Abstract: A method of the present invention using a prediction process including a battery equivalent circuit model used to predict a voltage and a state of charge of a battery. The equivalent circuit battery model includes different equivalent circuit models consisting of at least an ideal DC power source, internal resistance, and an arbitrary number of representative parallel resistors and capacitors. These parameters are obtained a priori by fitting the equivalent circuit model to battery testing data. The present invention further uses a correction process includes determining a corrected predicted state of charge of the battery; and storing the corrected state of charge of the battery in a storage medium. In the present invention, an expectation of the predicted voltage of the battery and an expectation of the predicted state of charge of the battery are obtained by an unscented transform with sigma points selected by a Gaussian process optimization.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis apparatus for an exhaust pressure sensor for detecting the exhaust pressure in an exhaust gas recirculation passage which connects an exhaust passage and an intake passage of an internal combustion engine. A first preliminary determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when the engine is in a predetermined low load operating condition and a difference between the detected exhaust pressure and the atmospheric pressure is equal to or less than a first determination threshold value. A second preliminary determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when the engine is in a predetermined high load operating condition and the difference between the exhaust pressure detected by the exhaust pressure sensor and the atmospheric pressure is equal to or greater than a second determination threshold value. A final determination that the exhaust pressure sensor is normal, is made when both of the first and second preliminary determinations are made.

Abstract: A method is described for identifying faults relating to an HVAC system, such a clogged filter. Sensor data is used to estimate HVAC system efficiency. Trends in system efficiency are then used to identify faults such as clogged filters. The sensor(s) can include one or more of the following types: optical sensor, temperature sensor, pressure sensor, acoustic transducer, humidity sensor, resistive sensor, capacitive sensor, and infrared sensor. The efficiency estimation can also be based on conditions external to the building, such as data from exterior sensors and/or data gathered from third parties such as government or private weather stations. The efficiency estimation can also be based on performance metrics such as the time used to reach a set point temperature. The fault identification includes filtering out non-fault related events. An instrumented air filter for use with an HVAC system is also described.

Abstract: A fuel cell system control system includes a fuel cell system and a controller. The controller includes a display and a processor configured to execute a program for managing an operation of a fuel cell state machine having a plurality of states and capable of executing logic to execute state transitions, and a fuel cell failure detection and correction program, configured to detect one or more fuel cell system failures and correct each detected failure while the fuel cell system continues to operate. The control process includes the steps of representing an operation of a fuel cell control system as a state machine having one or more states, controlling the operation of the fuel cell system using the state machine, executing one or more states of the state machine, and correcting operational errors in the fuel cell control system while the fuel cell system continues to operate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting an interesting event in a data stream. More specifically, a monitoring system is configured to monitor a data stream and establish a sensitivity parameter based on sequences generated from values in a first portion of the data stream. A detector may be trained using the sensitivity parameter to detect the occurrence of an interesting event in the data stream.

Abstract: A method of brokering information in a manufacturing system which includes a broker coupled between a supplier of information and a consumer of information. The manufacturing system receives information from the supplier in a first format and sends information from the broker to the consumer in a second format.

Abstract: A method for detecting defects in an electrochemical device, including obtaining at least one characteristic value dependent on at least one variable received from the electrochemical device and determining at least one defect in said device from the characteristic value obtained. The method comprises a mathematical operation including a wavelet transform, which operation is carried out in order to obtain the characteristic value from the variable received. The invention also relates to a device that carries out one such method, as well as to a corresponding computer program.

Abstract: A machine condition monitor resides in close proximity to a machine train, such as an AC inductive electric motor coupled to a driven unit such as a centrifugal pump or fan. A plurality of sensing devices are connected to the machine and the machine condition monitor. Machine state and condition parameters sensed by these devices are utilized by the machine condition monitor to derive machine condition values for each component and for the machine train as a whole. These derived condition values are transmitted via an industrial communications network to a control center where they can be trended and monitored. With no particular knowledge of machine analysis techniques or severity of specific machine faults, and no special training, Operators and Production Planners can use the condition values to plan production schedules, adjust process parameters, and request appropriate maintenance action.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method for monitoring and controlling modifications to beverage equipment. The system includes at least one beverage equipment which may include a controller. The controller communicates over a communications network with a data collection server which may be accessible to a central office or equipment provider. A method is also disclosed for first monitoring or querying beverage equipment for a setting or configuration modification. Next, the modification may be compared against a modification threshold to determine whether the modification warrants corrective action. A corrective action may include but is not limited to, resetting the equipment to original or default settings, notifying an end user, notifying the equipment providers, logging the action, or some combination of two or more of these actions.

Abstract: There is described a method for ensuring and monitoring electrolyzer safety and performances in a manufacturing process which uses at least one electrolyzing cell containing at least one cathode and at least one anode separated by a membrane, comprising the step of: determining a safe single voltage operation range depending of the current and corresponding to the normally working electrolyzing cell; determining a reference voltage deviation depending on the time derivation of the current; measuring the voltage over time at the terminals of the electrolyzing cell; determining the measured voltage deviation by calculating the time derivative of the measured voltage; comparing the measured voltage to the safe single voltage operation range and the measured voltage deviation to the reference voltage deviation over time; stopping the manufacturing process when the measured voltage is outside the safe single voltage operation range or the difference between the measured voltage deviation and the reference voltage

Abstract: A tool for evaluating operation of a generator is provided. Diagnostic data is obtaining from a sensor in a generator. An associated computer system evaluates the diagnostic data to determine whether an anomaly exists in the data. If an anomaly exists, the computer system can provide a fault code that indicates a nature of an error in the generator that caused the anomaly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for determining a diagnostic for a breakdown of an avionic system, the avionic system comprising a plurality of functional units and surveillance units, each capable of performing surveillance of at least one functional unit, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: acquisition of diagnostics from at least one surveillance unit, a diagnostic emitted by one surveillance unit relating to the said at least one functional unit subjected to surveillance by the surveillance unit, construction of possible diagnostics on the basis of the acquired diagnostics, determination of a likelihood criterion for each constructed possible diagnostic, the likelihood criterion for a possible diagnostic being determined on the basis of a unitary criterion determined for each functional unit associated with the possible diagnostic, selection of the possible diagnostic among the possible diagnostics according to the likelihood criterion.

Abstract: A method for testing personnel ESD grounding devices with a function of near-fail alert is disclosed. A near-fail range is set. When the measurement of the resistance for a wrist strap or a footwear is within the near-fail range; an alarm is actuated to alert the user that the static electricity prevention device worn by the user will fail soon. The near-fail range is provided so that the user can receive an alert when the wrist strap or the footwear being worn on will fail soon in the near future and thus to remind the user to adopt proper reactions to change or fix the personnel ESD grounding device to prevent its sudden failure during actual use. Furthermore, the test provides digital readouts and has higher precision to avoid faulty results. Moreover, the wrist strap and footwear are tested simultaneously and individual results can be derived so as to avoid errors in test. A device for performing the method is also provided.

Abstract: A sensor has a detection device and an evaluation device to detect an analog signal, to determine a digital signal and to transmit the digital signal to a control device outside the sensor. The analog signal and/or the digital signal is supplied to a monitoring device of the sensor. An enable signal is transmitted to the control device only if the device being monitored is operating correctly. In a normal mode, the control device processes the digital signal further. Otherwise, it deems the transmitted digital signal to be defective and outputs a message using a malfunction of the sensor. On account of the transmission of the test signal, the sensor assumes a test mode in which it manipulates the signals which are supplied to the monitoring device in such that the monitoring device detects that the device being monitored is not operating correctly. In the test mode, the control device outputs a message using a malfunction of the sensor if the enable signal is transmitted to it in addition to each.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for on-line monitoring of operation of a process in connection with process measurements indicative of the operation of the process. In some cases, the operation of the process is simulated to generate model data indicative of a simulated representation of the operation of the process and based on the process measurements. A multivariate statistical analysis of the operation of the process is implemented based on the model data and the process measurements. The output data from the multivariate statistical analysis may then be evaluated during the operation of the process to enable the on-line monitoring of the process involving, for instance, fault detection via classification analysis of the output data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the computer-assisted analysis of the reliability of a technical system comprising a plurality of technical components. According to the method, the reliabilities of the components are respectively described by a component function that depends on at least one parameter and a parameter interval of the at least one parameter, which is associated with the components and influences the reliability of the components; a system reliability of the technical system is determined from the reliabilities of the components; a variation value is respectively determined for at least some of the components f&, constituting a value for the variation of the system reliability according to the variation of the parameter interval of the respective component; and an influence quantity relating to the influence of the respective components on the system reliability is respectively determined for at least some of the components from the variation value.

Abstract: A system designed for failure detectability through detection and isolation of a particular design feature.

Abstract: A system for optimizing at least one of a design, production, or testing process of a product in a mass manufacturing process includes: a central processing unit; a network interface operatively connected to the central processing unit; a storage device; a memory including logic for execution by the central processing unit, wherein the logic includes: a server handler made up of a client applet and a client interface servlet which are configured for enabling authorized end-user communication; an error data collection handler configured for gathering error data; an error data classification handler; an analysis handler; a suggested actions report handler; and the system further includes a server database configured for storing, modifying, and deleting data.

Abstract: Process control system for detecting abnormal events in a process having one or more independent variables and one or more dependent variables. The system includes a device for measuring values of the one or more independent and dependent variables, a process controller having a predictive model for calculating predicted values of the one or more dependent variables from the measured values of the one or more independent variables, a calculator for calculating residual values for the one or more dependent variables from the difference between the predicted and measured values of the one or more dependent variables, and an analyzer for performing a principal component analysis on the residual values. The process controller is a multivariable predictive control means and the principal component analysis results in the output of one or more scores values, T2 values and Q values.

Abstract: A remote diagnostic system for robots including a number of at least two robots, wherein a controller of each robot of the system is locally connected to a service unit provided with local processing power, a remote service center provided with a connector server is arranged, and a communications infrastructure for transferring packets of information between a controller of a robot of the system and connector server via the service unit is arranged for performing remote monitoring and diagnostics at the remote service center, wherein the communications infrastructure uses internet and/or GPRS communication lines.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may include measuring a performance of a virtual channel carrying packets through a transport network for a time period, measuring a performance of an ingress interface to the transport network carrying the virtual channel packets for the time period, and measuring a performance of an internal interface carrying the virtual channel packets internal to the transport network for the time period. The computer-implemented method may determine that the performance of the virtual channel during the time period does not meet a first performance standard, and, when the performance of the virtual channel does not meet the first performance standard, may automatically determine whether the performance of the ingress interface meets a second performance standard and whether the performance of the internal interface meets a third performance standard.

Abstract: Disclosed is a data recorder for munitions. The data recorder includes a power source, a processor, and an acceleration sensor. The data recorder further includes a trigger validation feature which is operably coupled to the data recorder to verify the occurrence of a secondary environmental/input event. This envisioned data recorder can contain a digital or analog device as a primary or secondary trigger. Data from an accelerometer is stored in FRAM memory.

Abstract: Resource exhaustion is anticipated, a cause of the resource exhaustion is identified and options are identified to address the resource exhaustion.

Abstract: System and method for implementing wafer acceptance test (“WAT”) advanced process control (“APC”) are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises performing a key process on a sample number of wafers of a lot of wafers; performing a key inline measurement related to the key process to produce metrology data for the wafers; predicting WAT data from the metrology data using an inline-to-WAT model; and using the predicted WAT data to tune a WAT APC process for controlling a tuning process or a process APC process.

Abstract: When an insulation resistance value of an ignition plug is smaller than a prescribed value, an engine operation state is switched so as to raise a temperature of the ignition plug, thereby promoting deposit cleaning. Such a measures-against-deposit carrying-out state is counted. When a count value exceeds a certain value, that is, when the measures against deposit have sufficiently been performed but the insulation resistance value of the ignition plug is smaller than the prescribed value, it is determined that conductive deposit has adhered to the ignition plug, and for example, an alarm light is turned on in order to urge a driver to perform maintenance of the ignition plug.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for installing translators. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to identifying devices that are to receive the translator, and facilitating transmission of the translator from a first imaging device that possesses the translator, wherein transmission of the translator from the first imaging device facilitates receipt of the translator by the devices identified to receive the translator.

Abstract: A technique for evaluating service level agreement (SLA) violations occurring in a computing system with agreed-upon model for exemptions is provided. The technique includes storing in a memory a model of the SLA and identifying occurrence of an SLA violation in a computing system that is providing services under the SLA. Based on the stored model, the technique further determines if the SLA violation is exempted from a penalty.

Abstract: Generation of renewable energy for, exportation of the renewable energy from, importation of utility generated energy to, and consumption of energy at, a facility are monitored in substantially real time to provide for substantially real time management and reporting of energy performance of the facility. Monitoring of environmental conditions and facility operations of the facility, also in substantially real time and time correlated with the energy monitoring, is performed to further enhance the management and reporting of the energy performance of the facility.

Abstract: Autonomous fitness for continuing service assessment equipment interacts with the operator through natural speech, voice and sound and provides active failure prevention through automatic and/or continuous fitness for service assessment of a material under evaluation. The equipment comprises at least one computer and a material features acquisition system operable to detect a plurality of material features. The features are then evaluated according to rules that capture the multidiscipline knowledge of experts and are already inputted into the computer. The computer iterations are processed until an acceptable conclusion is made regarding the condition of the material under evaluation.

Abstract: A programmable actuator having multiple programmable functions is provided. The programmable actuator may be used on an off-board tool. In accordance with an embodiment, an off-board tool, OBT, including a user-defined programmable actuator is provided. In accordance with another embodiment, an OBT includes a processor, an internal memory, a programmable actuator, program logic and perform function logic. In accordance with yet another embodiment, a method of actuating performance of a user-defined series of functions for a OBT is provided. The method includes the step of actuating a programmable actuator of the OBT with a single actuating action.

Abstract: In order to provide a method for the diagnostic monitoring of the operating states of a plurality of technical systems (1) distribued among different locations, particularly wind energy plants, by means of receiving status codes (19) output by at least on e memory programmable control system (SPS) (5, 6) disposed on the system side, wherein an exchange of information is carried out with remote monitoring units (160, 170, 15, 16, 17) that are disposed outside of the technical systems (1) and at a distance thereto and configured separately, which enables the integration, even subsequently, of a wide variety of systems to be monitored regardless of a central service provider in an error-tolerant and flexible manner, according to the invention operating data is associated with each status code (19) on the system side for analyzing the status code (19), a complex status signal (11) is subsequently generated from one or more status codes (19) and the associated operating data, and the complex status signal (11) is

Abstract: A system includes a plurality of sensors configured to measure one or more characteristics of a gearbox. The system also includes a subsystem interaction module device, which includes at least one interface configured to receive input signals associated with multiple components of a system. The subsystem interaction module device also includes at least one processing unit configured to identify a potential fault in one or more of the components using the input signals and to provide an indicator identifying the potential fault. The at least one processing unit is configured to identify the potential fault by: identifying conflicting frequencies that are associated with different faults in the components of the system; and determining a confidence level associated with the potential fault based on the conflicting frequencies.

Abstract: A method and a system for identifying failures in an aeroengine. The system includes: a mechanism defining a set of standardized indicators representative of operation of the aeroengine; a mechanism constructing an anomaly vector representative of a behavior of the engine as a function of the set of standardized indicators; a mechanism selecting in an event of an anomaly being revealed by the anomaly vector a subset of reference vectors having directions belonging to a determined neighborhood of a direction of the anomaly vector, the subset of reference vectors being selected from a set of reference vectors associated with failures of the aeroengine and determined using criteria established by experts; and a mechanism identifying failures associated with the subset of reference vectors.

Abstract: The present invention is an image processing apparatus that reconstructs one frame of image data using block-level image data, including a unit that receives the block-level image data to which position information has been added, a unit that determines whether or not there was an error in the transmission of the received position information, a first storage area used for storing the block-level image data corresponding to the position information for which a transmission error did not occur, a second storage area used for storing the block-level image data corresponding to the position information for which a transmission error occurred, a unit that infers correct position information for the block-level image data stored in the second storage area based on the first storage area and the second storage area, and a unit that reconstructs the one frame of image data using the inferred position information.

Abstract: Methods for automatically identifying and classifying a crisis state occurring in a system having a plurality of computer resources. Signals are received from a device that collects the signals from each computer resource in the system. For each epoch, an epoch fingerprint is generated. Upon detecting a performance crisis within the system, a crisis fingerprint is generated consisting of at least one epoch fingerprint. The technology is able to identify that a performance crisis has previously occurred within the datacenter if a generated crisis fingerprint favorably matches any of the model crisis fingerprints stored in a database. The technology may also predict that a crisis is about to occur.

Abstract: A detachable battery status alarm has an alarm device and at least one battery detector. The battery detector is directly mounted on the battery and electronically connected to the battery. The alarm device links to the battery detector to obtain the battery status in a physical connection or a wireless connection. Therefore, the alarm device does not physically connect to the battery or batteries to test the battery or batteries.

Abstract: A life indicator for a component of a machine is disclosed. The life indicator includes at least one sensor operably associated with the machine and configured to sense a property associated with the machine. The sensor is configured to output the sensed property as a data signal. The life indicator also includes a memory element having a first data structure that determines a damage factor for the component of the machine based at least in part on the data signal received from the at least one sensor. A processor executes the first data structure to determine the damage factor.

Abstract: A method for automatically creating a probability of detection (POD) curve of an entire network of transducers monitoring and detecting damage in a structure is based on the POD of each of the individual actuator-sensor paths. These individual path PODs may be generated in different ways, such as by experimentation or simulation. This technique makes it possible to create the POD curve of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for the detection of damages in structures.

Abstract: An example method of partitioning turbomachine faults includes using a modeling computer to model a system, to establish a modeled gas path parameter, and to establish a modeled subsystem parameter. The method then determines a gas path condition representing a difference between an actual gas path parameter and the modeled gas path parameter. The method also determines a subsystem condition representing a difference between an actual subsystem parameter and the modeled subsystem parameter. The method diagnoses a sensor failure based on the gas path condition and the subsystem condition.

Abstract: A computer-readable electronic services management system for a mobile communications network, comprising a distributed network of agents in the form of collaborative autonomous software agents wherein the agents are configured to represent and act on behalf of a user and to communicate with each other to manage, for the user, one or more electronic services (e.g. electronic messages, a purchase etc.) via the user's communications devices. Multiple types of agents include a primary personal agent, a primary creation agent for creating other agents and subordinate agents, and a primary destruction agent for destroying agents meeting pre-determined criteria based on a threshold value in relation to an agent value coefficient. Collaboration between agents is by a private user whiteboard facility whereby collaborating agents post to the whiteboard addressed electronic services, including service tasks to be performed for the user, and extract from the whiteboard electronic services addressed to them.

Abstract: The present invention quickly resolves troubles in an analyzer and performs effective external quality control management. An analyzer (2) and a control device (1) are connected by a network (3). Error data and sample data taken from an assay of a quality control substance are transmitted from the control device (1) to the analyzer (2). The analyzer (2) is made to be remotely operable from the control device (1) and when problems arise, repair from the control device (1) is possible. The control device (1) tallies sample data and provides the tally results to a Web page. The analyzer (2) accesses the Web page using a WWW browser, and it can perform external quality control in real time.

Abstract: An integrity management system predicts abnormalities in complex systems before they occur based upon the prior history of abnormalities within the complex system. A topology of the nodes of a complex system is generated and data is collected from the system based on predetermined metrics. In combination with dynamic thresholding, fingerprints of the relevant nodes within a complex system at various time intervals prior to the occurrence of the abnormality are captured and weighted. The fingerprints can then be applied to real-time data to provide alerts of potential abnormality prior to their actual occurrence.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for diagnosing undesirable events or the lack of desirable events representing product or process malfunctions. One aspect of the invention includes a method for determining a cause of a malfunction event in a prototype or production product or process. Another aspect of the invention includes a method for identifying evidence of deviation from a specification for a product or process. Still another aspect of the invention includes a method for ascertaining the reliability of a product or process. The present invention also provides a diagnostic computer system and computer program code for performing various methods embodying different aspects of the present invention. A computer system for training a user to diagnose and apply corrective action to a malfunctioning product or process is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for diagnosing undesirable events or the lack of desirable events representing product or process malfunctions. One aspect of the invention includes a method for determining a cause of a malfunction event in a prototype or production product or process. Another aspect of the invention includes a method for identifying evidence of deviation from a specification for a product or process. Still another aspect of the invention includes a method for ascertaining the reliability of a product or process. The present invention also provides a diagnostic computer system and computer program code for performing various methods embodying different aspects of the present invention. A computer system for training a user to diagnose and apply corrective action to a malfunctioning product or process is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a prognostics and health management (PHM) system for one or more electronic, electro-mechanical, pneudraulic and mechanical devices of an aircraft, and associated diagnostic methods and computer program products. The system includes a tangible and non-transitory memory preloaded with prognostics and health management signature data; one or more sensors that are adapted to monitor the one or more devices; and a logic device adapted to calculate an address and to access the tangible and non-transitory memory using the calculated address in real time. One or more portions of the calculated address are responsive to one or more parameter values associated with the sensors so that sensor parameter data determines the address into the memory. In the PHM system, the logic device is further adapted to generate a PHM alert in real time responsive to a value of the PHM signature data accessed at the address.

Abstract: In a method of monitoring for a misfire event in an internal combustion engine signals representative of engine speed are monitored for successive engine revolutions subsequent to each firing event. The monitored signals are stored (e.g., in a buffer) and processed to detect changes in the monitored speed signals. Changes in monitored speed signals that are indicative of an actual misfire event are detected and a misfire count is changed in response thereto.

Abstract: A method is provided for the monitoring of heat transfer devices. The method includes the acts of receiving data from a heat transfer device, and computing a performance indicator indicative of an incipient anomaly condition of the heat transfer device based upon the received data, and/or computing a normalized efficiency of the heat transfer device. The normalized efficiency represents a corrected efficiency that isolates effects of a process parameter on performance of the heat transfer device. The data represents a measurable process parameter or a change in a measurable process parameter in the heat transfer device. The method receives the data and computes a performance indicator to predict performance degradation of the heat transfer device over time based upon the received data.

Abstract: A method for detecting a fault of an oil temperature sensor of an automatic transmission by using a determining means for detecting the fault of the oil temperature sensor. The method includes any one or more of the steps of 1) determining the fault of the oil temperature sensor by comparing minimum and maximum output values of the oil temperature sensor in every driving mode, 2) determining the fault of the oil temperature sensor by detecting abnormal excessive increase and decrease of the oil temperature for a specific duration, 3) determining the fault the oil temperature sensor in the stuck state in the driving mode when transmission oil temperature increases, and 4) determining the fault of the oil temperature sensor by detecting the oil temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature based on the time when the engine is left at a stopped state.

Abstract: A failure diagnosis apparatus for a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine having combustion modes switchable between HCCI combustion, performed together with internal EGR, and SI combustion. The engine includes an intake variable valve mechanism and an exhaust variable valve mechanism. The apparatus includes an airflow meter detecting an intake amount of mixture drawn into a combustion chamber of the engine and a control computer determining whether a failure has occurred in the intake variable valve mechanism and the exhaust variable valve mechanism from intake amount change information.

Abstract: The invention provides a portable and autonomous assistance device to derive information on faults in a private telecommunication installation comprising particularly equipment units to assist the client owning the installation in maintaining the latter. A maintenance session is selected in a maintenance server of the service provider managing the installation as a function of information transmitted by the assistance device so as to provide instructions in the device. The address of the server and an identifier of the equipment unit are rapidly read by means of a bar code reader which can also read bar codes in a user manual. The assistance device also serves to configure a terminal (TE) by means of a configuration session opened in a server (SFT) of the terminal manufacturer.