Abstract: The lighting system in accordance with the present invention includes a lighting fixture including a first controller configured to control a light source; and a sensing device. The sensing device includes: an image sensor configured to take an image of a predetermined area; and a second controller having a function of adjusting sensitivity of the image sensor and a function of setting a dimming rate for the light source. The first controller is configured to light the light source at a dimming level according to the dimming rate set by the second controller. The second controller is configured to, when concluding that a condition where no person is present in the predetermined area continues for a predetermined time period, perform an operation of decreasing the dimming rate by a preset value and increasing the sensitivity of the image sensor for a preset time period.

Abstract: A method in an industrial safety system for controlling a process or equipment, which industrial safety system includes components with safety devices. The safety system enables signals to be generated as a result of an event or alarm, where the method includes creating an automated link between the event or alarm and an effect or an action to be taken upon receipt of the event or alarm signal due to the event. The method includes configuring one or more links between the event and the input, thus forming a cause and effect matrix, and also generating a control code using the cause and effect matrix for subsequent download of the control code to at least one process controller whereby a control signal is subsequently generated by at least one safety controller to initiate the action or effect.

Abstract: A system handles conditional dependencies between alternative product segments of a production process modeled within a manufacturing execution system (MES). The system includes data processing units connected to a network and production components. The data processing units run MES software for controlling and monitoring the process. The MES software includes a production modeler embedding time-sensitive dependency information in each product segment to define the start of execution in relation to another product segment. The production modeler embeds in each product segment programmed for alternative execution conditional dependency information and a sequence attribute about the order of evaluation of the specified condition.

Abstract: Controlling heating and cooling in a conditioned space utilizes a fluid circulating in a thermally conductive structure in fluid connection with a hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and a ground heat exchanger. Air is moved past the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger, the air having fresh air supply and stale air exhaust. Sensors located throughout the conditioned space send data to a controller. User input to the controller sets the desired set point temperature and humidity. Based upon the set point temperature and humidity and sensor data, the controller sends signals to various devices to manipulate the flow of the fluid and the air in order to achieve the desired set point temperature and humidity in the conditioned space. The temperature of the fluid is kept less than the dew point at the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and the temperature of the fluid is kept greater than the dew point at the thermally conductive structure.

Abstract: A water heater that includes a tank for holding water, a heat source, a temperature sensor, a communication module operable to communicate with an external controller remote from the water heater, and a controller including a processor and a computer readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to operate the water heater. The communication module receives commands from the external controller for further operating the water heater.

Abstract: A control device cyclically accepts each safety-oriented input signal from an industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner, and transfers the safety-oriented input signals to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network. The control device also accepts signals from the Cloud over the link to the computer network, using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process specific safety-oriented control signals, and decides based on additional information in a fail-safe manner whether it recognizes the safety-oriented control signals determined by the Cloud for the industrial-technical process as correct. Depending on the result of the decision, the device controls the industrial-technical process in accordance with the safety-oriented control signals in a fail-safe manner or places the industrial-technical process into a safe state in a fail-safe manner.

Abstract: A load-managing electricity service (LMES) system for managing and controlling electricity-consuming loads supplied by a common distribution transformer. The LMES system includes: a communicative distribution transformer (CDT) sensor that includes a transceiver, a sensing circuit and a processor configured to determine whether a power load of the transformer exceeds an upper threshold. The LMES system also includes a load-control device (LCD) configured to communicate with the CDT sensor, and to selectively decrease or increase the power load of the distribution transformer by managing the electricity-consuming leads at consumer premises.

Abstract: The system of a preferred embodiment uses a process whereby a true replication of the patient's jaw structure is created in a digital three dimensional model. This true replication is then used to precisely locate and/or copy the anatomical landmarks of the patient for use in fabricating a denture base for use in a denture for the individual patient. This system is able to to create a denture with precisely located features corresponding to the anatomical landmarks of the patient with little manual intervention.

Abstract: A pumping system includes a pump for moving water. In one aspect, this is in connection with performance of an operation. The system includes a variable speed motor operatively connected to drive the pump. A value indicative of flow rate of water is determined and the motor is controlled to adjust the flow rate indicative value toward a constant. A value indicative of flow pressure is determined and the motor is controlled to adjust the flow pressure indicative value toward a constant. A selection is made between flow rate control and flow pressure control. In another aspect, the pump is controlled to perform a first operation, and is operated to perform a second water operation. Control of operation of the pump to perform the first water operation is altered in response to operation of the pump to perform the second operation.

Abstract: Provided is a component for a network system, which includes a control part and a power consumer unit. The control part recognizes energy information or additional information except for the energy information. The power consumer unit is controlled to maintain a target value, and is repeatedly turned on or off. An on-period or off-period of the power consumer unit is varied depending on information recognized by the control part.

Abstract: A network control system for an appliance has a software operating layer that is responsive to a plurality of appliance function calls. A physical user interface on the appliance is capable of generating directly some of the appliance function calls. A virtual user interface connected remotely over the network is also configured to invoke some of the appliance function calls. But the virtual user interface can further invoke one or more of the function calls that the physical user interface cannot generate directly.

Abstract: Electric-power management system, an area controller transmits, to each of section controllers, information about a target voltage and information about the present voltage, each of the section controllers calculating a difference between the target voltage and the present voltage, received from the area controller, and calculating a power's demand-supply-adjustment request amount based on difference between the information about the voltages, each of facility-equipment controllers transmitting power-reception/power-release capable equipment information to each section controller, being information about a power-reception/power-release capable equipment in a facility into which the facility-equipment controller is installed, the section controller, based on the power-reception/power-release capable equipment information about the equipment, transmitting the equipment's demand-supply-adjustment request amount and the facility-equipment controller transmitting a control signal to the equipment based on the equi

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of functional sections 200, 300, 400 and 500 each of which is selectively set in an operating state where an assigned processing thereof is executable on a substrate and a standby state where an energy consumption amount is less than in the operating state, and an apparatus controller 50 which controls a state of each functional section 200, 300, 400, 500 between the operating state and the standby state and causes the functional section in charge of the assigned processing corresponding to a recipe to be set in the operating state and perform the assigned processing in executing the recipe specifying a processing procedure on the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for optimizing the returns of power feedstock producers includes automated selection between selling raw feedstock or generating power and storing it in a storage device for subsequent sale under more favorable market conditions. The system may comprise grid-scale electric power storage devices which enable a feedstock supplier—e.g., a natural gas producer—to utilize real-time market data to allocate a feedstock between its sale “as is”—i.e., as fuel or chemical feedstock—and use of the feedstock to produce electric power which may be stored for later sale when the market price for peaking electric power is favorable. In certain embodiments, the system may be entirely automated and the collection of market data, the allocation of feedstock and the generation and subsequent supplying of electric power to a grid may be entirely performed by the system without operator intervention.

Abstract: In an automation system, a control device processes measured values received from automation components and generates control values for the, or for individual, automation components and/or other automation components. In order to shorten down times when replacing an existing control device, the new control device is tested during operation of the existing control device, for which purpose the measured values and control values are wirelessly transmitted to the new control device and the control values generated by the device are compared to the control values generated by the existing control device. After the test, the control values generated by the new control device are output to the automation components instead of the control values generated by the existing control device.

Abstract: A method for operating an installation for handling containers, wherein the containers from a first handling unit of the installation are handled by predetermined first handling parameters and the containers from a second handling unit of the installation are handled by predetermined second handling parameters, and wherein the first handling parameters and the second handling parameters can be altered, at least in part, and depend, at least in part, on product parameters which are characteristic of the container. Product parameters of the container which are stored for controlling the first handling unit are also used for controlling the second handling unit, wherein alterations to the product parameters are taken into account in automated fashion both for controlling the first handling unit and for controlling the second handling unit.

Abstract: An electric power distribution device sets a first threshold and a second threshold for a threshold temperature of main wires, and sets a third threshold and a fourth threshold for a threshold temperature of branch wires. In the case where a temperature of each of the main wires reaches the first threshold, all of branch wire switches provided in a branch wire distributor are shut off. Thereafter, in the case where the temperature of the main wire reaches the second threshold, each of the main wire switches, which is provided a main wire distributor, is shut off. In the case where a temperature of a certain branch wire reaches the third threshold, the corresponding branch wire switch is subjected to PWM control. Thereafter, in the case where the temperature of the branch wire reaches the fourth threshold, the corresponding branch wire switch is shut off.

Abstract: A system controller of a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is configured to control the operation of a demand unit to maintain a comfort characteristic setpoint of a conditioned space. The controller includes a setback calculation module that is configured to calculate a setback value of the setpoint as a function of a recovery time from the setback value to the setpoint.

Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling a component for a network system. The method of controlling the component for the network system includes recognizing low-price period or high-price period information, recognizing a scheduled operation time including a scheduled operation start time of the component, determining whether a change condition of the scheduled operation time is satisfied, and changing the scheduled operation time when the change condition is satisfied and operating the component at the changed scheduled operation time.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for distributed resource scheduling performed by an advanced resource scheduling (ARS) module implemented on a distributed grid management (DGM) server in a power system. The ARS module is configured to automatically generate a resource schedule for controllable distributed energy resources (e.g., resources that are remotely controllable by DGM server and ARS module) in a distribution network of the power system, such as power generation resources and energy storage resources, to provide power in a cost-effective (e.g., optimal) manner. The ARS module is configured to take into account the operating limits of the distributed energy resources (DERs), the cost curves of the DERs, the system load demand, and other operating constraints to determine the most economical operating plan for the DERs, using an optimization technique such as the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm.