James B Rash

US Patent:

7543274, Jun 2, 2009

Filed:

Feb 25, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/789028

Inventors:

Michael Gerard Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James Larry Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717123

Abstract:

A system and method for deriving a process-based specification for a system is disclosed. The process-based specification is mathematically inferred from a trace-based specification. The trace-based specification is derived from a non-empty set of traces or natural language scenarios. The process-based specification is mathematically equivalent to the trace-based specification. Code is generated, if applicable, from the process-based specification. A process, or phases of a process, using the features disclosed can be reversed and repeated to allow for an interactive development and modification of legacy systems. The process is applicable to any class of system, including, but not limited to, biological and physical systems, electrical and electro-mechanical systems in addition to software, hardware and hybrid hardware-software systems.

US Patent:

7668796, Feb 23, 2010

Filed:

Sep 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/536132

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
Tiziana Margaria - Dortmund, DE
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US
Bernard Steffen - Dortmund, DE

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06N 5/02
G06N 3/08

US Classification:

706 48, 717100

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, automata learning algorithms and techniques are implemented to generate a more complete set of scenarios for requirements based programming. More specifically, a CSP-based, syntax-oriented model construction, which requires the support of a theorem prover, is complemented by model extrapolation, via automata learning. This may support the systematic completion of the requirements, the nature of the requirement being partial, which provides focus on the most prominent scenarios. This may generalize requirement skeletons by extrapolation and may indicate by way of automatically generated traces where the requirement specification is too loose and additional information is required.

US Patent:

7739671, Jun 15, 2010

Filed:

Aug 12, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/203590

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
John D. Erickson - Midland TX, US
Denis Gracinin - Blacksburg VA, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/45
G06F 17/00
G06N 5/04
G06N 5/02

US Classification:

717136, 717117, 717106, 717146, 706922, 706 56, 706 60, 706 46, 706 47

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an informal specification is translated without human intervention into a formal specification. In some embodiments the formal specification is a process-based specification. In some embodiments, the formal specification is translated into a high-level computer programming language which is further compiled into a set of executable computer instructions.

US Patent:

7752608, Jul 6, 2010

Filed:

Aug 12, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/203586

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
John D. Erickson - Midland TX, US
Denis Gracinin - Blacksburg VA, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/45
G06F 9/44
G06F 17/00
G06N 5/04
G06N 5/02

US Classification:

717136, 717107, 717146, 717106, 717117, 706 56, 706 60, 706 46, 706 47

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, domain knowledge is translated into a knowledge-based system. In some embodiments, a formal specification is derived from rules of a knowledge-based system, the formal specification is analyzed, and flaws in the formal specification are used to identify and correct errors in the domain knowledge, from which a knowledge-based system is translated.

US Patent:

7886273, Feb 8, 2011

Filed:

Sep 18, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/532800

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Walter F. Truszkowski - Hyattsville MD, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US
Roy Sterritt - Newtownabbey, GB
Denis Gracanin - Blacksburg VA, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717124, 717127, 717131, 717136, 717151, 717154

Abstract:

Described herein is a method that produces fully (mathematically) tractable development of policies for autonomic systems from requirements through to code generation. This method is illustrated through an example showing how user formulated policies can be translated into a formal mode which can then be converted to code. The requirements-based programming method described provides faster, higher quality development and maintenance of autonomic systems based on user formulation of policies. Further, the systems, methods and apparatus described herein provide a way of analyzing policies for autonomic systems and facilities the generation of provably correct implementations automatically, which in turn provides reduced development time, reduced testing requirements, guarantees of correctness of the implementation with respect to the policies specified at the outset, and provides a higher degree of confidence that the policies are both complete and reasonable. The ability to specify the policy for the management of a system and then automatically generate an equivalent implementation greatly improves the quality of software, the survivability of future missions, in particular when the system will operate untended in very remote environments, and greatly reduces development lead times and costs.

US Patent:

7979848, Jul 12, 2011

Filed:

Sep 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/533837

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Christopher A. Rouff - Beltsville MD, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717127, 717128, 717131, 717141

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which, in some embodiments, a formal specification is pattern-matched from scenarios, the formal specification is analyzed, and flaws in the formal specification are corrected. The systems, methods and apparatus may include pattern-matching an equivalent formal model from an informal specification. Such a model can be analyzed for contradictions, conflicts, use of resources before the resources are available, competition for resources, and so forth. From such a formal model, an implementation can be automatically generated in a variety of notations. The approach can improve the resulting implementation, which, in some embodiments, is provably equivalent to the procedures described at the outset, which in turn can improve confidence that the system reflects the requirements, and in turn reduces system development time and reduces the amount of testing required of a new system. Moreover, in some embodiments, two or more implementations can be “reversed” to appropriate formal models, the models can be combined, and the resulting combination checked for conflicts. Then, the combined, error-free model can be used to generate a new (single) implementation that combines the functionality of the original separate implementations, and may be more likely to be correct.

US Patent:

8082538, Dec 20, 2011

Filed:

Sep 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/536378

Inventors:

Michael G. Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James L. Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Joaquin Pena - Sevilla, ES

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717104

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which an evolutionary system is managed and viewed as a software product line. In some embodiments, the core architecture is a relatively unchanging part of the system, and each version of the system is viewed as a product from the product line. Each software product is generated from the core architecture with some agent-based additions. The result may be a multi-agent system software product line.

US Patent:

20070074180, Mar 29, 2007

Filed:

Aug 1, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/461669

Inventors:

Michael Hinchey - Bowie MD, US
James Rash - Davidsonville MD, US
Christopher Rouff - Beltsville MD, US
Denis Gracanin - Blacksburg VA, US

Assignee:

NASA HQ'S - Washington DC

International Classification:

G06F 9/45

US Classification:

717136000, 703002000

Abstract:

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which, in some embodiments, a script is derived from scenarios, the script is analyzed, and flaws in the script are corrected. The systems, methods and apparatus may include inferring an equivalent formal model from procedures described in natural language (such as English), as scenarios, use cases, or a representation in one of a plethora of graphical notations Such a model can be analyzed for contradictions, conflicts, use of resources before the resources are available, competition for resources, and so forth. From such a formal model, code can be automatically generated in a variety of notations. This may include high level programming languages, machine languages, and scripting languages. The approach improves the resulting code, which may be provably equivalent to the procedures described at the outset. In “reverse engineering” mode, the systems, methods and apparatus may be used to retrieve meaningful descriptions of existing scripts that implement complex procedures, which improves documentation of scripts.