Abstract: A method of assessing vehicle operator performance includes the steps of receiving vehicle operating data (502); monitoring an interior portion of the vehicle and receiving operator activity data from the interior portion vehicle (504); receiving vehicle environment data from the environment external to the vehicle (506); monitoring the vehicle operator and receiving operator condition data (508); and determining an operator assessment value (510). The operator assessment value is based upon the vehicle operating data, the operator activity data, the environment data and the operator condition data and is indicative of vehicle operator performance.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring and controlling electrical current delivered to a computer subsystem are provided. One embodiment provides a method for detecting a short circuit in a computer subsystem, comprising: obtaining a measured current which is supplied to the computer subsystem during one or more time periods; determining an expected current utilized by the computer subsystem for the one or more time periods; and determining whether a short circuit condition exists based on a comparison between the measured current and the expected current. The method may further comprise terminating electrical power supplied to the computer subsystem.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method and system of identifying parts prone to problems. The method includes the steps of establishing a problem threshold, establishing a part type with a problem, determining a problem level with the part type in response to the part type problem level, comparing the problem level with said problem threshold, establishing a production life of the part type, determining if the part type is within a threshold of the production life, identifying the part type as the problem prone part in response to the comparison and the production life determination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for formulating and controlling concentrations of deactivating chemicals in a gas mixture inside a chamber. The gas mixture may include chemical components that are deactivating chemicals, as well as chemical components that are base chemicals, acting as a dilutant for the deactivating chemical, or as a vehicle or carrier for the deactivating chemical. A capacitor is exposed to the gas mixture, wherein the gas mixture comprises a dielectric material between the plates of the capacitor. Permittivity of the dielectric is affected by the relative concentrations of the chemical components, and thus a measurement of the capacitance is used to determine the concentration levels of multiple chemical components in the gas mixture.

Abstract: In a method of spectrum analysis, a sample signal, which is obtained by sampling an original signal at an original sampling rate within a sampling period, is transformed into a spectrum to be measured according to a frequency range scale. An optimum graduation interval of the frequency range scale is determined in accordance with frequency and amplitude parameters of the spectrum. An updated sampling rate is determined by multiplying the original sampling rate by the optimum graduation interval. The original signal is re-sampled at the updated sampling rate within the sampling period so as to obtain an updated sample signal. An optimum sample signal is obtained by multiplying the updated sample signal by a scale shift function that is based on the optimum graduation interval and the frequency and amplitude of the spectrum. Finally, the optimum sample signal is transformed into an optimized spectrum.

Abstract: A technique for scheduling planned maintenance of equipment, such as medical imaging systems, permits selection of time-based or usage-based scheduling. If usage-based scheduling is selected, operational data collected from the systems serves as the basis for computing a maintenance schedule along with reference usage values for parameters indicative of use. Reference may be made to norms for similar equipment, and the schedule may be adapted accordingly. Trends in usage, increasing or decreasing, may be accommodated by comparison of the usage determinations over time, and schedules may be adjusted accordingly.

Abstract: A monitoring and protection system for a machine system includes monitoring modules or groups of modules positioned at various locations of the machine system at which dynamic operating conditions are monitored. The modules are configured to communicate with one another via an open industrial data exchange protocol. Network media is routed between groups of monitoring modules to establish an overall system topology that is highly distributed and that is not dependent upon routing of multiple signal cables to central monitoring locations or racks.

Abstract: In the process of estimating attributes of a transmission line from reflectometry measurements, small yet important reflections may be drowned in the immediate reflected signal owing to the mismatch between the reference impedance with respect to which the 1-port scattering parameter of the line has been determined and the characteristic impedance of the line. The major part of the near-end reflections are eliminated by estimating the characteristic impedance of the line, and by converting the 1-port scattering parameter of the line from the reference impedance base to the estimated characteristic impedance base. However, there is still a residual influence of the near-end reflections. It is then highly necessary to determine a time zone wherein the residual near-end reflections are enclosed so as their contribution is further neutralized in the process of estimating attributes of the transmission line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for formulating and controlling concentrations of deactivating chemicals in a solution inside a chamber. The solution may include chemical components that are deactivating chemicals, as well as chemical components that are base chemicals, acting as a diluent for a deactivating chemical, or as a vehicle or carrier for a deactivating chemical. A capacitor is exposed to the solution, wherein the solution comprises a dielectric material between the plates of the capacitor. Permittivity of the dielectric is affected by the relative concentrations of the chemical components, and thus a measurement of the electrical properties of the capacitor can be used to determine the concentration levels of multiple chemical components in the solution.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to provide a waveform measuring instrument whose waveform reproducibility in the equivalent time sampling system is improved. The present invention is characterized by that, in a waveform measuring instrument configured so that the repeated waveform data items are acquired and sent to the acquisition memory by means of the equivalent time sampling, the above acquisition memory is divided into a plurality of time slot regions corresponding to the interval of equivalent time sampling and a plurality of memory address groups is assigned to each time slot region.

Abstract: A process for positioning at least one defect in a billet being forged into an article is described. The size and location of the billet is first determined, using a non-destructive test such as ultrasonic inspection. The movement of the defect under selected forging conditions is then predicted, using a finite element analysis model. The billet can then be positioned and forged under conditions which cause the defect to move to a non-critical area of the article. In this manner, a billet which might otherwise be discarded or set aside can often be retained for a useful purpose. Related articles are also described.

Abstract: A test method for the detection of redundant tests and inefficient tests (RITs) used for testing integrated circuits (ICs) and a subsequent optimization of test complexity and test time duration. Empirical data from an execution of all tests of interest in a test plan, flow or suite of tests is collected. The empirical data is collected without stopping at errors. This empirical data is then used to determine the identity of one or more redundant and/or inefficient tests in the test plan. In order to reduce testing time and optimize the test flow, one of more of the following occurs. Redundant tests may be selectively removed, inefficient tests may be re-ordered to allow more efficient tests to be executed earlier in the test flow of the ICs, or some combination of this. RIT information is thus used to optimize the test flow, resulting in a reduction in test complexity and in test duration.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatic measurement of insulation resistances of a multi-conductor cable. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a power supply source, an input measuring means, an output measuring means, a plurality of input relay controlled contacts, a plurality of output relay controlled contacts, a relay controller and a computer. In another embodiment of the invention the apparatus comprises a power supply source, an input measuring means, an output measuring means, an input switching unit, an output switching unit and a control unit/data logger. Embodiments of the apparatus of the invention may also incorporate cable fire testing means. The apparatus and methods of the present invention use either voltage or current for input and output measured variables.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method wherein a state description of the technical system for an error occurrence and a state description of the technical system for error-free operation is determined in order to detect sensor and/or actor errors. The attainable states for both descriptions are preferably determined by model checking. A varying number of states of both descriptions is formed, said states being checked as to whether they comply with predeterminable conditions (e.g. safety requirements).

Abstract: A synthetic gas generator and gas reactor test system. The system is configurable to provide a number of alternative flow paths, each with different furnace and reactor configurations. Various types of reactors, and combinations of two or three reactors, may be installed and tested. Injected agents, such as reducing agents, are injected in a manner that prevents unwanted reactions with the test gas. The system is especially useful for testing vehicle emissions aftertreatment devices.

Abstract: There are provided a failure repair analyzing and processing method and a memory testing apparatus provided with a failure repair analyzing and processing apparatus using this method, that are capable of reducing a time duration required to perform the failure repair analysis and processing for a multi-bit memory having redundancy structure. A plurality of repair analysis units as well as a common failure analysis memory are provided, and these repair analysis units are concurrently operated in parallel with each other, thereby to carry out respective repair analyses and processings for failure memory cells of plural data bits read out from the failure analysis memory in the plural repair analysis units concurrently and in parallel with each other. As a result, a time duration required to execute the failure repair analysis and processing is shortened.

Abstract: A process tool controller of a semiconductor processing tool is provided with software that enables collecting, monitoring and logging information regarding the tool's consumption. Data is collected from the devices used for control of process conditions via the analog and digital inputs and outputs of the process tool controller. Consequently, the devices for controlling the process conditions have the additional function of measuring the tool's consumption. In this way the information regarding the tool's consumption is completely collected on board of the process tool. The parameters to be monitored and reported can be configured by the user, with use of a configuration editor, resulting in optimum flexibility of the system. In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface of the consumption monitoring and logging software is integrated into the user interface of the process control and monitoring software.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium for the collecting and storing of environmental data, and generating a user report of the environmental data, the user report providing document compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements. The collected and stored environmental data includes a wide variety of manufacturing facility parameter data, including but is not limited to, the presence of viable microbiological organisms, the presence of particulates and other environmental conditions within the facility, such as humidity, pressure, temperature, water quality (e.g., pH, conductivity, total organic content (TOC), endotoxin, coliform, and metals), and the respective amounts of different materials involved in the manufacture of the end product(s).

Abstract: A complex multivariate analysis system is provided. The system has a storage module, a selecting module, an analyzing module, a correlation searching module and a reporting module. The storage module includes a first database and a second database. The first database records at least two data sets, each of the data sets including a plurality of items associated with a manufacturing process and data of the items. The second database records correlations of the items between the two data sets. The selecting module selects a first item from a first data set. The analyzing module analyzes the first item selected by the selecting module and determines whether the data of the first item conform to specifications or not. The correlation searching module searches the second database when the analyzing module determines that the data of the first item do not conform to the specifications, and selects a second item correlated to the first item from a second data set.

Abstract: A novel technique for transferring power, measurement signals, and communication signals between two electrical devices over a single wire pair is presented. A host device supplies power to a sensor device over the wire pair. The sensor device obtains A/C signals by modulating the current component of the power signal on the wire pair. The host device de-modulates the current component of the power signal on the wire pair to recover the A/C measurement signals. The sensor device generates a serial bit stream containing sensor communication signals, and modulates it with either the voltage-or current-component of the power signal present on the wire pair. The host device appropriately de-modulates the power signal to recover the serial bit stream containing the sensor communication signals.