Abstract: A method and system for compensating for stiction of a control valve in a pneumatically controlled valve system. A digital twin model of the pneumatically controlled valve system is generated. A current segment of data signals is received from a process measurement device connected to the pneumatically controlled valve system. Operation of the pneumatically controlled valve system is monitored by comparing the current segment to the digital twin model. Stiction is detected when the digital twin model directly detects stiction or when the nonlinearity and Gaussian index are above a certain threshold. A severity of the stiction is determined. Instructions for a stiction control device are used to generate control signals to be applied to the actuator to compensate for the severity of the stiction. Further, the digital twin model is displayed with a representation of the severity of the stiction.

Abstract: Managing computer resources. Workload state information associated with one or more servers in a data center is accessed by a computer, the workload state information comprises workload placement on one or more servers, cooling conditions of the one or more servers, and performance requirements associated with a data center. Cooling state information of cooling resources associated with the one or more servers are accessed by the computer, the cooling state information comprises cooling conditions of the cooling resources. The workload state information and the cooling state information are compared by the computer. Based on the comparing, the computer generates workload repositioning instructions that instruct repositioning of workload on the one or more servers to meet the performance requirements.

Abstract: A method for use in controlling a free piston Stirling machine having a cold end and a warm end and driven by a linear motor having an armature winding to which a drive voltage is applied. The method comprises (a) sensing internal mechanical collisions; (b) repeatedly sensing the temperature of the cold end, the temperature of the warm end and the drive voltage; (c) storing, as associated data, a value representing drive voltage, the temperature of the cold end and the temperature of the warm end at the time of sensed collisions; and (d) limiting the drive voltage to less than the drive voltage that was sensed at a collision and is stored in association with stored warm end and cold end temperatures that are proximate currently sensed warm end and cold end temperatures.

Abstract: A control unit of a system stabilization device uses a fluctuation detection block (60) to determine fluctuation components included in the active component and reactive component currents of a system current and fluctuation components included in the frequency signal and the amplitude signal of a system voltage. The high frequency cut-off of the fluctuation detection block (60) is set to be f1; the low frequency cut-off is set to be f2. The fluctuation detection block (60) is composed of a low-pass filter (61) with a time constant of T1, a low-pass filter (62) with a time constant of T2, a subtracter (63) which outputs the difference, between the output signals of the filter (61) and the filter (62), and a feedback circuit (64) which provides feedback on the output of the subtracter (63) to the filters (61, 62). Thus, stability is ensured without using a current detector.

Abstract: Disclosed are various systems and methods for assessing and improving the capability of a machine tool. The disclosure applies to machine tools having at least one slide configured to move along a motion axis. Various patterns of dynamic excitation commands are employed to drive the one or more slides, typically involving repetitive short distance displacements. A quantification of a measurable merit of machine tool response to the one or more patterns of dynamic excitation commands is typically derived for the machine tool. Examples of measurable merits of machine tool performance include workpiece surface finish, and the ability to generate chips of the desired length.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for automatic estimation of backlash in a control system which includes a controller and a process to be controlled, wherein said controller is capable of performing integrating control of said process using one or more controller parameters to control a process output signal of said process with respect to a setpoint value thereof. The method involves monitoring said process output signal to determine a value reflecting momentary differences between setpoint value and actual value of said process output signal during a time interval; and estimating the backlash from said determined value and said one or more controller parameters.

Abstract: An effective non-intrusive data-based monitoring method may reduce the cost of control loop performance maintenance by screening and short-listing those control loops or valves that need maintenance. The invention comprises a data-based, model-free, non-invasive method that can automatically detect and quantify stiction present in control valves. The method does not require the implementation of any additional valve travel test or, as commonly known, bump test of the control loop. The method may detect and quantify stiction using controlled variable (pv), controller output (op) and set point (sp) data. It does not require valve positioner (mv) data.

Abstract: A servomotor control system that includes a numerical control unit and servo control unit enables the use of learning control based on an angle synchronization method in high-speed oscillating motion performed by, for example, a jig grinder. The numerical control unit calculates a reference angle ?(=?t), and also calculates a cyclic oscillation command F(t) according to the reference angle ? and a machining condition (angular velocity ?). The servo control unit calculates a difference between the value in the oscillation command F(t) and the position of the servomotor (positional difference ?) at intervals of a predetermined cycle, and performs learning control according to the reference angle ?, oscillation command F(t), and positional difference ?.

Abstract: According to typical inventive practice, a baseline describing a statistical distribution is established for a set of historical occurrences of an event. Comparison is made between the baseline and at least one current occurrence of the same event. Any current occurrence that is anomalous vis-à-vis the baseline is considered a possible leading indicator. According to some inventive embodiments of graphical presentation of such comparison, at least one graphical baseline comparative display component is rendered that includes a “bar” (describing a historical statistical distribution with respect to a criterion pertaining to occurrence of an event) and a “slider” (describing one or more current occurrences of the event). The bar includes at least one band representing a statistical mean range, and at least one band representing a statistical outlier range. Situation of the slider along the bar indicates whether and to what extent the current occurrence(s) is/are anomalous vis-à-vis the baseline.

Abstract: A system for analyzing an oilfield having at least one wellsite, each at least one wellsite having a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation for extracting fluid from an underground reservoir therein, that includes a data collection means for obtaining source data having a plurality of data elements of heterogeneous data types, memory for storing the source data, a functional method configured to perform a function on a dataset of a dataset type to obtain a processed dataset, and a client code configured to process the dataset. The client code includes an object instantiation code configured to use a dataset wrapper class to create the dataset with the dataset type from the source data, and a functional method invocation code configured to call the functional method with the dataset.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the voltage and frequency to minimize power dissipation in a processor. The method of one embodiment comprises determining a power consumption value. The power consumption value is evaluated to obtain a new operating point. The new operating point is compared with a present operating point. A frequency setting and a voltage setting are adjusted to correspond to the new operating point if the new operating point is different from the present operating point.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to minimize the number of in-process items. To this end, in an inter-process buffer controlling apparatus according to the invention, the size of a buffer to be used for storage of work subjects of predetermined work is increased if a difference or a ratio between a variance of first intervals at which the work subjects are delivered to the buffer and a variance of duration that is taken for the preceding process exceeds a prescribed first threshold value, and the size of the buffer is decreased if a difference or a ratio between an average of second intervals at which work subjects generated by the work are delivered to the following buffer and an average of the first intervals exceeds a prescribed second threshold value.

Abstract: A pattern recognition adaptive controller configured to dynamically adjust proportional gain and integral time control parameters based upon patterns that characterize the closed-loop response. The pattern recognition adaptive controller receives a sampled signal representative of the controlled variable, and determines a smoothed signal based on the sampled signal. The controller determines an estimated noise level of the sampled signal and determines if the control output and process output are oscillating quickly based on predefined criteria. The controller adjusts the gain used by the controller if the control output and process output are oscillating quickly. If the control output and process are not oscillating quickly, the controller determines whether there has been a significant load disturbance, whether there is an insignificant pattern, and/or whether the control output is saturated.

Abstract: A method for determining at least one time constant of a reference model, which is designed as a 2nd order time-delay element of a machine. The method includes detecting an oscillation frequency of an undamped machine oscillation and determining an optimized value of a time constant of the reference model as a function of the detected oscillation frequency of the undamped machine oscillation.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and apparatus for estimating stiffness or elasticity profiles across timber. This involves measuring a velocity of a plane compression wave propagating in the timber, determining density information relating to the timber and estimating an initial elasticity profile. A reiterative process is then conducted whereby a revised elasticity profile is determined using the density information and initial elasticity profile. The revised elasticity profile is then used to determine how the timber is utilised.

Abstract: An arrangement for correcting a signal (S) is suggested which contains a signal evaluation (28), which determines a characteristic variable of the input signal (US) of a controller (26) and/or the actuating variable (fr) of the controller (26) and/or at least one determined corrective signal (ora, fra) and/or at least one of their mean values (form) and compares the characteristic variable to at least one threshold value (SC1, SC2, SC3) and, when reaching or passing through at least one threshold value (SC1, SC2, SC3), an output signal (A) is made available at the end of the determination of the corrective signal (ora, fra).

Abstract: A network-based e-commerce system 100, 200 contains one or more service control points (SCPs) 122, 206 for establishing and maintaining credit reservation accounts associated with a plurality of prepaid subscribers. The credit reservation accounts are dedicated for payment, if at all, to particular service (content) providers. Service (content) providers access the credit reservations via a gateway device 104, 204.

Abstract: An IC card 1 (portable card) having an integrated device. The IC card 1 includes a nonvolatile memory 12 and an encryption circuit 10. The nonvolatile memory 12 is accessed after the IC card 1 is placed in a radio wave zone to receive a power supply from a terminal apparatus through a radio wave. The encryption circuit 10 coordinates with a first terminal apparatus to perform a mutual authentication. The integrated device includes a nonvolatile memory 13 and an encryption circuit 11. The nonvolatile memory 13 is accessed after the IC card 1 is placed at a location close to an antenna in the first terminal apparatus and only after the IC card 1 receives a higher-level power supply from the antenna. The encryption circuit 11 coordinates with the terminal apparatus to perform a mutual authentication. Personal information that requires high security is stored in the nonvolatile memory 13 and the encryption circuit 11 performs a mutual authentication whenever the nonvolatile memory 13 is accessed.

Abstract: A shaking table having: a feedback controller for generating a drive signal for actuators so that an inputted second command signal is agreed with a response signal indicating a vibration state of the table; an adaptive filter having variable filter coefficients which is supplied with an external first command signal indicating a target value of the response signal and generates the second command signal by compensating the transfer characteristics from the feedback controller to the table loading the specimen; a mask signal generator; a first adder for adding the mask signal to the second command signal; a second adder for adding the mask signal to the response signal; and an identification unit which is supplied with the outputs of the first and the second adders, for calculating the filter coefficients of the adaptive filter to compensate the transfer characteristics, and supplying the calculated coefficients to the adaptive filter.

Abstract: An adaptive control method employs an adaptive signal generation algorithm 11 for generating an adaptive signal y(n) which cancels a cyclic signal y(n) at a measurement point 24, and an adaptive coefficient vector renewing algorithm 12 for renewing the amplitudes a(n) and phases &phgr;(n) of the adaptive signal y(n). The adaptive coefficient vector renewing algorithm 12 is quasi-normalized by a sum [A(&ohgr;)+&ggr;]. The A(&ohgr;) is a gain measurement of a transfer characteristic 23, and the &ggr; is a divergence prevention constant. Hence, in a frequency region where the gain A(&ohgr;) is high, a step size is small so that the stability of the adaptive control method can be enhanced. In a frequency region where the gain A(&ohgr;) is low, the step size is large so that the adaptability can be improved. As a result, the convergence stability and the characteristic following the frequency variation are compatible with each other.

Abstract: A self-tuning technique for integrated continuous-time filters. The present invention provides a method and apparatus to compensate for post-fabrication or in-operation discrepancies between desired and measured filter characteristics due to variability of the IC fabrication process or due to drift caused by changing conditions such as voltage, temperature. The present invention requires minimal overhead in power and area requirements. Furthermore, the filter being tuned is used to process signals, unlike in the prior art where a similar but separate filter or oscillator is used to tune the bias values for both circuits. Better tuning accuracy is thus obtained in the present invention. The circuit is designed to initiate a self-tuning cycle at power-up or during operation after power-up. Tuning is achieved by injecting a reference signal, and monitoring the phase of the filter output with respect to the phase of the reference signal.