Automated PID Controller Design via Performance Specifications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users find it difficult to design controllers for system models developed in free-form environments due to the complexity of relating desired controller characteristics to PID gains, leading to reliance on trial-and-error methods.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows users to specify controller performance specifications such as closed-loop response speed and phase margin, facilitating intuitive interaction and automatic tuning of PID controllers without manually determining P, I, and D gains, and supports interactive design through graphical user interfaces and code generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users manually determine P, I, and D gains to achieve desired controller characteristics, then controller design flexibility is maintained, but the design process becomes complex and non-intuitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer that translates intuitive performance specifications (phase margin, closed-loop response speed) into PID gain parameters automatically. This mediator handles the complex nonlinear relationships between performance goals and gain values, shielding users from the mathematical complexity while maintaining design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the controller design parameters from direct gain values (P, I, D) to performance-based parameters (phase margin, response speed). By changing the parameter space from which users operate, the design process becomes more intuitive while the underlying complex relationships are handled through automated computation.
2Productivity
If users resort to trial-and-error guesswork for PID gains, then design flexibility is preserved, but design time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computational work by establishing the mathematical relationships between performance specifications and PID gains before the user begins design. The system pre-computes transformation algorithms and lookup tables that enable rapid conversion from performance goals to actual gain values, eliminating the need for iterative trial-and-error during the actual design process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements an automated feedback mechanism where the system continuously evaluates whether computed PID gains achieve the desired performance specifications. This feedback loop validates the design automatically, allowing users to proceed confidently without repeated manual testing and adjustment of gain values.
3Measurement precision
If conventional applications require users to relate desired characteristics to specific gain values, then design precision can be achieved, but user interaction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified copy or representation of the controller design process that uses intuitive parameters instead of raw gain values. Users interact with this simplified model specifying performance characteristics in natural terms, while the system maintains the precise mathematical relationships needed for accurate controller synthesis through automated transformation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments provide techniques, computer-readable media, and devices for allowing users to perform interactive design of controllers, such as PID controllers, in a free-form modeling environment. Users can tune controllers using characteristics familiar to typical users rather than having to specify gain values for the controller, which may be difficult for a user to relate to the performance of a controller.