Abstract: Described embodiments relate generally to energy harvesting systems and interface devices for such systems. In particular, such energy harvesting systems may be configured to harvest kinetic energy from the environment, such as wind, hydro, wave or geothermal energy or to harvest electromagnetic energy like solar radiation. Embodiments also relate to systems and methods to facilitate remote monitoring and/or control of a system comprising an interface device.

Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, and systems described herein relate to producing on-demand packaging. For example, packaging can be automatically produced on-demand and be sized and configured for use with a customized set of items. In one aspect, a request for multiple items is received and a packaging customization engine accesses an information store that includes information about each of the requested items. The information may include dimensional information about the three-dimensional size of the items. The packaging customization engine may use the dimensional information to simulate a model arrangement of all of the requested items, and then calculate the dimensions of a box or other package that can provide a precise fit for the items when physically arranged consistent with the model arrangement.

Abstract: A method for controlling the ratio between injected and extracted electric energy in an electric energy supply grid with a number of grid participants, which are selected from a group including producers, consumers, and storage devices, with at least two of the group being included. A grid state variable is used as a control variable, the value of said variable depending on the ratio between inserted and extracted electric energy and being ascertainable from the grid by the grid participants. The invention is characterized in that a number of grid participants ascertain the grid state variable from the grid and use said variable at least indirectly to control the grid in a decentralized manner based on a respective specific grid participant behavior.

Abstract: Methods for automated handling for forming a device and automated handling systems for forming a device are presented. One of the methods includes providing a production area with a plurality of destinations and a transport system which includes transport and load/unload (U/L) units in the production area. The transport units include automated guided vehicles (AGVs) with a storage compartment for holding at least one carrier containing production material for forming the device and U/L units include AGVs with a robotic system for handling carriers. A transfer of a selected carrier from a first destination to a second destination is determined. A request to the transport system is issued to effect the transfer of the selected carrier, which includes using a selected U/L unit, a selected transport unit, or a combination of selected U/L and transport units.

Abstract: A numerical control device includes a phase-difference calculation unit that, when machining with vibrations is performed on a movement path, calculates a phase difference between a vibrational forward-moving position and a vibrational backward-moving position from a vibration amplitude-to-feed ratio between amplitude of the vibrations and a feed speed of a tool to a workpiece, a movement-path generation unit generating the vibrational forward-moving position and the vibrational backward-moving position as the movement path for each drive shaft by using the phase difference, a vibration-waveform generation unit generating a reference vibration waveform to be superimposed on the movement path for each drive shaft by using vibration conditions, a vibrational-movement-amount generation unit calculating a vibrational-movement amount on the movement path for each drive shaft by using the reference vibration waveform, and a movement-amount combining unit generating a combined movement amount for each drive shaft by

Abstract: An air-conditioning system control apparatus capable of, even for a room in which a humidity sensor is not installed, accurately estimating an indoor humidity and preventing an indoor temperature and humidity from deviating from comfortable ranges. The air-conditioning system control apparatus includes a thermal characteristic parameter setting unit configured to determine a thermal characteristic parameter of a building thermal model based on a heat equation, a humidity characteristic parameter setting unit configured to determine a humidity characteristic parameter of a building humidity model based on a moisture balance equation in an air-conditioned space, and a control data generation unit configured to generate control data of an air-conditioning apparatus so that a temperature and a humidity of the air-conditioned space are each within a preset range.

Abstract: A controller for controlling energy consumption in a home includes a constraints engine to define variables for multiple appliances in the home corresponding to various home modes and persona of an occupant of the home. A modeling engine models multiple paths of energy utilization of the multiple appliances to place the home into a desired state from a current context. An optimal scheduler receives the multiple paths of energy utilization and generates a schedule as a function of the multiple paths and a selected persona to place the home in a desired state.

Abstract: A dynamic electrical load model for an HVAC chiller for use in demand response applications is described herein. A dynamic model for coupling a building's electrical and thermal characteristics is described. This allows for more accurate planning of the dispatching of load for demand side response.

Abstract: A plurality of forecast weather groups in a period comprising a plurality of days including a forecast target day for forecasting the electric power demand, and a plurality of actual weather groups in a period in a plurality of days in the past are set as the target period, and the similarity between the forecast weather group and the plurality of actual weather groups is calculated, a trend of a subsequent electric power demand is predicted based on the comparison of the plurality of calculated similarities whereby the electric power demand of a forecast target day is known.

Abstract: In a numerical control device for performing a control axis switch, each of a plurality of control axis units includes an axis movement amount conversion unit configured to convert a movement amount of a servo motor into a movement amount corresponding to each of the control axis units of the plurality of control axis units, an axis position data storage unit, and a control object axis position data storage unit configured to store an axis position of a control object at a time when the control object is separated from a single drive unit, and an axis position stored in the axis position data storage unit is configured to be updated by using the movement amount of the servo motor, regardless of whether or not the control object is connected by a control axis switch unit to the control axis unit.

Abstract: A method of identifying a multi-component cutting tool assembly to a user includes the steps of: receiving an indication from the user of a desired characteristic of at least one of the cutting tool assembly or of a workpiece to be machined, determining at least a portion of a first set of characteristics associated with a first component of the plurality of tool components corresponds to the desired characteristic, determining at least a portion of a second set of characteristics associated with a second component of the plurality of tool components corresponds to a portion of the first set of characteristics and responsive thereto grouping the first component and the second component together to form a combination and identifying the combination to the user as the cutting tool assembly.

Abstract: An electronic control system is programmed to control movement of a cutting tool relative to a rotating workpiece. After engagement of the stock, the tool is controlled to follow a curved path until the cutting surface of the tool reaches a predetermined depth of cut in the stock. The tool is then controlled to follow a straight/linear path, with the cutting surface of the tool engaged with the stock at said predetermined depth of cut. The control system varies the feed rate as the tool rolls into cut along a known path of curvature, to control the thickness of the material which is removed as the tool rolls into cut, e.g. to induce fracture as the material begins to coil. The feed rate as the tool rolls into cut is programmed to vary in relation to an arc of engagement between a cutting surface of the cutting tool and the stock into which the cutting tool is being moved.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for detecting and correcting a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event in an electric power transmission and distribution system. In some embodiments, a fault detection subsystem may receive an indication of a fault in the electric power transmission and distribution system. The system may also include a load analysis subsystem to analyze a plurality of loads supplied by the electric power system and to generate an estimated response of the loads. A fault analysis subsystem may analyze a plurality of factors relating to the fault and to determine a probability of the fault generating a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event. A control system may then implement a control strategy within a control window following the fault based on the probability of the fault generating a fault induced delayed voltage recovery event and the estimated response of the at least one load.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjusting concrete rheology requiring only that load size and target rheology value be selected initially rather than requiring inputs into and consultation of a lookup table of parameters such as water and hydration levels, mix components, temperature, humidity, aggregate components, and others. Dosage of particular rheology-modifying agent or combination of rheology-modifying agents is calculated based on a percentage of a nominal dose calculated with reference to a nominal dose response (“NDR”) curve or profile. The NDR profile is based on a correlation between a rheology value (e.g., slump, slump flow, yield stress) and the rheology-modifying agent(s) dose required to change rheology value by one unit (e.g., slump change from 2 to 3 inches) such that exemplary methods can employ corrective dosing based on the NDR and the measured deviation by the system.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for coping with an unintentional islanding of an electrical distribution grid within a Commelec-type framework for the real-time control of micro-grids, of Resource Agents (RA) controlled by Grid Agents (GA), comprising at least maintain at any time before the unintentional islanding occurs a rating of all resource agents controlled by a same grid agent in view of their ability to be a slack resource, by computing the rating based on a power availability and on a state-of-energy of each resource, the state-of-energy quantifying an amount of energy that may be withdrawn from a potential slack irrespectively of a PQ profile, whereby the PQ profile describes bounds for active and reactive power that a resource can inject or absorb; and a shedding list of all the resources that have to be shed if a current best candidate slack resource is selected, the current best candidate slack resource being the slack resource having the best rating of all resources as determined in the step of

Abstract: A control device of the present invention estimates warm-up time that it takes for a warm-up of a machine based on the temperature of the machine to be warmed up and the saturation temperature that is unique to the machine. Warm-up start time is calculated based on the obtained warm-up time and predefined warm-up end time. In this way, the warm-up can be efficiently performed as the warm-up can be performed for an appropriate period of time in consideration of the saturation temperature unique to the machine.

Abstract: A device may obtain, from one or more cameras, an image that depicts one or more encoded decals positioned on a body of a vehicle. The device may process the image and may identify, based on processing the image, one or more characteristics of the one or more encoded decals. The device may determine, based on the one or more characteristics of the one or more encoded decals, positioning information to be used to position a loading bridge relative to the body of the vehicle. The device may determine one or more control signals based on the positioning information. The device may provide the one or more control signals to one or more actuators to automatically position the loading bridge relative to the body of the vehicle.

Abstract: A central processing unit of a control device includes: a control calculation unit that performs calculation on the basis of storage content of a nonvolatile storage unit and controls a machine; an update unit that accepts operation input in a first maintenance mode or a second maintenance mode, which has a narrower operable range than the first maintenance mode, and updates the storage content of the nonvolatile storage unit in accordance with the operation input; a security management unit that determines permission or prohibition of the operation input in the first maintenance mode with the use of a hardware key; and a security management unit that determines permission or prohibition of the operation input in the second maintenance mode without the use of the hardware key.

Abstract: A terminal device sets a beneficial use time slot for regarding the electrical consumption in the beneficial use time slot as the beneficial, a waste use time slot for regarding the electrical consumption in the waste use time slot as the waste, and an efficiency improvement time slot for regarding the electrical consumption in the efficiency improvement time slot as the electrical consumption to be reduced. On the basis of the data of an amount of the electrical consumption of the device to be monitored, calculating an amount of the electrical consumption in each the time slot and displaying an amount of the electrical consumption in each time slot are preformed.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a number-of-same-rotation-speed-cutting-passes computing section that decides the number of same rotation speed cutting passes. The number-of-same-rotation-speed-cutting-passes computing section determines the cutting mode of a threading process based on a set machining program etc., and automatically decides an optimal number of same rotation speed cutting passes according to the cutting mode. Thus, even unskilled operators can easily suppress chatter vibrations, and can easily use the machine tool.