUME 44, ISSUE 3 - February 10, 2006

32 COMMUNICATIONS AND RADAR
Includes radar; radio, wire, and optical communications; land and global communications; communications theory.

For related information see also 04 Aircraft Communications and Navigation; and 17 Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command and Tracking; for search and rescue, see 03 Air Transportation and Safety; and 16 Space Transportation and Safety.

20060004073 Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA USA

Sensor and Communications System for Containerized-Cargo Security

Leach, R. R.; Feb. 14, 2005; 8 pp.; In English Report No.(s): DE2005-15015884; UCRL-CONF-209662; No Copyright; Avail.: Department of Energy Information Bridge

A public/private collaboration between federal, state, provincial, and local U.S. and Canadian governmental organizations, called the Canada USA Cargo Security Project has been formed, with the goal to improve security of containerized cargo moving from overseas locations into eastern Canadian provinces and the Northeastern USA. The current phase of this project has two technical objectives. These are: (1) to build and test a prototype in-container sensor system able to detect unauthorized entry into the container and the presence of radioactive material, to record geographical location and environmental data, and to transmit this information via satellite communications to a remote monitoring facility, and (2) to develop a secure website where data from the in-container sensors and other information will be displayed in real or near real time and can be made available to law enforcement and emergency response organizations as appropriate. This paper will describe these activities, currently being undertaken by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. An additional goal of the project's current phase is to integrate multi-jurisdictional training and first-responder exercises while monitoring and tracking container shipments from overseas to the US via Canadian ports-of-entry into North America. NTIS

Cargo; Materials Handling; Satellite Communication; Security; Transportation; Warning Systems

20060004130 Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy

Characterization of Wireless Communications in Clinical Environment

Salamon, D.; Grigioni, M.; D'Inzeo, G.; Liberti, M.; January 2005; 44 pp.; In Italian Report No.(s): PB2006-102483; ISTISAN-05/25; Copyright; Avail.: National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

Wireless communications are carrying out a noticeable part in the health-care sector's innovation. But this impulse must be supported by an analysis of risks that these technologies can create in environments where high security standard must be assured. A set of laws provides guidelines which must be respected in order to guarantee such security standard. By taking into consideration utilization in clinical environments of the same wireless technologies used in IT (Information Technology) sector, this study intends both to make a preliminary electromagnetic compatibility analysis addressed to hospital environment and to give information how to use these technologies in such places. NTIS

Health; Wireless Communication

20060004131 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Univ., Newcastle, UK

Development of Dependable Web Services out of Undependable Web Components

Gorbenko, A.; Kharchenko, V.; Popov, P.; Romanovsky, A.; Boyarchuk, A.; Oct. 2004; 42 pp.; In English Report No.(s): PB2006-102495; CS-TR-863; Copyright; Avail.: National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

The aim of this work is to develop novel approaches to constructing and modeling dependable Web Services (WSs) built out of Web Components that can be undependable. To achieve this aim we have been working on the following tasks: Analysing the WS failures modes and introducing a failure taxonomy; Analysing Web security as an attribute of WS dependability; Investigating a structured approach to theWeb Service development that is based theWeb Service Composition Actions (WSCA) scheme; Proposing an event-driven simulation model of the Composite WSs; Analysing the WS upgrading problem and developing schemes for WSs online upgrade; and Outlining future directions of WSCA-based systems development focusing specifically on the means for dependability achievement and assessment. NTIS

Systems Engineering; Security; Taxonomy

20060004872 Maryland Univ., College Park, MD USA

Combating Performance Degradation in Highly Mobile Networks Using Rate Control

Stamatelos, Dimitris; Ephremides, Anthony; Jan. 1, 1997; 7 pp.; In English; Original contains color illustrations Report No.(s): AD-A440803; CSHCN-TR-97-4; ISR-TR-97-15; No Copyright; Avail.: Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)

We examine a simple technique for combating performance degradation by adjusting the rate of the received signal. Using adaptive demodulation, the receiver can respond to deteriorating conditions trading BER for rate and vice-versa, without involving the transmitter. This way the receiver has more control on the tolerated distortion. The implementation of this technique does not require modications of the hardware of neither the transmitter nor the receiver, and its application can be very practical. The performance degradation which occurs by receiving a degraded version reliably versus receiving a non-degraded version unreliably, depends on the service and can be very subjective, making this technique very attractive for voice and video communication. This technique, independently or jointly with slow power control, can be a useful tool in network control and resource allocation. DTIC

Communication Networks; Degradation

20060005063 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Univ., Newcastle, UK

Refinement-After-Hiding: A Small Case Study

Burton, J.; Jan. 2005; 36 pp.; In English Report No.(s): PB2006-102736; CS-TR-885; Copyright; Avail.: National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

This report describes an application of refinement-after-hiding and its associated method of verification to a small case study based on a banking system. NTIS

Communicating; Mathematical Models

20060005087 National Inst. of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO, USA, Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM USA, Colorado Univ., Boulder, CO, USA

Optimized Arbitrary Wireless Device Arrays for Emergency Response Communications

Young, W. F.; Kuester, E. F.; Holloway, C. L.; Mar. 2005; 52 pp.; In English Report No.(s): PB2006-101679; NIST/TN-1538; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A04, Hardcopy

Wireless communications are essential to emergency responders. Unfortunately, a typical emergency response scenario involves communication into and within building structures, which can severely interfere with or completely block the radio-frequency channel. Several methods offer some potential relief to these problems, including the use of multi-hop ad hoc networks for communication within the building, and the use of smart antenna arrays at exterior locations to improve the communication between the interior and exterior locations of the building. However, due to the enclosed nature of buildings, and the loss in radio-frequency energy as a signal propagates through floors and walls, no single solution completely solves the communication problem. In this report, we consider another approach to improving the communication capabilities of emergency responders. We investigate the possibility of creating antenna arrays from wireless devices such as the emergency responders' radios, wireless sensor networks, or arbitrarily placed wireless relay nodes. An antenna array allows the focusing or directing of radiated electromagnetic energy in a desired direction. By intelligently controlling the direction and energy level of the electromagnetic radiation, we can increase the probability of establishing a communication link and improve the quality of that link. The result improves the emergency responder's communication capabilities. NTIS

Emergencies; Radio Equipment; Security; Wireless Communication

20060005305 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State Univ., Greensboro, NC USA

Military Medical Decision Support for Homeland Defense During Emergency

Ntuen, Celestine A.; Turner, Amy S.; Dec. 1, 2004; 43 pp.; In English Contract(s)/Grant(s): F33601-03-1-6302; Proj-4923 Report No.(s): AD-A441168; AFRL-HE-WP-TR-2005-0158; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy

This report describes the application of cognitive engineering methods to the design and analysis of a decision support system for training of command and control (C2) functions in emergency response organizations. The model is based on the principles of collaborative team planning and decision making that share a common interface designed to train cognitive tasks such as planning, information management, and synchronized task schedules. We demonstrate the application by designing and evaluating the Medical Emergency Response using Military Assets in an Integrated Decision Support (MERMAIDS) developed for training of emergency response teams using heterogeneous resources under a unified command and control. The MERMAIDS has been designed to contain a decision-centric interface, which is not only useful for emergency information management, but has decision models to support response planning during emergency conditions. An expert heuristic evaluation of the MERMAIDS is encouraging. The expert emergency C2 operators reacted favorably to the system, especially its application in planning emergency response under resource constraints. DTIC

Command and Control; Decision Support Systems; Emergencies; Responses

Source: NASA