Where Will Consumers Find Privacy Protection From RFIDs?: A Case for Federal Legislation

With the birth of RFID technology, businesses gained the ability to tag products with practically invisible computer chips that relay information about consumer behavior to remote databases. Such tagging permits retailers and manufacturers to track the purchases, identities, and movements of their customers. In the absence of enforceable regulations, society risks being subjected to an unprecedented level of Orwellian surveillance. This iBrief addresses consumer privacy concerns stemming from the proliferation of RFID technology. It discusses why tort law, state legislation, FTC guidelines, and proposed regulations are insufficient methods to alleviate consumer privacy concerns and suggests amending various federal privacy laws, thereby prohibiting the underlying RFID tracking behavior

Beyond singular values and loop shapes

The status of singular value loop-shaping as a design paradigm for multivariable feedback systems is reviewed. It shows that this paradigm is an effective design tool whenever the problem specifications are spacially round. The tool can be arbitrarily conservative, however, when they are not. This happens because singular value conditions for robust performance are not tight (necessary and sufficient) and can severely overstate actual requirements. An alternate paradign is discussed which overcomes these limitations. The alternative includes a more general problem formulation, a new matrix function mu, and tight conditions for both robust stability and robust performance. The state of the art currently permits analysis of feedback systems within this new paradigm. Synthesis remains a subject of research

F-8C adaptive flight control extensions

An adaptive concept which combines gain-scheduled control laws with explicit maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) identification to provide the scheduling values is described. The MLE algorithm was improved by incorporating attitude data, estimating gust statistics for setting filter gains, and improving parameter tracking during changing flight conditions. A lateral MLE algorithm was designed to improve true air speed and angle of attack estimates during lateral maneuvers. Relationships between the pitch axis sensors inherent in the MLE design were examined and used for sensor failure detection. Design details and simulation performance are presented for each of the three areas investigated

Robustness properties of discrete time regulators, LOG regulators and hybrid systems

Robustness properites of sample-data LQ regulators are derived which show that these regulators have fundamentally inferior uncertainty tolerances when compared to their continuous-time counterparts. Results are also presented in stability theory, multivariable frequency domain analysis, LQG robustness, and mathematical representations of hybrid systems

Digital adaptive controllers for VTOL vehicles. Volume 1: Concept evaluation

A digital self-adaptive flight control system was developed for flight test in the VTOL approach and landing technology (VALT) research aircraft (a modified CH-47 helicopter). The control laws accept commands from an automatic on-board guidance system. The primary objective of the control laws is to provide good command-following with a minimum cross-axis response. Three attitudes and vertical velocity are separately commanded. Adaptation of the control laws is based on information from rate and attitude gyros and a vertical velocity measurement. The final design resulted from a comparison of two different adaptive concepts--one based on explicit parameter estimates from a real-time maximum-likelihood estimation algorithm, the other based on an implicit model reference adaptive system. The two designs were compared on the basis of performance and complexity

Digital adaptive controllers for VTOL vehicles. Volume 2: Software documentation

The VTOL approach and landing test (VALT) adaptive software is documented. Two self-adaptive algorithms, one based on an implicit model reference design and the other on an explicit parameter estimation technique were evaluated. The organization of the software, user options, and a nominal set of input data are presented along with a flow chart and program listing of each algorithm

Asymptotic Eigenstructures

The behavior of the closed loop eigenstructure of a linear system with output feedback is analyzed as a single parameter multiplying the feedback gain is varied. An algorithm is presented that computes the asymptotically infinite eigenstructure, and it is shown how a system with high gain, feedback decouples into single input, single output systems. Then a synthesis algorithm is presented which uses full state feedback to achieve a desired asymptotic eigenstructure

A design procedure and handling quality criteria for lateral directional flight control systems

A practical design procedure for aircraft augmentation systems is described based on quadratic optimal control technology and handling-quality-oriented cost functionals. The procedure is applied to the design of a lateral-directional control system for the F4C aircraft. The design criteria, design procedure, and final control system are validated with a program of formal pilot evaluation experiments

Hybrid operator models for digitally implemented control systems

A method of analysis for digitally implemented (hybrid) control systems based on conic sector concepts from functional analysis was established. Data sampling is addressed