Abstract: An apparatus and method for remotely determining the phase of a single phase load on a multi-phase power distribution system, including powerline communications and repeaters. The phase determination being based upon comparison of message receipt times.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of establishing working mantime in a production line comprising the steps of: numerically evaluating the work volume for the working means performed in each production process, representing the numeralized work volume as a normal work mantime, then numerically evaluating the fatigue extent of each fatigue task as a fatigue score, and adding the fatigue score to the normal work mantime.Further, the fatigue score is assigned as a fatigue recovery mantime, and the normal work mantime which includes the fatigue recovery mantime is leveled as uniform, thereby establishing a new production process which includes the leveled fatigue recovery mantime.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for detecting maxima and minima of an array of data points defining a periodic, symmetrical waveform. The method comprises comparing the "y" values of two marker points (selected from the array of data points), which marker points are spaced apart along the waveform by a predetermined number of data points. If the "y" values of the two marker points are not substantially the same, both marker points are incremented in the "x" direction, and their "y" values are tested again. If the "y" values are substantially the same, within a predetermined tolerance value t, a positive or negative peak has been found. Optionally, the points between the marker points are then sorted to find the tip of the peak.

Abstract: The invention relates to the correction of an error-prone measuring signal of a pair of scanning rollers. The measuring signal is influenced by the circularity error of the pair of scanning rollers and/or by the eccentric mounting of the pair of scanning rollers. The pair of scanning rollers is used to measure the thickness of a fiber fleece or fiber sliver on a pre-spinning machine in the textile industry. The occurrence of a periodic error value in the measuring signal due to circularity error and/or eccentricity of the pair of scanning rollers is detected. The error value is stored in a position-related manner for one revolution of the scanning rollers and the stored error value is used in the operation of the scanning rollers within the cycles of rotation for the correction of the current, position-synchronous measuring signals.

Abstract: A two-wire transmitter senses a pressure using an internal pressure sensor. The transmitter includes an input for receiving a process variable from a remote sensor which is separated from the transmitter. Circuitry in the transmitters transmits information on a two-wire process control loop which is related to the sensed pressure and the process variable.

Abstract: A system for blending fluids comprises a plurality of fluid sources to which utilization conduits are selectively connected. The blending operation for a predefined combination of fluids is controlled by a computer employing a software control program. An rf signal tag is mounted on each utilization conduit. When the utilization conduit is connected to a supply conduit for a given fluid source, a utilization signal input is provided to the computer and control program to provide assurance that the predefined fluids are connected for a given blending operation as well as the utilization conduit being properly locked on the supply conduit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring machinery in which data is collected and stored based on application specific retention rules. Based on an alarm value, data records are adjusted by reducing the spectral resolution, coefficient precision and time intervals between records. An alarm is activated when the data value is greater than a predetermined alarm threshold value. Memory management can compare the memory availability to projected requirements. If the projected memory requirements exceeds memory availability, the data records can be interactively decimated. When decimation cannot make available sufficient memory for projected requirements within the retention rules, an alarm is issued. Collected data can be transferred with a removable nonvolatile memory or infrared communications with a computer device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring at least one desired motor constant applicable to an equivalent circuit of the induction motor according to the present invention utilizes a vector controlled speed variable apparatus for the induction motor. After the input and output parameters of the induction motor are measured, the apparatus calculates and measures the desired motor constant using a corresponding equation. For example, the secondary circuit time constant is calculated using the following equation. That is to say,.tau..sub.2 .apprxeq..tau..sub.2q * and V.sub.1q *(t)=(V.sub.1q *).sub.+0.exp(-(1/.tau.2q*).t)wherein (V .sub.1q *).sub.+ denotes a control q-axis primary voltage component immediately after torqu and excitation current instructions have been changed to zero and output from a current control system (ACR), V.sub.1q *(t) denotes a time function of V.sub.1q * at each sampling period after the current instructions have been changed in the stepwise manner to zero.

Abstract: A new method for analyzing an electrical waveform of the type portrayed on a graph includes the steps of selecting a waveform to be analyzed, establishing the boundary of a window-like area and generating a signal if the waveform is in a predetermined position with respect to the area. For example, a signal such as a failure signal is generated if the waveform is to be out of the area but, in fact, is in the area. The method also includes features for determining certain parameters, e.g., rise time, period and the like, for the waveform. The steps include selecting first and second points on the waveform and determining the time lapsed between points. Details regarding the structure of a new waveform analyzer are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and/or controlling the torque applied by a fluid driven tool for driving threaded fasteners, such as tools driven by either air or oil. The system includes a fluid flow meter to measure a parameter which is a function of the rate of fluid flow into the tool during operation of the tool, a transducer for converting the measured parameter into an electrical signal, and a data processing unit for processing that electrical signal into a signal representative of the torque applied by said tool. A system for digitally processing the measured parameter and comparing it to predetermined expected parameters to infer the condition of the fluid driven tool and for reporting that inferred condition is also included. The system is applicable to both nutrunner type fluid tools and impact wrenches.

Abstract: A detecting and testing circuit for detecting a leakage of current from LSI circuits mainly constituted by CMOS devices. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first circuit block having an output line in which a logic level responsive to an input signal is supplied through a ratio type or precharged type operation; and a first standby circuit for maintaining the first circuit block at a standby state, wherein a source of a current or electric charge is shut off from the output line on receipt of information by which the standby state is set, and respective logic levels corresponding to an arbitrary input signal is supplied to the output line of the first block circuit at a same potential level as a power supply.

Abstract: A method executed by a computer for performing numerical optimization of arbitrary functions in a computer model using parallel processors (10, 12, 14). The method initializes (20) each processor with an initial estimate of the parameter value to be optimized. The initial estimate is evaluated (22) in each processor to determine a solution. A best estimate of the parameter value from the result in each processor is selected (24), and one or more of the parallel processors with the best estimate is set to run in gradient mode while the remaining processors run in random mode (26). The estimates of the parameter value from the processors running in random mode is evaluated until a local minimum is obtained from the processor running in gradient mode (28). The process is repeated until an optimal solution is found (34).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for an object measurement system is described which may be utilized in the inspection and measurement of various objects so as to obtain information regarding their features, dimensional measurements and tolerances. Various devices and methods for data point location and data entry are described which may be utilized in either manual and/or automatic modes of system operation. Input data is monitored so as to prevent erroneous data from being utilized and indication means are provided to notify a user or operator when erroneous data has been entered into the system. The present invention also provides a means by which the user or operator may enter point location data without having to preselect a feature type which is to be inspected and/or measured.

Abstract: The invention is an apparatus for measuring eye gaze and fixation duration employing an electronic video display array as sequential sources of eye illumination. The video display of the apparatus may be task related or near infrared light sources used merely to track the user's eye. The apparatus of the invention is based on an opto-transistor array, a comparator array and an encoder and latch clocked by the raster-scan pulses of the display driver, which are configured to construct a pairing table of sequential source corneal reflections to sensor activations over the display field refresh cycle. An accurate three dimensional ocular model is computed from opthalmometric techiniques from which the viewing direction and fixation duration are derived. The apparatus is easily extended to the simultaneous tracking of both eyes and is designed to be used with head-mounted video displays. The accuracy of the apparatus is independent of shifts of the helmet on the user's head.

Abstract: In a microscopic screening apparatus a calibration slide is mounted on a stage of a microscope, and a microscope positioning system is calibrated by reading and storing in memory the location of at least one fiducial marking that is on the calibration slide using a microscope-dependent coordinate system. Next, a sample containing slide is mounted against the stage of the microscope. The location of at least one feature on the sample containing slide is then transformed into a microscope-independent coordinate system, and is stored in a memory. Using a second microscope, a second calibration slide is mounted against the stage of the second microscope, and the second microscope is calibrated using a second microscope-dependent coordinate system, based on the second microscope. Next, the sample containing slide is mounted against the second stage.

Abstract: An integrated circuit containing analogue operation circuitry having a plurality of nodes for input and output of signals during normal operation, a plurality of scan cells connected to at least said plurality of nodes for containing signals to be utilized in selected tests to be performed on said analogue operation circuitry and responsive to selected output signals is provided. A method for testing a module of analogue circuitry incorporated into an integrated circuit having other circuitry by decoupling a plurality of module signal terminals from respective normal operation connections to a plurality of scan cells, and inputting at least portions of test suites and sensing test result output signals through at least selected ones of said scan cells is provided.

Abstract: A gear noise evaluation system having a neuro-computer which is provided with sound pressure values from an FFT analyzer. At this time, an evaluator simultaneously presets an absolutely sensual evaluating value as a teacher signal from a control bench. The neuro-computer repeatedly performs a learning so that the pressure values may become the absolutely sensual evaluating value until the difference between the sound pressure value and the sensual evaluating value lies in a permissive error range thereby determining a function value.

Abstract: A method for thermal modeling and updating of bias errors in inertial navigation instrument outputs relies upon piecewise cubic spline encoding of data. The temperature range of the thermal model is divided into contiguous intervals of equal length. Instrument bias-versus-temperature data is encoded on an interval-by-interval basis with all intervals normalized so that cubic polynomials of identical form may be fitted between boundary intervals defined by function values and slopes. Instrument bias error at a measured temperature is estimated in the field and an update point (bias, temperature) established. The particular interval is located and the thermal model is re-fit accordingly in the region of the relevant interval. The spline parameters are then adjusted to accommodate the estimated bias error thereby updating the instrument thermal model of bias.

Abstract: A processing method that processes interferometer data to provide for rejection of multipath signal returns from an emitter and computes an improved estimate of the relative angle between the emitter and an interferometer. The present processing method comprises the following steps. Interferometric data is gathered that comprises complex signal amplitudes derived from the emitter at a plurality of emitter angles relative to the interferometer. The complex signal amplitudes derived at each of the plurality of emitter angles are processed by maximizing a predetermined log likelihood function corresponding to a natural logarithm of a predetermined probability density function at each of the plurality of emitter angles to produce a plurality of maximized log likelihood functions. The improved estimate of relative angle between the emitter and the interferometer is made by selecting the emitter angle corresponding to an optimally maximized log likelihood function.

Abstract: A method and system to detect and identify a target vehicle displaying a switched or invalid license plate includes a license plate reader to read the plate number carried by a target vehicle in its area. A pair of spaced laser beams measures the speed and length of the traveling vehicle. The read license plate numbers are compared with a data base of registered vehicles to obtain the length of the vehicle registered for that plate. If the registered length differs from the measured length, the plate may be illegally on the target vehicle.