Abstract: A method includes supplying current to at least one photovoltaic device via a current source and detecting emitted photon radiations from the at least one photovoltaic device via a radiation detector. The method also includes outputting a signal corresponding to the detected emitted photon radiations from the radiation detector to a processor device, and processing the signal corresponding to the detected emitted photon radiations via the processor device to generate one or more two-dimensional photon images. The method further includes analyzing the one or more two-dimensional photon images to determine at least one defect in the at least one photovoltaic device.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for performing fault diagnosis are disclosed herein. In certain disclosed embodiments, methods for diagnosing faults from compressed test responses are provided. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, a circuit description of an at least partially scan-based circuit-under-test and a compactor for compacting test responses captured in the circuit-under-test is received. A transformation function performed by the compactor to the test responses captured in the circuit-under-test is determined. A diagnostic procedure for evaluating uncompressed test responses is modified into a modified diagnostic procedure that incorporates the transformation function therein. Computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any of the disclosed methods are also provided.

Abstract: A method for the calibration or diagnosis of a motor vehicle brake system having a cyclically operated pump. At least one parameter (URPOff), representing the electromotor force of the reference pump, is repeatedly ascertained during operation of a reference pump under defined guidelines. A statistical characteristic variable (URPOff) is derived from the values of parameter (URPOff) ascertained for the reference pump. Parameter (UBPOff) is ascertained under a corresponding guideline during operation of an operating pump. Corresponding statistical characteristic variable (UBPOff) is derived from the values of parameter (UBPOff) ascertained for the operating pump. At least one ratio number is calculated as a measure of the deviation of the operating behavior of the operating pump from the operating behavior of the reference pump from the characteristic variable (URPOff) calculated for the reference pump and the characteristic variable (UBPOff) calculated for the operating pump.

Abstract: A method includes defining a hierarchy associated with a test system including a plurality of test units for testing integrated circuit devices. At least some of the test units have a plurality of sockets. The hierarchy includes a first level including a first plurality of entities each associated with one of the sockets and at least a second level including a second plurality of entities each associated with a grouping of the sockets. State data associated with operational states of the sockets is received. A set of state metrics is generated for each entity at each level of the hierarchy based on the state data. Each set of state metrics identifies time spent in the operational states.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for the failsafe monitoring of an electromotive drive without additional sensors, including a drive having a three-phase control of an electric motor, detection of the current and voltage profiles of each of the three phases, as they are forwarded to the motor by drive electronics, determination of the load speed while using the detected current and voltage values, where the determination of the load speed takes place by calculating an observer model with reference to the detected current, to the detected voltage, to the frequency preset by the control and to the characteristic data of the motor and generation of a failsafe switch signal for the motor when the calculated load speed does not correspond to a preset desired speed within the framework of preset tolerances. The load torque can also be determined and monitored with reference to the observer model.

Abstract: A system for remotely diagnosing and repairing a computer controlled asset, includes an access point connected to a computer controlled asset thereby allowing electronic access to the computer system of the computer controlled asset. A service center remotely connected to the access point provides diagnostic review and repair of the computer controlled asset. An interface linking the access point to the service center allows the service center to communicate with the computer controlled asset via the access point.

Abstract: In a method for localizing a fault location within a fuel injection system, when a critical fault is detected by the diagnostic function, a pulse or a series of pulses to the injectors is triggered by a control unit. By observing the voltage value and/or charge value at the injector, it is possible to localize the fault location within the fuel injection system.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that analyzes data from a computer system. During operation, the system obtains the sensor data from a component in the computer system using a set of sensors. Next, the system transmits the sensor data to a microcontroller unit (MCU) coupled to the sensors and stores the sensor data in internal memory of the MCU. Finally, the system assesses the integrity of the component by analyzing the sensor data using a pattern-recognition apparatus in the MCU.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method of manufacturing an article. According to at least one embodiment, a set of manufacturing instructions is stored for a machine, and at least one of the manufacturing instructions is imputed into the machine. In addition, an article is manufactured with the machine in accordance with the input manufacturing instructions, and a realisation log which is indicative of the operations that the machine has actually performed in manufacturing the article is generated. Further, a report by comparing the realisation log with the stored set of manufacturing instructions is generated.

Abstract: A method for determining diagnoses for a system having a plurality of pieces of equipment, the equipment being adapted to transmit signals indicating its operating state, includes the following steps: acquiring observations based on signals transmitted by the equipment of the system under diagnosis, and determining a global situation based on the acquired observations and predetermined failure trees associated with these observations, wherein a failure tree describes the relations between an observation and root causes, and a root cause indicates a failure in a piece of equipment; determining connected situations, a connected situation being a set of observations which, when considered in pairs, have at least one common root cause in their failure tree; determining partial diagnoses on the basis of each of the connected situations, the diagnoses including root causes associated with observations signalling a failure; and, displaying the diagnoses.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for detecting an abnormal on-line analysis or laboratory measurement and for predicting an abnormal quality excursion due to an abnormal process condition.

Abstract: In embodiments of the disclosed technology, diagnosis of a circuit is performed using compactor signatures (a technique referred to herein as “signature-based diagnosis”). Signature-based diagnosis typically does not require a test step that bypasses the compactor. Compactor signatures can be read from a compactor on a per-pattern basis, and an expected signature can be loaded into a compactor while an actual signature is being read from the compactor. Error functions can be used to describe relationships between errors in scan cell values and per-pattern compactor signatures, and the functions can be used to help generate a list of fault candidates in a circuit design.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for performing fault diagnosis are disclosed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, a failure log is received comprising entries indicative of compressed test responses to chain patterns and compressed test responses to scan patterns. A faulty scan chain in the circuit-under-test is identified based at least in part on one or more of the entries indicative of the compressed test responses to chain patterns. One or more faulty scan cell candidates in the faulty scan chain are identified based at least in part on one or more of the entries indicative of the compressed test responses to scan patterns. The one or more identified scan cell candidates can be reported. Computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any of the disclosed methods are also provided. Likewise, computer-readable media storing lists of fault candidates identified by any of the disclosed methods are also provided.

Abstract: A fault isolation method and system includes tailored fault isolators for each grouping of similar data to differentiate between one or several potential faults within any group.

Abstract: An automatic method for identifying biological samples that are collected using the wrong blood preservative for subsequent analytical testing. The method also provides for identification and/or suppression of certain analytical test results that are substantially or partly adversely affected. The invention is particularly suited for use in point-of-care medical diagnostic testing.

Abstract: In a mobile phone device 1 including a three-axial direction vibration sensor 16 for detecting the walking of a user carrying the mobile phone device 1 and counting the number of walking steps, when an incoming call is received, vibrations due to a notification operation by a vibrator 14 or a speaker 15 are transmitted to the three-axial direction vibration sensor 16. As a result, the three-axial direction vibration sensor 16 inevitably detects unintended vibrations in addition to vibrations from walking, causing the number of walking steps to be miscounted. To prevent this and perform the accurate detection of walking, in the present invention, the detection of walking is performed without using, among vibrations in three directions detected by the three-axial direction vibration sensor 16, vibrations in the same direction as the direction of vibrations caused by a notification operation by the vibrator 14 or the speaker 15.

Abstract: A variable indication estimator which determines an output value representative of a set of input data. For example, the estimator can reduce input data to estimates of a desired signal, select a time, and determine an output value from the estimates and the time. In one embodiment, the time is selected using one or more adjustable signal confidence parameters determine where along the estimates the output value will be computed. By varying the parameters, the characteristics of the output value are variable. For example, when input signal confidence is low, the parameters are adjusted so that the output value is a smoothed representation of the input signal. When input signal confidence is high, the parameters are adjusted so that the output value has a faster and more accurate response to the input signal.

Abstract: When an abnormality of a vehicle is detected based on a vehicle state value that indicates the vehicle state, an abnormality analysis system for the vehicle estimates a cause of the abnormality. The abnormality analysis system includes: a factor identifying information extraction unit that extracts factor identifying information which is used to identify a factor of the abnormality based on the vehicle state value; a database that contains data groups which correspond to respective categories of the factor identifying information and which store causes of abnormalities and vehicle state values at the time of occurrence of the abnormalities; and an abnormality cause estimation unit that executes a process for estimating the cause of the abnormality of the vehicle with the use of the data group that corresponds to the category of the factor identifying information extracted by the factor identifying information extraction unit.

Abstract: Detecting unauthorized or excessive use of a resource is disclosed. The value of a metric is updated based at least in part on a first data associated with a current event associated with the metric and a second data associated with a most recent prior event associated with the metric. Responsive action is taken if the updated value of the metric exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for remotely diagnosing grid-based computing systems includes establishing an event framework defining an arrangement of event information, receiving a diagnostic event record from a resource within the grid-based computing system, the diagnostic event record containing event data concerning an event that has occurred within the resource in the grid, and diagnostic telemetry information concerning operation of the resource up to the occurrence of the event. The diagnostic event record is applied to the event framework to identify at least one resource causing the occurrence of the event in the grid-based computing system. Specific identities of resources impacted by the event are presented to the user via a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically determining an optimal re-training interval for a fault diagnoser based on online monitoring of the performance of a classifier are disclosed. The classifier generates a soft measure of membership in association with a class based on a training data. The output of the classifier can be utilized to assign a label to new data and then the members associated with each class can be clustered into one or more core members and potential outliers. A statistical measure can be utilized to determine if the distribution of the outliers is sufficiently different than the core members after enough outliers have been accumulated. If the outliers are different with respect to the core members, then the diagnoser can be re-trained; otherwise, the output of the classifier can be fed to the fault diagnoser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for suppressing a duplicated alarm in a communications network are described. In one embodiment, at least one alarm message associated with at least one event is received. A determination of whether the at least one event exists in a database is subsequently made. The at least one event is recorded in the database if the at least one event does not exist in the database. Conversely, the at least one alarm message is suppressed if the at least one event exists in the database.

Abstract: A method for online condition-based monitoring (CBM) of a tank farm including a plurality of storage tanks includes providing a tank model including a diagnostic and/or predictive tank model based on calculated tank metrics that is derived from historical data including tank operation data. The calculated tank metrics include tank operational metrics based on the tank operational data for the storage tanks and tank condition metrics based on tank inspection or maintenance data for the storage tanks. The tank model provides relationships between the tank condition metrics and the tank operational metrics. Results are generated using the tank model including at least one failure indicia for at least a first of the storage tanks using the calculated tank metrics and current measured data for the first tank as inputs to the tank model. The failure indicia is processed for scheduling at least one maintenance task for the first tank.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, devices, and systems for analyzing defects in an object such as a semiconductor wafer. In one embodiment, it provides a method of characterizing defects in semiconductor wafers during fabrication in a semiconductor fabrication facility. This method comprises the following actions. The semiconductor wafers are inspected to locate defects. Locations corresponding to the located defects are then stored in a defect file. A dual charged-particle beam system is automatically navigated to the vicinity defect location using information from the defect file. The defect is automatically identified and a charged particle beam image of the defect is then obtained. The charged particle beam image is then analyzed to characterize the defect. A recipe is then determined for further analysis of the defect. The recipe is then automatically executed to cut a portion of the defect using a charged particle beam.

Abstract: Devices, methods, and systems for turbine fault analysis are described herein. One computing device implemented method for turbine failure analysis includes collecting a first set of data associated with wind turbine performance, via a computing device, analyzing the first set of data to determine whether the first set of data can indicate a fault condition, and reviewing a second set of data associated with wind turbine performance to determine if a fault condition exists.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing aquifer operation are included. An exemplary method includes receiving at an analysis computing device, one or more water measurements from a plurality of sites in an aquifer, wherein water measurements are received at a plurality of time points. A site may include one or more groundwater extraction wells. The method may further include calculating well operational data for at least one groundwater extraction well based on the water measurements, wherein the well operational data includes a well efficiency over a time period. Further, the method may include receiving an aquifer objective input via a graphical user interface presented on the analysis computing device. The method may further include generating a pump operation signal based on the well operational data and the aquifer objective input.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing an electrically controllable pop-off valve of a turbo-charging device of an internal combustion engine, which pop-off valve is situated in a pop-off pipe bypassing the compressor, includes: providing a reading regarding an air mass flow supplied by an air supply channel to the internal combustion engine; after the activation of the pop-off valve in order to switch over the pop-off valve, analyzing the time curve of the air mass flow reading in order to determine, within a specified time after the beginning of the activation of the pop-off valve, a local maximum of the air mass flow indicated by the air mass flow reading; and detecting a fault of the electrically controllable pop-off valve if the local maximum of the air mass flow is not able to be determined within the specified time.

Abstract: A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: presenting to a user a hypothesis identifying at least a relationship between a first event type and a second event type; receiving from the user one or more modifications to modify the hypothesis; and executing one or more actions based, at least in part, on a modified hypothesis resulting, at least in part, from the reception of the one or more modifications. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting abnormal operation of a hydrocracker includes a hydrocracker model. The model may be configurable to include one or more regression models corresponding to different operating regions of the portion of the hydrocracker. The system and method may also determine if a monitored temperature difference variable deviates significantly from the temperature difference variable predicted by the model. If there is a significant deviation, this may indicate an abnormal operation.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for detecting faults in an environmental control system for a building zone. The system includes a circuit configured to determine that a fault exists based on a comparison of the current value for the climate condition in a heating state and the estimate of the climate condition at which a transmission from the heating state to the no heating state is expected to be caused by a finite state machine of the system.

Abstract: A method and device for detecting oscillatory faults relating to an aircraft airfoil slaving chain. The device includes units that count the number of overshoots of a threshold value by the current value of a quantity related to the positional slaving of an airfoil. Oscillatory fault is detected based on the number of overshoots of the threshold value being greater than the current value by a predetermined number.

Abstract: A method of analyzing production steps includes inputting application data associated with a production process having a plurality of process steps into a memory with each of the plurality of process steps including a plurality of tools. The method also includes loading process data associated with one of the plurality of process steps into the memory, performing a tool commonality analysis on each of the tools associated with the at least one of the plurality of process steps, identifying all tool-to-tool differences for the at least one of the plurality of process steps, performing a tool stratification analysis to identify one of the plurality of tools that provides the largest variance contribution to the at least one of the plurality of process steps, and stopping the one of the plurality of tools that provides the largest variance contribution to the at least one of the plurality of process steps.

Abstract: An abnormality detection system includes a measurement unit, a decision unit, an alarm unit, and storage units, and serves to detect the abnormality in a control characteristic value of a plurality of products manufactured on the same production line. The decision unit receives the control characteristic value stored in the storage unit, and decides whether an abnormality exists, based on that value. More specifically, the decision unit decides that the control characteristic value is abnormal when, with respect to m (m is a natural number) pieces of the products that are consecutively manufactured, an absolute value of a difference in control characteristic value between each of the products and another manufactured immediately before the former is equal to or less than a predetermined constant.

Abstract: A computerized method for determining one or more statistically likely geographical locations of an anomaly in a region or zone of a water utility network, the water utility network comprising at least a network of pipes for delivering water to consumers and a plurality of meters positioned within the water utility network including a plurality of meters capturing data regarding the water delivering within the region or zone of the anomaly, the method comprising. The method includes receiving anomaly event data, the anomaly event data representing an indication of an anomaly occurring or having occurred within a region or zone of the water utility network, the anomaly event data being associated with meter data produced by one or more of the meters. The method also includes performing a plurality of tests on the anomaly event data each designed to statistically determine a likely geographical location of the anomaly within the region or zone, the performance of each test producing a result.

Abstract: A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: selecting at least one hypothesis from a plurality of hypotheses relevant to a user, the selection of the at least one hypothesis being based, at least in part, on at least one reported event associated with the user; and presenting one or more advisories related to the hypothesis. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A quality degradation point estimating method for estimating a quality degradation point in a directed link set through which a communication flow passed is provided. The quality degradation point estimating method has: (A) determining a test flow set for estimating a quality degradation point; and (B) estimating the quality degradation point in the directed link set by sending the test flow set to the network. The (A) step includes a step of setting the flow, which passes through a partial set as a part of the directed link set, as the test flow and adding the set test flow to the test flow set. The test flow is sent from the test terminal on the network to a predetermined node in the partial set. A response is obtained at the predetermined node, and the response is sent from the predetermined node to a predetermined terminal.

Abstract: A quality control method includes: extracting, from a time series distribution of troubles that have occurred in electronic equipments, a first characteristics of states of occurrence of the troubles; specifying one or more parts included in the electronic equipments, the parts being involved with the troubles; extracting, from another time series distribution of a rate of use corresponding to each of suppliers which supply the specified parts, a second characteristics of the parts; and specifying one or more of the suppliers supplying the parts correlated to the troubles based on a correlation between the extracted first characteristics and the extracted second characteristics.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying asset health information includes determining a status of at least one asset in a monitored system based on operational information obtained about the at least one asset. The obtained operational information about the at least one asset is compared against other operational information obtained about the monitored system. A review of the determined status of the at least one asset is conducted based on the comparison. At least one of textual information and numeric information is displayed based on the conducted review of the determined status of the at least one asset. Additionally, at least one of three or more indicator lights is displayed based on the conducted review of the determined status of the at least one asset.

Abstract: System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing an inter-metal (“IM”) WAT on a plurality of processed wafer lots; selecting a subset of the plurality of wafer lots using a lot sampling process; and selecting a sample wafer group using the wafer lot subset, wherein IM WAT is performed on wafers of the sample wafer group to obtain IM WAT data therefore. The method further comprises estimating final WAT data for all wafers in the processed wafer lots from IM WAT data obtained for the sample wafer group and providing the estimated final WAT data to a WAT APC process for controlling processes.

Abstract: According to exemplary methods and systems of the present principles, the location of defective field repairable units (FRUS) of a circuit that have varying sizes or varying numbers of scan cells may be identified by employing tiles including scan cells from different FRUS. A set of test patterns may be scanned through the scan cells such that cells belonging to FRUs within a tile may be concealed while analyzing the response of scan cells in the tile contributed by a different FRU. Further, defective tiles are discoverable at any tile location and in any quantity within a maximal capacity using a compressed signature. In addition, signature registers that process data at a rate that is faster than the scan shift rate of the circuit may be employed during compression to multiply a circuit response by a plurality of components of a compression matrix during one scan shift cycle.

Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate generally to diagnostic methods and systems for determining the operating condition and performance of a cooling element in a metallurgical reactor during operation of the reactor. In a system aspect, the system comprises sensing means, processing means and display means. The sensing means is located in or approximate the cooling element for sensing operating conditions of the cooling element. The processing means is in communication with the sensing means for receiving data corresponding to the sensed operating conditions and for processing the data to determine a relative condition indicator of the cooling element. The display means is in communication with the processing means and displays the relative condition indicator to a user of the diagnostic system. The display means can display a first, second or third state representative of the relative health indicator.

Abstract: Provided is an anomaly detection method and system capable of constructing determination condition rules of anomaly detection from case-based anomaly detection by way of multivariate analysis of a multi-dimensional sensor signal, applying the rules to design-based anomaly detection of individual sensor signals, and also appropriately executing setting and control of threshold values for highly sensitive, early, and clearly visible detection of anomalies. Anomaly detection on the basis of a case base by way of multivariate analysis controls design-based anomaly detection. That is to say, (1) anomaly detection on the basis of a case base performs selection of sensor signals and anomaly detection according to various types of anomalies. Specifically, anomaly detection (characteristic conversion), evaluation of level of effect of each signal, construction of determination conditions (rules), and display and selection of sensor signals corresponding to the anomaly are performed.

Abstract: A system for assessing the health of a mechanism includes a processor for receiving observation data from at least one sensor, the processor including: a detector receptive to the observation data and capable of identifying whether the mechanism is operating in a normal or degraded mode; a diagnoser to identify a type of fault from at least one symptom pattern; and a prognoser capable of calculating a remaining useful life (RUL) of the mechanism, wherein the prognoser includes a population prognoser for calculating the RUL based on a duration of use of the mechanism, a cause prognoser for calculating the RUL based on causal data, and an effect prognoser for calculating the RUL based on effect data generated from the fault. A method and computer program product for assessing the health of a downhole tool is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for counting oscillations of an oscillating temporal signal. The device comprises means for counting all the alternate crossings of a positive threshold value and of a negative threshold value by a monitored time signal.

Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling an engine, an input switching unit switches an input signal to be inputted to an input path from a crank signal to a cam signal when it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal. An event signal generating unit generates a crank-input event signal while it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal by an abnormality determining unit. The crank-input event signal has a level that repetitively changes in a predetermined direction. Each level change of the crank-input event signal is synchronized with a corresponding level change of the crank signal. A monitoring unit monitors a level change of the crank-input event signal while it is determined that the crank signal is abnormal by the abnormality determining unit.

Abstract: One of a first signal, a second signal, and a third signal is received respectively from each of three inputs. A pattern formed by the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal is compared to a set of predetermined patterns. Based on the comparing, it is determined whether an error exists. If an error condition exists, a specific one of the inputs is identified as a cause of the error.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the operating mode of an internal combustion engine (1) comprising several cylinders (3) and an injection system (4) with one injection unit (5) per cylinder (3). According to said method: a digital measuring signal, which characterizes the combustion of fuel (6) in the internal combustion engine (1), is first determined; said digital measuring signal is then transformed into a frequency range; a misfiring of the ignition is detected using the amplitude information of the transformed measuring signal and if a misfiring has occurred, the injection of the individual cylinders (3) is deactivated sequentially for a predefined period and for each cylinder the corresponding digital measuring signal that characterizes said cylinder is determined and transformed into the frequency range and a misfiring cylinder (3) is identified during the evaluation of the transformed measuring signal using the amplitude information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a diagnostic control apparatus for internal combustion engines capable of accurately diagnosing the presence and extent of air/fuel ratio variations in engine cylinders, even when the system has no part for detecting the air/fuel ratio in each cylinder. The diagnostic control apparatus measures the time required for the crankshaft to rotate to a specified angle for each cylinder; and based on this measured, required time, derives the 0.5 order component as the rotation fluctuation component for each two rotations of the crankshaft per each cylinder or the 1.0 order component as the rotation fluctuation component for each single rotation of the crankshaft; and also counts the number of times the 0.5 order component or 1.0 order component deviates from the preset range in the period set for each cylinder, and diagnoses an error in the output or in the air/fuel ratio for a particular cylinder when that count value exceeds a specified value.

Abstract: A server device includes: an abnormality information output unit for storing a plurality of measurement information, which is time sequential information related to information measured in a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses, having manufacturing apparatus identifiers and time information, and storing at least one set of abnormality information indicating an abnormality and one or more measurement information, and outputting one or more abnormality information; a chart composing unit for composing one or more charts from one or more measurement information in pair with one or more abnormality information corresponding to an abnormality information instruction when the instruction, which is an instruction for one or more abnormality information among the one or more abnormality information outputted by the abnormality information output unit, is received; and an output unit for outputting the one or more charts composed by the chart composing unit, so that abnormality analysis can be carried out easily an

Abstract: The failure diagnosis system of cooling fans of the present invention includes a first cooling device, a second cooling device and a control device. The first cooling device has a first cooling fan, and the second cooling device has a second cooling fan. The control device executes a first failure diagnosis which checks failure of the second cooling fan based on the rotation rate of the second cooling fan at the time at which the rotation rate of the first cooling fan is reduced.