Abstract: The invention relates to a method for calibrating thermal processing equipment used for heat treatment of a multilayer substrate, in particular a multilayer semiconductor substrate. A calibration test profile is determined by processing a calibration test substrate according to thermal process parameters that produce multilayer substrates having an even thickness profile, and/or having reduced slip lines and/or reduced wafer deformation, and/or having other desired and predetermined properties. Then a particular thermal processing equipment is calibrated by determining thermal process parameters for that equipment so that a test substrate processed with these parameters will have the determined calibration test profile.

Abstract: A fishing reel with an electronics module enclosed by an exterior housing of the fishing reel is disclosed. The electronics module provides a watertight environment for a plurality of circuits. The circuits are useful to perform a variety of functions, including but not limited to determining a status of a fishing environment, controlling reel functions, or otherwise.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting faults in a system monitored by a plurality of sensors is provided. The apparatus includes a hidden process driver unit that generates a hidden process driver based upon sensor values received from a group of correlated sensors selected from among the plurality of sensors. The apparatus also includes a sensor estimating unit that generates sensor estimates for each of the plurality of sensors based upon the hidden process driver and a known process driver provided by an uncorrelated sensor. The apparatus further includes a fault determining unit that indicates a fault when a residual based upon a difference between a sensor value supplied by one of the plurality of sensors and a corresponding one of the sensor estimates lies outside an acceptable range of residual values.

Abstract: A maintenance mediation apparatus mediating maintenance operation instruction information in which a maintenance center gives an instruction for a maintenance operation to a corresponding one of maintenance target apparatuses connected thereto through a network is disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system senses the attitude of an accelerating object by measuring acceleration with accelerometers in three orthogonal axes and measuring angular rate with angular rate sensors disposed about each such axis to compute attitude of the object accurately relative to a vertical axis. A processor updates a quaternion representation of attitude based upon the angular rate of the object, and a corrective rate signal is determined from level frame acceleration as a reference for a Kalman filter in calculating the attitude of the object. When velocity or airspeed is available from an external source, an aiding algorithm is employed to provide accurate attitude representations throughout all flight regimes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring and analyzing the performance of a control circuit in an industrial process. Different parameters (indices) illustrating the state of the control circuit are combined in an intelligent manner such that each combination of index (VI, IAE, CTI, OI) values represents a specific example state of the control circuit. The indices and combinations of their values are selected in advance on the basis of expert knowledge and process research. A momentary state of the control circuit is deduced by computing the performance indices on the basis of the measurement data illustrating the control loop operation and by examining which (one) of the predetermined index value combinations best correlate(s) with the corresponding reference combination values. The reference state representing the best correlating combinations is then deduced to be the momentary state of the control circuit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for automatically carrying out chromatographic analyses. According to said method, at least one of the following pieces of information is obtained: a) the retention times of at least one constituent; b) the temperature; c) the structural formulae of at least one of the constituents; d) the type of elution agent; and e) the parameters of the separation column. For extensive optimization, the invention is characterized in that the data obtained is optionally completed by available data, at least one first test run is carried out under isocratic conditions, and retention times are detected or calculated on the basis of a model with optimization parameters. The retention times obtained are optimized by varying the parameters, another chromatography run is carried out with the parameters of the optimized retention times, and a comparison is made with the measured retention times. The above-mentioned steps are optionally repeated for further optimization.

Abstract: Cause of abnormalities of an abnormal state of a control system of a plant of a turbine are estimated and diagnosed from characteristics of abnormal phenomena. By using a control system abnormality cause-and-effect matrix in which characteristics of a plurality of abnormal phenomena constructed on a knowledge base are correlated with a plurality of causes by correlating (weighting) scores, plant devices causing abnormality are inferred and diagnosed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for applications such as signal processing, analysis, and coding/decoding replace digital signal processing elements with analog components. By combining soft logic gates and filters, the functionality of complex finite state machines can be implemented.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring changes in the pressure of a fluid line upstream of an infusion pump to determine when a fluid container has emptied, and to provide a signal indicating that the container needs replacement or replenishment. The difference between averaged pressures over separate time periods is monitored to determine when the fluid container is empty. The system and method are applicable to primary and secondary fluid container setups and can detect the point where the secondary has been emptied and the primary flow has resumed.

Abstract: A method for inspecting a part is provided. The method includes applying a number of multifrequency excitation signals to a probe to generate a number of multifrequency response signals for the part being inspected. The method further includes performing a multifrequency phase analysis on the multifrequency response signals to inspect a subsurface of the part. An inspection system is provided and includes an eddy current (EC) probe configured to induce eddy currents in a part. The system further includes an eddy current instrument coupled to the EC probe and configured to apply multifrequency excitation signals to the EC probe to generate multifrequency response signals. The system further includes a processor configured to analyze the multifrequency response signals from the EC instrument by performing a multifrequency phase analysis, to inspect a subsurface of the part.

Abstract: A system for analyzing steam trap data includes a steam trap monitoring device operable to monitor a parameter of a steam trap, transform the parameter into data, and transmit the data to a computer; and includes a computer operable to receive the data, the computer including an algorithm for evaluating the data. A method of analyzing steam trap data includes the steps of: providing a steam trap monitoring device operable to monitor a parameter of a steam trap, transform the parameter into data, and transmit data to a computer, and providing a computer operable to receive the data, the computer including an algorithm for evaluating the data; using the steam trap monitoring device to monitor a parameter of a steam trap, transform the parameter into data, and transmit the data to the computer; and using the computer to receive the data, and evaluate the data with the algorithm.

Abstract: A method of determining performance characteristics and/or internal structural features of hyperelastic polymer materials includes performing at least one macro-level loading experiment on a sample comprised of a given composition. From the macro-level loading experiment, a set of internal structural features are determined. More particularly, tensile and compressive uniaxial loading data is collected and fit with a stress-strain function being a ratio of two polynomials. A curve fit analysis yields a set of coefficients relating the uniaxial loading data to the stress-strain function. From these coefficients, a set of statistical parameters are calculated, yielding information about internal microstructural features of the polymer composition, and therefore, performance characteristics of a part comprised of the given polymer composition.

Abstract: A chromatographic analyzer is provided for facilitating curve filling by the linear least-square method for a chromatogram that contains a plurality of overlapping peaks. A chromatographic data processor executes fitting processing to each peak in an arbitrary time region having the plurality of peaks of the chromatogram starting from the front or back side of time region and the processed peaks are subtracted from the chromatogram in the time region so that the plurality of peaks in the chromatogram can be separated from one another.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, and computer program products to compensate for surface movement of liquid product within one or more tanks during a liquid product book to physical reconciliation process. A plurality of measurement data at a plurality of times can be received. Each measurement data represents a volume of liquid product within the tank. The volume of liquid product represented by the measurement data can be compared against at least one predetermined volume identified as being unreliable. Following eliminating the measurement data that is unreliable, a sample mean and a standard deviation for the remaining measurement data are calculated and then used to filter the remaining measurement data by eliminating any measurement data that has a value plus or minus a predetermined number of the standard deviations from the standard mean for the second set of measurement data.

Abstract: A method for measuring a workpiece includes the steps: measuring measurement points on the surface of a workpiece using a measuring device; evaluating the measured measurement points in such a manner that a predetermined desired geometry of the workpiece to be measured and an actual geometry defined by the measured measurement points are mapped one on top of the other with the aid of a fitting method. In order to be able to adapt or fit the predetermined desired geometry of the workpiece to a measured workpiece, which had been altered, the application of a fitting method is suggested. In this method, transformation parameters are additionally provided for the fitting. These parameters permit a defined transformation of the desired geometry or of the actual geometry with regard to a targeted change of shape of the desired geometry or of the actual geometry.

Abstract: A dual-axis accelerometer and processing circuit are provided. The accelerometer has a plurality of fixed electrodes supported on a substrate and fixed capacitive plates arranged in first and second sensing axes. An inertial mass is suspended over a cavity and includes movable capacitive plates arranged to provide a capacitive couplings with the fixed capacitive plates. The inertial mass is movable relative to the plurality of fixed electrodes. The accelerometer has a plurality of support arms for supporting the inertial mass relative to the fixed electrodes and allowing movement of the inertial mass upon experiencing acceleration along the first and second sensing axes. The accelerometer further has inputs for receiving input signals and an output for providing an output signal which varies as a function of the capacitive coupling and is indicative of sensed acceleration. The processing circuit extracts the components of acceleration along the first and second sensing axes.

Abstract: In a method for testing an electric circuit, a first circuit is produced by a first process sequence. A first signal is applied to the first circuit and a signal indicating if the first circuit is defective is generated by comparing the first signal with the first circuit output signal. Then, a second circuit is produced by a second process sequence which includes incorporating at least one intentional defect structure. The first signal is applied to the second circuit and a signal is generated by comparing the first signal with the second circuit output in response to the first signal. A modified signal is applied to the second circuit, until a comparison of the modified signal and the respective response of the second circuit indicates a defective second circuit. Information about the modified signal resulting in the indication of a defective second circuit is stored.

Abstract: When a voltage applied to an output terminal exceeds a power source voltage to be supplied during an ordinary operation state, a reset signal turns into L level and the operation mode of a sensor goes into a trimming operation mode. The voltage entered into the output terminal is changed in a voltage range higher that the power source voltage to input trimming data with a data signal having L or H level. The entered trimming data is temporarily held by a latch and then written into a memory in response to a write voltage applied to a power source terminal in a write mode. Then, the trimming data held by the latch or the trimming data stored in the memory can be read out as a change in the sink current of the output terminal when a read mode is set.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for monitoring automatic door apparatuses installed at different sites by centrally administering maintenance service contents and contents regarding actual repair to compile a database and by rendering personnel in sales agents or maintenance service agents accessible to the database. The system has a multitude of automatic door apparatus each having a communications function, and an administration center communicatively connected with the respective automatic door apparatuses via a communication medium. Each of the automatic door apparatuses sends, to the administration center, operating information of its own with apparatus identification information attached thereto. The administration center is operative to classify the operating information of each door apparatus into a number of categories based on the apparatus identification information for storage, and to output the operating information in response to a calling.