Abstract: The invention regards a system reliability or failure predicting apparatus and method that incorporates known information about system component failure into a system model and uses the model with or without other acquired system data to predict the probability of system failure. An embodiment of the method includes using probabilistic methods to create a system failure model from the failure models of individual system components, predicting the failure of the system based on the component models and system data, ranking the sensitivity of the system to the system variables, and communicating a failure prediction.

Abstract: The invention concerns non-contact smart cards and, more particularly in such cards, a circuit for detecting data frames and providing them with a parallel format for their processing. The invention is characterised in that it consists in using the information contained in the first octets of the frame being currently received, thereby enabling to identify them as they are received and route them into registers (80). This is provided by a state machine (60) whereof the shift from one state to the other is switched by the circuitry (62, 76) output signals.

Abstract: A delay profile estimation apparatus and a correlating unit to obtain delay profile with suppressed noise are disclosed. The delay profile estimation apparatus includes a receiving unit to receive a communication signal (received signal), a conversion unit to inverse-Fourier-transform a known pilot signal that consists of N samples, a correlating unit to obtain a correlation value between the inverse-Fourier-transformed known pilot signal and the received signal, the correlating unit being connected to the receiving unit and the conversion unit, and a delay profile generating unit for generating a delay profile of the received signal based on the correlation value. The correlating unit cyclically shifts N samples of the received signal, or the N samples of the known pilot signal when calculating the correlation value corresponding to a phase difference between the inverse-Fourier-transformed known pilot signal and the received signal.

Abstract: There is here disclosed a method and apparatus for detecting the occurrence of arcing of a conductor by monitoring the current on an AC power line. The signal detected is split and directed along four separate paths to generate four signals having separate characteristics which represent the current in the line. A first path is for a signal representative of the current flowing in the line. A second path is for a signal having a pulse for each occurrence of a positive step change in current that is significant and has a di/dt value above a predetermined value. A third path is for a signal having a pulse for each occurrence of a negative step change in current that is significant and has a di/dt value above a predetermined value. A fourth path is for a signal having a voltage level representative of the broadband noise signal on the line. Using at least one of five different methods in combination with one of three input signals, a reference signal designated as “SINE” is generated.

Abstract: A measurement data processing system is provided, which can transmit measurement data for processing from a data measuring device that has measured and stored the data to a data processing device without a complicated operation. When a personal measuring instrument (1) is connected to a cable (3), followed by turning on a power switch (1a) or when a personal measuring instrument (1) whose power switch (1a) is on is connected to a computer (2) via a cable (3), the computer (2) automatically executes a series of operations including fetching the measurement data stored in the personal measuring instrument (1), analyzing the data and then outputting the results of processing to a printer (4).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining a time to failure for an electronic device. The method and apparatus includes estimating a dependency of a bond strength degradation rate on at least one parameter and estimating a temperature profile of the electronic device. Furthermore, the method and apparatus determine a bond strength based on the dependency of the bond strength degradation rate and the temperature profile, and determine the time to failure for the electronic device based on a time evolution of the bond strength.

Abstract: A current sensor using the compensation principle, in particular for measuring direct and alternating currents, includes an entirely digital evaluation circuit for signal processing. This substantially lowers the cost of the control electronics, in particular through integration in an ASIC. The magnetic field probe is, for example, supplied with a square wave voltage of a predetermined frequency, the probe signal is recorded by one or two comparators and the pulse width is digitally measured by counters. Furthermore, the conventional analog final stage for the compensation current is replaced by a PWM end stage with a series connected sigma-delta modulator. The square wave can be synchronized with a defined synchronization signal, which can be derived, for example, from the processed measurement values.

Abstract: A system monitoring statuses such as presence and absence of abnormality and lifetime of a machine component such as, for example, a bearing having rolling elements, includes: a plurality of determining units respectively connected with a plurality of sensors, and a control unit connected with the determining units. Each sensor is disposed on the machine component of the associated rolling bearing to detect an influence signal resulting from passage of the rolling element induced in the machine component. Each determining unit determines, according a process set-up condition, the presence and absence of an abnormality and lifetime of the machine component associated with the sensor in reference to an output signal from the sensors. The control unit collects a result of determination performed by each determining unit. In this way, with a simplified structure, monitoring can be achieved at a low cost, precisely and efficiently.

Abstract: A first resistor is connected in parallel with a second resistor having a lower resistance than the first resistor. The voltage at the terminal of the first resistor is compared with a first threshold voltage, and the voltage at the terminals of the second resistor is compared with a second threshold voltage. A switching device either connects the first resistor in series in a remote power feed circuit, if the switching device detects that the remote power feed current is less than a third threshold current that is between the first and second threshold currents, or connects the second resistor and the first resistor, connected in parallel, in series in the remote power feed circuit if the switching device detects that the remote power feed current is greater than the third threshold current.

Abstract: A plurality of lots of wafers, each lot of wafers having a lot number and each wafer of each lot having at least one test parameter generated by performing at least one wafer test item stored in a database, are divided into a high yield group and a low yield group. By analyzing the wafer test parameters of the wafers in the high yield group, a first standard value within a first range is obtained. A first comparison step is then performed to compare each wafer test parameter of each lot in the low yield group with the first standard value and delete lot numbers of lots with wafer test parameters within the first range. Finally, a first amount of residual lots in the low yield group is determined. In response to the first amount of residual lots in the low yield group not equaling to zero, a first searching step is performed to which item of sample test items, in-line QC items and process step items is related to the wafer test item of each residual lot in the low yield group in the database.

Abstract: A profile-based system is described for verifying the functionality of a device design. In one embodiment, the system includes a profile generation module, a coverage measurement module, and a pattern generation module. The profile generation module operates from a rule set that represents the design specification and any applicable standards, and a profile mode that specifies “interesting” aspects of test patterns for device design verification. The profile generation module determines an ordered set of variable values that specify a test pattern, and produces a profile that intelligibly describes the interesting aspects of the test pattern. The coverage measurement module analyzes the profile to determine coverage, and the analysis results may be operated on by the profile generation module to determine a profile for an improved test pattern. The pattern generation module converts the profile into a test pattern having the interesting aspects specified in the profile.

Abstract: In contrast with a known dynamic gate-level simulation method, a method of analyzing electromagnetic interference (an EMI analysis method) according to the present invention enables estimation of EMI noise, by means of calculating signal propagation of each node through use of the signal propagation probability technique, and calculating variation time of each node through use of “the Static timing analysis technique”. In short, the present invention is characterized in calculating a frequency characteristic from the relationship between toggle probability of each node and delay in each node.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel storage system included in a vehicle to supply fuel to a power source (e.g., an engine, fuel cell and the like) is diagnosed and controlled by a monitoring/evaluation and control system. Various parameters with reference to gas temperature, gas pressure, gas density and damage and shock of a vessel containing the pressurized gas are provided by respective sensors mounted on and in vessels of a gas storage system. A control module determines whether maintenance of the vessels is required based on the sensed parameters. If maintenance is necessary, the components will be replaced with new ones or the entire gas storage system or the vessel will be replaced. If necessary, a warning is provided to avoid operation of the power source and the vehicle.

Abstract: A signal processing technique for generating separated signal components incorporates the steps of correlating basis vectors with input data to produce output vectors, applying a non-linear function to the output vectors to produce non-linearized vectors, and convolving the non-linearized vectors with the basis vectors to produce separated signal components. Each vector may comprise a set of one-dimensional channel vectors. Separated signal components are combined to form an input signal reconstruction and an anomaly signal indicating deviation of the reconstruction from the associated input signal. Basis vectors are determined by training which involves use of weighting factors referred to as basis scales. When used to scale separated signal components in the production of reconstruction vectors, basis scales have the effect of reducing a mean squared error between such vectors and associated input data used to derive them.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus (100) and a computer program product for entropy coding of discrete wavelet transform (DWT) coefficient bits that are arranged into code blocks and coded in bitplane order using three coding passes for each bitplane are disclosed. In the method, transform coefficients of a code block (200) in sign-magnitude form are pre-analyzed. Statistical data about the coefficients is stored, preferably with the coefficients. Significance state data (330), coded data (340), magnitude refinement data (350), bit data (310), and sign data (320) for the code block are buffered. More preferably, the buffering is implemented using a FIFO (120, 1130), located between a context generation module (110, 1120) and an arithmetic coder (130, 1150). Based upon the statistical data, at least one command for at least one sequence of bit and context pairs is generated for arithmetic encoding.

Abstract: An ultrasonic length measuring apparatus measures the number of times a waveform of an ultrasonic wave signal crosses a threshold value, detects the crossing timing at, for example, a waveform having a maximal amplitude after a predetermined number of times counting from a first crossing point, measures the time period from the transmission start of the ultrasonic wave by the transmission unit to the detected crossing timing and calculates the length based on the time measured. A coordinate inputting apparatus includes a pen for transmitting an ultrasonic wave and a coordinate inputting apparatus for inputting coordinate positions of the pen based on a propagation time of the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the pen and received by a plurality of ultrasonic wave receivers. The receiver includes at least a pair of ultrasonic receivers for receiving the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the pen.

Abstract: A multi-sensor data fusion system and method provide an additive fusion technique including a modified belief function (algorithm) to adaptively weight the contributions from a plurality of sensors in the system and to produce multiple reliability terms including reliability terms associated with noise for low SNR situations. During a predetermined tracking period, data is received from each individual sensor in the system and a predetermined algorithm is performed to generate sensor reliability functions for each sensor based on each sensor SNR using at least one additional reliability factor associated with noise. Each sensor reliability function may be individually weighted based on the SNR for each sensor and other factors. Additive calculations are performed on the reliability functions to produce at least one system reliability function which provides a confidence level for the multi-sensor system relating to the correct classification (recognition) of desired objects (e.g., targets and decoys).

Abstract: A system that utilizes the principles of frequency domain reflectometry to perform baselining and mapping of single and mutliple wires and cables, the baselining to be used as a comparison when the wires are tested at a later date to determine if the wires or cables have been damaged, wherein a first waveform is generated from a baseline FDR measurement of a cable, a second waveform is generated from a new FDR measurement of the cable, and a comparison of the first and second waveforms is performed to determine if the integrity of the cable has changed, and wherein the mapping is performed in order to determine the present configuration of a network or tree of wires or cables.

Abstract: A novel system and method for data reduction for improved exponential decay rate measurement in the present of excess low frequency noise. The system and method fit the tail of a record to a straight line wherein the straight line is extrapolated to the entire record and then subtracted from the initial data points before a logarithmic transformation is taken.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for evaluating a damaged blade in a compressor or turbine using a computer system accessing a database of blade repair information, where the method includes: selecting a blade damage geometry category corresponding to the damage of the blade from a plurality of blade damage geometry categories; measuring the blade damage, and generating a repair geometry for the blade based on the blade damage measurements and the selected blade damage geometry category.