NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA solicits inquiries from companies interested in obtaining license rights to commercialize, manufacture and market the following technology. License rights may be issued on an exclusive or nonexclusive basis and may include specific fields of use. NASA provides no funding in conjunction with these potential licenses. THE TECHNOLOGY: Scientists at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a portfolio of technologies regarding clock synchronization in distributed systems. Distributed synchronous systems that are required to provide globally coordinated operations require each component (node) in the system to be precisely synchronized. Such systems could include electronic components within an aircraft or automobile, or large-scale networks of components that communicate with each other (e.g. multiple aircraft or automobiles). NASA's technologies provide for very quick synchronization while tolerating various faults. These protocols provide distributed autonomous synchronization (i.e. no master clock signal required) and do not rely on any assumptions regarding the initial state of the system or internal status of the nodes. The portfolio includes Byzantine-fault tolerant self-stabilizing protocols for distributed clock synchronization. A fundamental criterion in the design of a robust distributed system is to provide the capability of tolerating and potentially recovering from failures that are not predictable in advance. Overcoming such failures requires incorporating tolerances to various faults. The patented protocols ensures that all nodes reach the same decisions regardless of faulty components. The systems do not rely on any assumptions about the initial state of the system and do not require a central clock or externally generated pulse. The systems also tolerate bursts of transient failures, converge deterministically, and self-stabilize in a short amount of time. The portfolio also includes a self-stabilizing distributed clock synchronization protocol for arbitrary digraphs. The protocol, or algorithm, allows for self-stabilization of nodes within a distributed system. It is focused on the clock synchronization of arbitrary, non-partitioned digraphs representing connected networks of nodes that allow for differences in the network elements. The protocol is very fast, with the ability to process within three synchronization cycles instead of typical 150 cycles or more. Moreover, only one bit is needed for communication and no central master clock is required (such as a GPS signal). NASA is seeking to license this technology commercially in the United States. US Patents 8,861,552; 8,255,732; 7,792,015. To express interest in this opportunity, please respond to
[email protected] with the title of this Technology Transfer Opportunity as listed in this FBO notice and your preferred contact information. Please also provide how you foresee using the technology along with a brief background of your company. Additionally, please identify any non-US interests/subsidiaries in your company as well. For more information about licensing other NASA Langley-developed technologies, please visit the NASA Langley’s Technology Gateway at https://technologygateway.nasa.gov/ These responses are provided to members of NASA Langley’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Business Development “OSACB” for the purpose of promoting public awareness of NASA-developed technology products, and conducting preliminary market research to determine public interest in and potential for future licensing opportunities. If direct licensing interest results from this posting, OSACB will follow the required formal licensing process of posting in the Federal Register. No follow-on procurement is expected to result from responses to this Notice.