Patents by Inventor Francesco Borrelli
Francesco Borrelli has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10557646Abstract: A solar tracker system comprising a plurality of on sun trackers and a plurality of off sun tracker. Each tracker is selectively adjusted to achieve a desired power output of the solar power plant system in an example.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2017Date of Patent: February 11, 2020Assignee: NEXTracker Inc.Inventors: Yu Dong Ma, Yang Liu, Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly, Ricardo Delgado-Nanez, Alexander W. Au
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Patent number: 10423808Abstract: An analog circuit design is described that solves Linear Programming (LP) or Quadratic Programming (QP) problems.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2015Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAInventors: Sergey Vichik, Francesco Borrelli
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Patent number: 9804580Abstract: A method for controlling an operation of a machine determines a feasible region for states of the machine and states of the reference trajectory defined by constraints of the machine, constraints on a reference trajectory and constraints on bounds of a tracking error and selects a subset of the feasible region, such that for any state of the machine and any state of the reference trajectory within the subset, there is an admissible control maintaining the state of the machine within the subset for all admissible future states of the reference trajectory determined by the model and the constraints of the reference trajectory. Next, an admissible control action for controlling the operation of the machine is selected such that the state of the machine remains in the subset for all admissible future states of the reference trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2013Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Stefano Di Cairano, Francesco Borrelli
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Publication number: 20170153038Abstract: A testing platform tests an electrical and mechanical system such as an HVAC unit according to an algorithm that reduces the total testing time of the components of the system, while ensuring the safety of the system during system-wide testing. The platform uses constraints that are checked both before and during the testing to ensure that HVAC operating conditions are acceptable for starting and maintaining component tests. Preferably, the platform uses finite-state machines for each device to organize the component tests, allowing for monitoring of constraints and starting, pausing, and stopping component tests. Preferably, total test execution time is reduced by running component tests in parallel, running component tests based on loads of the components, or combinations of both.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2016Publication date: June 1, 2017Applicant: NEXTRACKERInventors: Bruce Christopher Wootton, Rory Joseph Timar, Colin Patrick Murphy, Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly
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Publication number: 20160026830Abstract: An analog circuit design is described that solves Linear Programming (LP) or Quadratic Programming (QP) problems.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2015Publication date: January 28, 2016Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIAInventors: Sergey Vichik, Francesco Borrelli
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Publication number: 20150178421Abstract: A system for and method of modeling thermal performance characteristics of HVAC components in a building uses the building power or other meter to measure power consumed by the components. The models are used to test the components, preferably during off hours, to ensure proper and efficient operation. Preferably, the testing software is written in a high-level interpretive language that is independent of the HVAC component being modeled. The models are adaptively maintained by periodically ensuring that their measured output matches the predicted output. When the two do not match, the model parameters are updated. These models can also be used to generate reports comparing costs and cost savings for different temperature and other environmental settings within selected zones in the building.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2014Publication date: June 25, 2015Inventors: Francesco Borrelli, Allan Daly, Yudong Ma, Bruce C. Wootton
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Publication number: 20150148924Abstract: A method for controlling an operation of a machine determines a feasible region for states of the machine and states of the reference trajectory defined by constraints of the machine, constraints on a reference trajectory and constraints on bounds of a tracking error and selects a subset of the feasible region, such that for any state of the machine and any state of the reference trajectory within the subset, there is an admissible control maintaining the state of the machine within the subset for all admissible future states of the reference trajectory determined by the model and the constraints of the reference trajectory. Next, an admissible control action for controlling the operation of the machine is selected such that the state of the machine remains in the subset for all admissible future states of the reference trajectory.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2013Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Stefano Di Cairano, Francesco Borrelli
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Patent number: 8452423Abstract: Methods and systems for the design and implementation of optimal multivariable MPC controllers for fast-sampling constrained dynamic systems utilizing a primal-dual feasibility approach and/or a graph approach. The primal-dual feasibility approach can compute and store matrices defining constraints of quadratic programming problems in an off-line part in order to calculate vectors of Lagrange multipliers and an optimizer. Then primal-dual feasibility can be checked in an on-line part using the Lagrange multipliers and the optimizer can provide a unique optimal solution for the constrained dynamic system. The graph approach can compute and store the matrices and the vectors, and also prepare and store a structure of directed graph in off-line part. An optimizer for a given parameter vector can be determined in on-line part using the directed graph, the matrices and the vectors.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2011Date of Patent: May 28, 2013Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Francesco Borrelli, Gregory Stewart
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Publication number: 20120271528Abstract: Methods and systems for the design and implementation of optimal multivariable MPC controllers for fast-sampling constrained dynamic systems utilizing a primal-dual feasibility approach and/or a graph approach. The primal-dual feasibility approach can compute and store matrices defining constraints of quadratic programming problems in an off-line part in order to calculate vectors of Lagrange multipliers and an optimizer. Then primal-dual feasibility can be checked in an on-line part using the Lagrange multipliers and the optimizer can provide a unique optimal solution for the constrained dynamic system. The graph approach can compute and store the matrices and the vectors, and also prepare and store a structure of directed graph in off-line part. An optimizer for a given parameter vector can be determined in on-line part using the directed graph, the matrices and the vectors.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2011Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Francesco Borrelli, Gregory Stewart
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Patent number: 8265854Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2011Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Patent number: 8145329Abstract: A method and system for combining a feedback control and a feedforward control in a linear MPC to minimize effect of model uncertainty. An externally computed feedforward signal, which is more accurate and reliable, can be utilized in association with the MPC, A steady state relation between system parameters can be determined in order to compute the feedforward signal for a set of actuators associated with a non-linear system. A feedback MPC controller can then be designed. A state observer can be configured as an unknown input observer to estimate the effect of the feedforward signal. A strategy for manipulating the constraints of the MPC feedback signal can be implemented. A resulting control action for the actuators can be provided as a sum of corresponding feedback and feedforward signal while ensuring the constraints satisfaction.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2009Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Greg Strewart, Dejan Kihas, Francesco Borrelli
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Publication number: 20120010732Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Patent number: 8060290Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2008Date of Patent: November 15, 2011Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Patent number: 7996140Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2010Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Publication number: 20110010073Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Publication number: 20100305719Abstract: A method and system for combining a feedback control and a feedforward control in a linear MPC to minimize effect of model uncertainty. An externally computed feedforward signal, which is more accurate and reliable, can be utilized in association with the MPC. A steady state relation between system parameters can be determined in order to compute the feedforward signal for a set of actuators associated with a non-linear system. A feedback MPC controller can then be designed. A state observer can be configured as an unknown input observer to estimate the effect of the feedforward signal. A strategy for manipulating the constraints of the MPC feedback signal can be implemented. A resulting control action for the actuators can be provided as a sum of corresponding feedback and feedforward signal while ensuring the constraints satisfaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2009Publication date: December 2, 2010Inventors: Jaroslav Pekar, Greg Strewart, Dejan Kihas, Francesco Borrelli
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Publication number: 20100017094Abstract: An engine control unit having a one-time integration of a model predictive control template via a potentially long software process. Changes to the control structure may subsequently be made via a calibration dataset connected to the engine control unit without incurring the potentially long and laborious software process of implementing the template of other approaches in the related art.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2008Publication date: January 21, 2010Applicant: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.Inventors: Greg Stewart, Francesco Borrelli, Jaroslav Pekar
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Patent number: 7603185Abstract: A system for controlling nonlinear plants which may be effected with gain scheduled feedback controllers. Several linear sub-controllers having various gains may be put together as one unit. The overall controller may be changed by switching from one sub-controller to another according to an exogenous or endogenous parameter. The signal to the switch may reflect operational ranges of the plant occurring at certain times and indicate the gain desired from the system relative to the output and input signals of the plant at those times. The advantages of the present approach may include a guarantee of nominal and robust stability both global and local, a permitting of the use of control structures that are familiar to industrial practitioners, and no requirement of advanced mathematical techniques for its implementation.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2006Date of Patent: October 13, 2009Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Gregory E. Stewart, Francesco Borrelli
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Patent number: 7467614Abstract: Systems and methods for using pedal position and/or pedal change rate in the fuel side and/or air side control of an engine. By knowing the pedal position and/or pedal rate, an engine controller may anticipate future fuel and/or air needs of the engine, and adjust the fuel profile and/or air profile to meet those anticipated needs. This may help improve the responsiveness, performance and emissions of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2004Date of Patent: December 23, 2008Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Gregory E. Stewart, Syed M. Shahed, Francesco Borrelli, Gregory J. Hampson
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Patent number: RE44452Abstract: Systems and methods for using pedal position and/or pedal change rate in the fuel side and/or air side control of an engine. By knowing the pedal position and/or pedal rate, an engine controller may anticipate future fuel and/or air needs of the engine, and adjust the fuel profile and/or air profile to meet those anticipated needs. This may help improve the responsiveness, performance and emissions of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2010Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Gregory Stewart, Syed M. Shahed, Francesco Borrelli, Gregory J. Hampson