Abstract: A flow rate component, such as a bypass valve with a motorized actuator, a variable speed circulation pump, or both, is controlled in realtime by an automatic controlled to regulate water flow rate through a swimming pool heater, such as a heat pump, to optimize heat transfer, minimize energy consumption, and improve life spans of components of the swimming pool circulation, filtering and heating system.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining causal models for controlling environments.

Abstract: A control system for an energy storage system located behind a utility meter uses a unique, feedback-based, communication and control method to reliably and efficiently maximize economic return of the energy storage system. Operating parameters for the energy storage system are calculated at an external, centralized data center, and are selected to prevent electrical power demand of an electric load location from exceeding a specified set-point by discharging energy storage devices, such as DC batteries, through a bidirectional energy converter during peak demand events. The control system can operate autonomously in the case of a communications failure.

Abstract: Methods are described for receiving from a device at a server device resource dispensing system usage information and settings and sending from the server device ecorank information, wherein the ecorank information is derived from a comparison of usage of resource dispensing systems controlled by the device in comparison to a comparison group, the comparison group comprising other resource dispensing systems controlled by other devices. The comparison group is determined based on profile information describing the dwelling, dwelling size, dwelling location, dwelling occupants, resource dispensing system technology, and related information. In some embodiments, the ecorank information may be one or more of a numerical score, percentage, graphic, icon, color, letter, and an audio item. In some embodiments, the energy consumed by the resource dispensing systems may be reported by an associated energy measurement device or estimated by heating and cooling usage hours.

Abstract: A system and method for cleaning of heat exchanger tubes including an assembly, an indexer, and a communication device provided with specialized software and programming. The indexer includes orthogonally arranged first and second arms. A trolley and sensors are provided on the indexer arms. One or more lances are provided on the trolley to deliver water jets into the openings. Sensors measure displacement as the trolley is moved relative to the heat exchanger's face plate. An operator controls the system from a distance away using the communication device. During setup, the pattern of the face plate is learned and mapped utilizing information from the sensors as one of the inputs. This information is utilized to help navigate the face plate during a subsequent cleaning operation. A kit for retrofitting existing X-Y indexers is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes: receiving a mathematical model of a control system, with state variables and control parameters; discretizing at least a part of a space to obtain a set of tuples; determining for each tuple at least one successor state; obtaining an initial winning set of tuples; determining an updated winning set of tuples, including comparing the at least one successor state with the initial winning set of tuples, where the comparison is distributed over available processing elements by choosing one processing element from the available processing elements for each tuple to perform the comparison and where the available processing elements are used simultaneously at least in part; repeating the determination of the updated winning set of tuples to obtain a new updated winning set of tuples if a convergence measure does not meet a criterion, and constructing a controller for the control system from the new updated winning set.

Abstract: A building management system (BMS) interface system. The BMS interface system includes a user interface and a BMS controller in communication with the user interface. The BMS controller includes a processor. The processor is configured to display a graphical scheduling interface on the user interface and receive a scheduling input from the user interface. The processor is further configured to extract one or more scheduling elements from the received scheduling input and convert the scheduling elements into one or more BMS data objects. The processor is further configured to update the graphical scheduling interface displayed on the user interface. The processor is also configured to execute one or more scheduling instructions based on the received scheduling input, wherein the scheduling instructions are associated with the operation of one or more BMS devices.

Abstract: A method for configuring a master/slave board during initial booting of dual boards, and dual boards thereof are proposed. Each of the dual boards includes: a voltage input part to which an AC voltage is applied by initial booting; a voltage converter for converting the applied AC voltage into a DC voltage; a communication part for transmitting a DC voltage value corresponding to the converted DC voltage to a counterpart board and receiving a DC voltage value of the counterpart board from the counterpart board; and a controller for initializing the voltage converter when an initial boot signal and the AC voltage are applied from outside, converting the DC voltage converted by the voltage converter into the DC voltage value, and comparing the DC voltage values of each board transmitted and received through the communication part, so as to configure each board as a master or slave board.

Abstract: A method and system improve on the accuracy of and power consumption of occupancy detection systems. Embodiments may provide a dual mode system that includes a passive infrared sensor with low power consumption and a RADAR-based sensor with higher power consumption that is only powered when the system determines a room is occupied with the passive sensor and no new movement is detected after a threshold duration.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for utilizing localized clusters within a mesh network to aid in tracking environmental factors associated with information handling systems in an environment having a large number of information handling systems installed. Sensors within each information handling system measure a variety of environmental factors, such as, for example, temperature (CPU, ambient, air inlet, air exhaust, system board, and the like), air flow through the information handling system, fan speed, and hardware utilization. The sensor-derived environmental information is provided to a lead local cluster node, which can provide local responses to environmental values exceeding thresholds. Lead nodes generate a mapping of the environmental factors and provide that mapping to a data center management server.

Abstract: An automation operating and management system consolidates and analyzes inputs from multiple machines within an automated enterprise to predict failures and provide instructions for counteractions to prevent failures during machine operation, and to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement, including actions for reduction in peak power consumption demand within a facility including multiple machines. A machine can include a machine controller and at least one base layer controller, where the base layer controller acts as a low level controller to directly control the motion of elements in communication with the base layer control, according to parameters set by the machine controller. The base layer controller collects timing data for the elements under its control, compares the timing data with the parameters and sets an alarm when the timing data is outside of tolerance limits defined by the parameters.

Abstract: A tool path generation method for a bidirectional cutting edge tool, comprising: first obtaining a driving line and an auxiliary driving line of a contour, and discretizing the driving line to obtain tool position driving points; obtaining a tool axis vector according to a rule plane of the driving points and the auxiliary driving line; and then, calculating a tool position point according to geometric dimensions of the tool so as to obtain a tool path of a machining contour of the bidirectional cutting edge tool. The problems of fiber delamination and fluffing, burr generation, and the like of the contour of a machined part can be avoided, and the machining quality of a contour surface is improved, and the low-cost machining of parts can be efficiently achieved.

Abstract: A system for automatically learning and adapting to the energy usage of an equipment operating according to a control input including at least one sensor for measuring an energy usage of the equipment an generating a baseline energy usage over time signature that is used to compare active energy usage measurements to so as to determine operational deviations. The system includes software that matches and compares equipment operation to established norms and can modify the functioning of the equipment when threshold deviations are detected. The system includes the ability to learn the functioning of the equipment and can adjust for dynamically changing conditions to avoid generation of false alerts or alarms while at the same time detecting longer term deviations that if left unchecked, could shorten the lifespan of the equipment and increase the costs associated with running the equipment.

Abstract: A system for automatically learning and adapting to the energy usage of an equipment installed at a facility or many pieces of equipment at a plurality of facilities, where the system is provided with an initial baseline energy usage signature for the equipment, which is modified by measured energy usage and by at least one peripheral sensor measurement data to create a modified energy usage signature. The system uses artificial intelligence to learn and adapt the baseline energy usage signature to learn the business operation and account for external variables such as temperature variance and increased business flow or an interaction between devices. The smart system can identify when a piece of equipment falls outside of “normal” operation and determines what automatic action is to be taken for that piece of equipment.

Abstract: A method for the autonomous construction and/or design of at least one component part of a component includes the step of determining a state (si) of the component part by a state module, wherein a state (si) is defined by parameters (pi) such as data and/or measured values of at least one property (ei) of the component part. The state (si) is transmitted to a reinforcement learning agent, which uses a reinforcement learning algorithm. A calculation function (ƒi) and/or an action (ai) is selected on the basis of a policy for a state (si) for the modification of at least one parameter (pi) by the reinforcement learning agent. A modeled value for the property (ei) is calculated using the modified parameter (pi). A new state (si+1) is calculated by an environment module on the basis of the modeled value for the property (ei).

Abstract: Apparatus, systems and methods for ascertaining the occupancy of a building are presented. The building is divided into one or more control zones which correspond to physical areas of the building associated with controllable modules, such as HVAC units, lighting, irrigation, or other environmental features such as fountains, music, video, and the like. Zone parameters define how zone devices shall react to the number of occupants located in the particular zone. A building control system detects individual mobile devices in and around the building, and determines the locations of each device by using trilateration and/or location services. The identified mobile devices act as proxies for building occupants. The locations of these devices are correlated with the locations of the zones in the building, and the building control system then adjusts the operating parameters of the zone based on the number of devices present in the zone.

Abstract: A device is configured to operate a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The device is further configured to determine that the amount of time to close a pressure switch exceeds a time threshold value. The device is further configured to receive an audio signal from a microphone while operating the HVAC system, to identify an audio signature for the combustion air inducer, and to determine the audio signature for the combustion air inducer is present within the audio signal. The device is further configured to determine a fault type based on the determination that the audio signature for the combustion air inducer is present within the audio signal, to identify a component identifier for a component of the HVAC system that is associated with fault type, and to output a recommendation identifying the component identifier.

Abstract: An industrial controller that integrates execution of a control program on the industrial controller with execution of additional functions on an external processing device is disclosed. Integrating the external processing device provides an improved system for third party development of control functions which may be unique to specific applications. The system manages communication between the industrial controller and the external processing device, manages access to data stored in the industrial controller, and makes the details of the integration transparent to the programmer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technology for invoking a non-periodic-execution function module from a periodic-execution control program. A control system that comprises first and second control parts (C1, C2) and a storage device that stores control programs (210, 211) for a controller. The control programs (210, 211) include a periodic-execution function module (55B) that invokes a non-periodic-execution function module (55A). The first control part (C1) reflects the value of an input variable for the periodic-execution function module (55B) in an argument for the non-periodic-execution function module (55A) and outputs an execution start command for the function modules to the second control part (C2). The second control part (C2) outputs a return value for the non-periodic-execution function module (55A) to the first control part (C1). The first control part (C1) reflects the return value in an output variable for the periodic-execution function module (55B).

Abstract: A method of remotely obtaining metadata from a building management system at a building site includes utilizing an intelligent gateway that is disposed at the building site and that is operably coupled with the building management system. A request for the intelligent gateway to obtain metadata from the building management system is received at the intelligent gateway, which applies the metadata request to individual components of the building management system. The intelligent gateway receives the requested metadata from the individual components of the building management system and translates the received metadata into a predetermined format. The intelligent gateway communicates the translated metadata to the remote server.