Abstract: A fan monitoring system for an electronics system or a computer system. The fan monitoring system includes a fan which produces a rotation signal, where the rotation signal is a function of the fan rotating. The fan monitoring system also includes a detection circuit responsive to the rotation signal and producing an operating signal indicative of the fan rotating. The fan monitoring system also includes a fan detection circuit having a primary connection point capable of being electrically coupled to the fan. The fan detection circuit provides a detection signal indicative of whether or not the fan is electrically coupled to the fan detection circuit. The fan monitoring system further includes an I/O circuit for receiving the fan detection signal and the operating signal. The I/O circuit providing I/O signals to a host computer system as determined by the operating signal and/or the detection signals.

Abstract: Images captured by a digital camera can be enhanced to account for distortions due to the camera itself and due to the monitor on which images will be displayed. First, a camera basis set, which is the response of the camera to a reference monitor when pixels are illuminated thereon, is constructed. The camera basis set will not change for a given camera. For a given end-user monitor, calibration software likewise constructs a display basis set. The display basis set will not change for a given monitor. Capture images are thereafter enhanced by first curve fitting the captured image to the camera basis set, which results in a coefficient space. The coefficient space is applied to the display basis set to construct the enhanced image which is output to the monitor.

Abstract: A pickup device comprises a memory for storing therein positional data for parts, a camera for detecting a position of the parts, a displacement rate computing section for computing a displacement rate between the positional data stored and a position detected, a hand for picking up parts, a inserting posture deciding section for deciding a posture of the hand such as an inserting position or an inserting direction against the parts, a moving section for moving the hand according to the decided posture, a up-movement pin selecting section for selecting pins required for pushing up only desired parts, an interfering pin removing section for removing pins interfered by the hand, and a pin up-movement control section for raising the selected pins.

Abstract: A method for monitoring defects in a railway with a computer system, the computer system includes the steps of determining positional data and status data for a railway, comparing historical status data to the status data to determine a defect for the railway, the defect having a defect type, displaying an image of a particular geographic area on a display that includes a location corresponding to the positional data, determining an icon associated with the defect type, and displaying the icon associated with the defect type on the display.

Abstract: An apparatus having a plurality of components with printed circuit boards (PCB) having electronic circuits that act on electrical and/or electromechanical function elements is provided. The PCBs communicate with one another via a serial communication bus. The components have analog and digital signal generators allocated to them whose signals act on the PCBs as an input quantity. The PCBs have the capability for implementing self-tests. The self-tests provide test results that are supplied to a service computer as input quantities. Converters for the data for a transmission via a standard interface are provided for the transmission of the data onto the service computer. In an embodiment, the service computer has a first module with a diagnosis software component that enables an interactive error diagnosis off-line. The service computer also contains a second module that produces a connection between the first module and the apparatus components to enable an on-line diagnosis with the first module.

Abstract: An operator support system comprises an operation guidance generating unit 14 for displaying operation procedures to an operator on the basis of plant monitoring data, and a running operation evaluation processing unit 23 for comparing control object equipment and operation contents of a guidance table generated by the operation guidance generating unit 14 with operation contents selected by the operator and output through an operation selecting unit 22, and for evaluating that the operation contents are correct by coincidence thereof, to prevent an operator's operation error. Accordingly, the operator support system which is capable of evaluating whether or not the operation contents performed by an operator is adequate, and, if an inadequate running operation is performed, of informing the operator of an error without outputting that control output to the controlled plant.

Abstract: A facility environmental control ("FEC") system is disclosed that communicates using an open network management protocol such as the simple network management protocol ("SNMP"). The FEC system includes a first plurality of FEC devices operable to obtain data concerning the environment of a facility and a second plurality of FEC devices operable to receive command signals and perform operations that affect the environment of the facility in accordance with the received command signals. The system further includes a control system operably connected to the first and second plurality of FEC devices, and a control system agent operably connected to the control system. In general, the control system receives data from the first plurality of FEC devices and provides command signals to the second plurality of FEC devices.

Abstract: The failure of a motor to maintain a commanded speed is detected by the disclosed variable speed fan failure detector. The commanded speed varies as a function of temperature, such that at temperatures below a first predetermined temperature the motor runs at minimum speed and at temperatures above a second predetermined temperature it runs at maximum speed, with the speed varying substantially linearly between the first predetermined temperature and second predetermined temperature. The failure detector develops a first voltage proportional to motor speed, senses a temperature at a point where a predetermined temperature is to be maintained, develops a second voltage proportional to a desired speed based on the sensed temperature.

Abstract: An operating unit for a programmable industrial robot. The operating unit includes a body and a display screen mounted on the body. The display screen is operable to present graphical information items, is capable of producing a display screen output, and an operator may make selections of the items presented on the display screen. A joystick ball is mounted on the body for controlling the robot during a programming phase during which the robot is taught to follow an operating path. The joystick ball has a joystick mounting means and is capable of producing a joystick ball output. A pointing device is removably mounted to the joystick mounting means and is capable of being used to make selections on the display screen. The display screen and the joystick ball are both capable of being coupled in data transmission relation to a processing unit wherein the screen output, the joystick ball output, or both the screen output and joystick output may be processed.

Abstract: A method for finding a probability density function (PDF) and its statistical moments for an arbitrary exponential function of the form g(x)=.alpha.x.sup.m e.sup.-.beta.x.spsp.n,0<x<.infin., where .alpha., .beta., n>0, m>-1 are real constants in one-dimensional distributions and g(x.sub.1,x.sub.2, . . . ,x.sub.l) in the hyperplane. Non-linear regression analyses are performed on the data distribution and a root-mean-square (RMS) is calculated and recorded for each solution set until convergence. The basis function is reconstructed from the estimates in the final solution set and a PDF is obtained. The moment generating function (MGF), which characterizes any statistical moment of the distribution, is obtained using a novel function derived by the inventors and the mean and variance are obtained in standard fashion.

Abstract: In a control system a characteristic quantity of a process (1) exhibits a periodic disturbance. A measuring system (2) generates a measuring signal (Vm) which represents the characteristic quantity. A control device controls the process in response to the measuring signal (Vm). To reduce the periodic disturbance, the control device (3) comprises a delay circuit (4) which delays an input signal (Vin) related to the measuring signal (Vm) by a time interval (T) having the length of a period (Tp) of the periodic disturbance. The control device (3) comprises an analysis circuit (6) for deriving an analysis signal (Va) which is indicative of a deviation between the period of the periodic disturbance and the delay time. By means of a control circuit (13) and an adapter circuit (7), the delay time (T) is set in dependence on the analysis signal (Va) to a value for which the analysis signal (Va) indicates that the delay time (T) is equal to the period (Tp).

Abstract: A position sensing apparatus has an insulating body with an interior surface defining a void within the insulating body. Electrodes extend through the body and terminate as electrical contacts on the interior surface. Two non-mixing fluids with distinct electrical properties are positioned in the void. This results in a first set of electrical signals on a first set of electrical contacts and a second set of electrical signals on a second set of electrical contacts. The first set of electrical signals and the second set of electrical signals specify a first angular inclination value (pitch) and a second angular inclination value (roll) characterizing the position of the sensing apparatus.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method, utilizing a neural network, for estimating helicopter airspeed in the low airspeed flight range of below about 50 knots using only fixed system parameters as inputs to the neural network.

Abstract: A system (10) for evaluating a software product includes an interface (12). The interface (12) receives product data relating to the software product, and a first memory (14) stores the product data. A second memory (23, 32) stores a plurality of weighting values. A processor (26, 36) is coupled to the first memory (14) and the second memory (23, 32). The processor (26, 36) applies the plurality of weighting values to the product data to generate at least one criterion score for the software product. Each criterion score represents an evaluation of the software product.

Abstract: A sequence program formed by a plurality of contacts or windings each given an actual address representing a name of a mechanism such as a truck, a lifter, a slide or the like which forms a system to be controlled and the action of which is to be controlled to control the system, a name of an action of the mechanism and a name of a controlled device such as a switch, a solenoid valve, a motor and the like which is directly controlled to control the action of the mechanism is prepared.

Abstract: A vibration analysis method for detecting abnormalities by analyzing a vibration waveform. The method includes the steps of, in a plurality of observation time points {t.sub.j } composed of a number n of specified time points t.sub.j (j=1 to n) counted from a start time point t.sub.0, detecting displacements of a vibration wave f.sub.j (j=1 to n) at the individual time points of the plurality of observation time points, and comparing points in an n-dimensional space composed of the displacements, detected at the individual observation time points, with points in the n-dimensional space of a vibration waveform that are designated as being normal.

Abstract: A wireless LAN includes first stations adapted to operate at a 1 or a 2 Mbps data rate and second stations adapted to operate at a 1,2,5 or 8 Mbps data rate. The 1 and 2 Mbps rates use DBPSK and DQPSK modulation, respectively. The 5 and 8 Mbps rates use PPM/DQPSK modulation. All four data rates use direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) coding. All transmitted messages start with a preamble and header at the 1 Mbps rate. The header includes fields identifying the data rate for the data portion of the message, and a length field. For a 2 Mbps transmission the length field identifies the number of bytes in the data field. For a 5 or 8 Mbps the length field identifies the number of bytes in the data field which, if transmitted at 2 Mbps, would take the same transmission time of the data field, and is thus a fraction 2/5 or 2/8 of the actual number of the bytes. With this arrangements, all the stations are interoperable in a co-existent manner in the LAN.

Abstract: A hand-held and operated, instantaneous readout, portable electronic instrument is disclosed, which may be used by an observer from the grandstands to determine the speed of racers such as racing cars, horses, athletes, etc. over a lap of a race-track and to comparatively display the speeds of one racer over different laps and the speeds of different racers.

Abstract: A fluid dispensing control for controlling the dispensing of a fluid by a metering valve through a nozzle onto a workpiece. An initial value of a flow characteristic of the fluid is determined that is correlated to the relationship between the flow rate of the fluid and nozzle pressure. Desired nozzle pressure values are periodically determined by evaluating a model of flow rate of the fluid through nozzle in response to the initial value of the flow characteristic and a desired flow rate value. Thereafter, the control provides command signals to the metering valve as a function of the desired nozzle pressures. A new value of the flow characteristic is determined as a function of the measured volume of fluid dispensed during the dispensing cycle to the measured nozzle pressure. During a subsequent dispensing cycle, the control determines the desired nozzle pressures by evaluating the model of flow rate of the fluid through the nozzle as a function of the new value of the flow characteristic.

Abstract: Various methods and associated apparatuses are provided for communicating data from a central station to a remote station over some form of communications path. The data, which together form at least one title, are stored on at least one storage device. The data forming that title are then retrieved as data blocks from storage. Each data block is a sequential segment of the data. Finally, the retrieved data blocks are transmitted from the central station to the remote station. According to preferred embodiments, two types of storage devices are provided. The first type, preferably formed as an array of playback units, allows the data to be stored as data blocks and distributed accordingly over a plurality of storage devices. The second type, preferably formed as ring structures composed of solid state elements, provides a plurality of access points coupled to the storage medium, each of which is able to retrieve the data independently of other access points.