123results about "Analogue computers for control systems" patented technology

An energy distribution may include a server and one or more databases. The system may communicate with an energy provider to receive energy provider data, at least one information collector to receive information collector data such as individualized energy usage data, customer preferences, and customer or location characteristics, and the one or more databases for receiving data for optimization. The system may calculate a cost of service or avoided cost using at least one of the individualized energy usage data and a system generation cost at a nearest bus. The system may also forecast individualized demand by end-use, individualized demand by location, energy prices, or energy costs. The system may optimize energy distribution, energy use, cost of service, or avoided cost using the forecasted individualized demand by end-use, the forecasted individualized demand by location, the forecasted energy prices, and the forecasted energy costs.

Systems and methods for modeling the behavior of an enclosure for use by a control system of an HVAC system are described. A model for the enclosure that describes the behavior of the enclosure for use by the control system is updated based on a weather forecast data. The weather forecast data can include predictions more than 24 hours in the future, and can include predictions such as temperature, humidity and/or dew point, solar output, precipitation. The model for the enclosure can also be updated based on additional information and data such as historical weather data such as temperature, humidity, wind, solar output and precipitation, occupancy data, such as predicted and/or detected occupancy data, calendar data, and data from the one or more weather condition sensors that sense current parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation, and/or solar output. The model for the enclosure can be updated based also on an enclosure model stored in a database, and/or on enclosure information from a user. The model can be updated based on active testing of the enclosure which can be performed automatically or in response to user input. The testing can include heating and/or cooling the enclosure at times when the enclosure is not likely to be occupied.

An apparatus and the method of its operation for rapid prototyping of a three-dimensional object which includes a radiant energy source of a wide beam of radiant energy of suitable intensity and wavelength for curing a layer of photo-curable resin contained in an open vat, a spatial light modulator (SLM) having an array of pixel elements which are individually digitally controllable by a computer, for modulating the radiant energy beam projected from the radiant energy source on a pixel by pixel basis, to form a series of time sequential images of the cross-sectional laminae of the object, an optical system for focusing each image formed by the SLM, one at a time, onto successive layers of photo-curable resin for predetermined exposure times to thereby form stacked laminae of cured resin, each lamina of cured resin being in the shape of a different one of the cross-sectional laminae, and a piston support for lowering each lamina of cured resin after it is formed by the SLM and for depositing a layer of resin corresponding to the thickness of one cross sectional lamina of the three-dimensional object before the step of projecting a new image by the SLM. The SLM, the piston support for lowering, and the optical system operate repeatedly and sequentially until a complete copy of the object is thereby produced.

A temporal controller for mobile robot path planning includes a sensor module for receiving data corresponding to spatial locations of at least one object, and a temporal control module operatively coupled to the sensor module, the temporal control module configured to predict future locations of the at least one object based on data received by the sensor module. The controller further includes a temporal simulation module operatively coupled to the temporal control module, wherein the temporal simulation module configured to use the predicted future locations of the at least one object to simulate multiple robot motion hypothesis for object avoidance and trajectory planning.

A remote high-performance computing material joining and material forming modeling system (100) enables a remote user (10) using a user input device (20) to use high speed computing capabilities to model materials joining and material forming processes. The modeling system (100) includes an interface module (200), an application module (300), a computing module (400), and a scheduling module (500). The interface module (200) is in operative communication with the user input device (20), as well as the application module (300), the computing module (400), and the scheduling module (500). The application module (300) is in operative communication with the interface module (200) and the computing module (400). The scheduling module (500) is in operative communication with the interface module (200) and the computing module (400). Lastly, the computing module (400) is in operative communication with the interface module (200), the application module (300), and the scheduling module (500).

A high fidelity distributed plant simulation technique includes a plurality of separate simulation modules that may be stored and executed separately in different drops or computing devices. The simulation modules communicate directly with one another to perform accurate simulation of a plant, without requiring a centralized coordinator to coordinate the operation of the simulation system. In particular, numerous simulation modules are created, with each simulation module including a model of an associated plant element and these simulation modules are stored in different drops of a computer network to perform distributed simulation of a plant or a portion of a plant. At least some of the simulation modules, when executing, perform mass flow balances taking into account process variables associated with adjacent simulation modules to thereby assure pressure, temperature and flow balancing (i.e., conservation of mass flow) through the entire simulation system. In a dynamic situation, a transient mass storage relay technique is used to account for transient changes in mass flow through any non-storage devices being simulated by the simulation modules. Moreover, adjacent simulation modules located in different drops communicate directly with one another using a background processing task, which simplifies communications between adjacent simulation modules without the need for a central coordinator.

The present invention provides a welding system and methodology to facilitate communications and control. The system includes a cell controller to control one or more welders over a control network. An interface module associated with the cell controller and the control network communicates with the welders and employs a communications protocol adapted to the interface module to facilitate communications and control between the cell controller and the one or more welders over the control network.

A method and apparatus for collecting manufacturing equipment downtime data which electrically blocks stopped equipment (production) from restarting until an acceptable reason (either by code or direct identification) has been entered and recognized by an electronic logic system. Locking out the restart capability until the downtime cause has been entered ensures that the causes for all downtimes are recorded in a timely fashion. This data is gathered and recorded to measure and define explanations for lost equipment running time. Other related data may also be gathered.

There is described a method for controlling and/or monitoring a movement of a free body in an industrial machine, wherein the industrial machine comprises an actuator for carrying out a movement, wherein the movement of at least one free body is either mechanically coupled to the movement of the actuator and/or is decoupled from the movement of the actuator. At least one of the following physical variables of the free body: weight, density, frictional parameters, geometric form and/or center of gravity is input into a simulation program, whereupon with the aid of at least one of these physical variables, the movement of the free body is simulated, wherein the simulation takes place, in particular, in real time. This enables a better simulation of dynamic and/or static processes in an industrial machine.

A tool for simulating an industrial control system is provided. The tool includes a simulation component to emulate a controller according to a simulated execution environment and one or more simulation models for simulating devices associated with the controller, where the controller and the devices are integrated in a common simulation platform.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for simulating components and processes using discrete, variable-granularity, component-specific data relating to energy consumption or other sustainability factors. Simulations can be analyzed and optimized to facilitate forecasting of sustainability factors and determine advantageous modifications to the components or processes.

An industrial controller simulation system is provided. The system includes a simulation component that enables modeling of an industrial controller system. A suggestion component offers automated recommendations in accordance with the modeling of the industrial controller system.

A method of measuring overlay error comprises forming a first mask having a first alignment array comprising a periodic pattern of first features having a first periodicity, forming a second mask having a second alignment array comprising a pattern of second features having the first periodicity, the first alignment array being adjacent the second alignment array, the first alignment array and the second alignment array forming a combined alignment array, transforming the combined alignment array to produce a transformed array, selecting a first region within the transformed array, inverse transforming the region to produce geometric phase shift information, averaging the phase shift information, converting the averaged phase shift information into a value for misalignment in a first direction corresponding to the first region, repeating the selecting, inverse transforming, averaging and converting using a second region within the transformed array to calculate a value for misalignment in a second direction corresponding to the second region, calculating an overlay error between the first and second mask levels by adding the components of misalignment in the first direction and second direction.

Thermal control for a controller in a data processing environment is described. In one embodiment, the invention includes detecting a temperature of a semiconductor device at a thermal sensor on the semiconductor device, comparing the detected temperature to a threshold, and generating a high interrupt if the temperature is above the threshold and a low interrupt if the temperature is below the threshold.

A system and method of use for self-tuning a PID controller utilized with an exciter and generator is disclosed. The system includes a power source, an exciter electrically connected to the power source, a generator that is electrically energized by the exciter, and a processor that provides a PID controller that calculates an estimated exciter time constant and an estimated generator time constant using particle swarm optimization (“PSO”) to control exciter field voltage. The particle swarm optimization (“PSO”) technique includes increasing the voltage reference by a predetermined percentage over a predetermined time period, initializing each particle position of exciter time constant and generator time constant, calculating generator voltage, performing a fitness evaluation and then obtaining and updating best values. This is followed by repeating the steps of determining the generator voltage, the fitness evaluation, and the best values over a predetermined number of iterations.

A vehicle brake system includes first and second central control units communicating with, respectively, first and second control networks, and a plurality of brake units. Each brake unit includes a brake component, a self-enforcing mechanism associated with and acting upon the brake component, and first and second actuation mechanisms acting upon the self enforcing mechanism, in response to, respectively, first and second actuation control signals, to cause actuation of the brake component. Each brake unit also includes first and second local control units in direct communication with, respectively, the first and second central control units via, respectively, the first and second control networks. The first and second local control units are in communication with, respectively, the first and second actuation mechanisms and transmit, respectively, the first and second actuation control signals to, respectively, the first and second actuation mechanisms, under certain circumstances, to cause actuation of the brake component.

Methods and systems for modeling a reservoir system are described. The method includes constructing a reservoir model of a reservoir system. The reservoir model includes a reservoir and a plurality of wells. Also, one or more material balance groups are constructed with each material balance group having a portion of at least one of the plurality of wells, a portion of the reservoir, and at least one well management algorithm to track material balance within the respective material balance group. Then, fluid flow through the reservoir model is simulated based on the material balance groups by a simulator and the results are reported.

The present invention provides a method of generating haptic interface experiences that is capable of generating haptic companions to existing two-dimensional images. The method exploits the dominance of visual over haptic in humans: human tactile, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic senses do not supply as much fine detail as human vision, and consequently haptic representations do not have to be as detailed as the corresponding visual images to be believable to a human user. An existing two-dimensional image can be used as the visual component of a human-computer interface. A three-dimensional haptic model that is topologically similar to the image can be selected, where topological similarity means that the haptic model provides an acceptable approximation to important characteristics of the haptic experience desired to accompany the two-dimensional image. A relationship can then be established between the image in the visual component of the interface and the haptic model in the haptic component of the interface such that interaction with the image in the visual component is linked with interaction with the haptic model in the haptic component. As an example, a two-dimensional image of a ball can have a haptic model of a sphere associated therewith, and the center and radius established as a relationship such that visual cursor motion at the boundary of the image of the two-dimensional image of the ball is linked with haptic force feedback as the cursor encounters the surface of the haptic model.

The present invention relates to sewing patterns for use in producing sewn articles whereby a sewing pattern is selected from a collection of patterns. The selected pattern can then be modified as desired and the modified pattern, together with selected fabrics and accessories, can be ordered and delivered to a desired location.

By dividing a complex set of parameters of a production process in forming semiconductor devices into individual blocks, respective PCA models may be established for each block and may thereafter be combined by operating on summary statistics of each model block in order to evaluate the complete initial parameter set. Thus, compared to conventional strategies, a significant reduction of the size of the combined PCA model compared to a single PCA model may be obtained, while also achieving an enhanced degree of flexibility in evaluating various subsets of parameters.

Methods, systems and apparatus for optimizing consumption of one or more resources are presented. For example, a method that may be implemented on a processor device and includes obtaining user preferences for the consumption of resources that include water and electricity, predicting the consumption of, and a first metric for the consumption of, the resources for each of a plurality of first time periods, determining a projected second metric for the consumption of the resources during a second time period according to the predicted consumption and the predicted first metric, and optimizing the consumption of the resources according to the projected second metric and the user preferences. The second time period includes the plurality of first time periods. The first metric is associated with the user preferences and at least one of the plurality of first time periods. The second metric indicates full or partial projected attainment of the preferences during the second time period.