Abstract: Disclosed is a system for controlling appliances of at least one building, each appliance being associated with a local controller and having a control input and at least one control point. The system includes a central processor computer having an operator interface and an equipment interface, a network connected to the equipment interface and having a plurality of nodes for communicating with each of the appliances, a log file being stored with respective area, description, and address fields containing corresponding data of the control points. A control program in the computer feeds the equipment interface to drive the control inputs of the appliances in response to a database, the database being populated from a tagname dictionary.

Abstract: The invention is a unit for pneumatically controlling the position of a workpiece relative to a predetermined workpiece configuration, comprising an enclosure, a minimum of one measuring nozzle for a gaseous pressure medium, which measuring nozzle is located in a contact surface a workpiece fixture. A pressure supply line is connected to the measuring nozzle via pressure lines. Separate adjoining modular enclosure components are detachably connected to one another and each is fitted with a connection leading to measuring nozzle. A first enclosure end cover can be connected to a pressure supply unit and a second enclosure end cover is located at a distance from the first enclosure end cover. The first enclosure end cover, the modular enclosure components that adjoin the first enclosure end cover, and the second enclosure end cover that adjoins the modular enclosure components form the overall enclosure 68.

Abstract: A process device couples to a process control loop. The process device receives process signals. A memory in the process device contains a nominal parameter value and a rule. Computing circuitry calculates a statistical parameter of the process signal and operates on the statistical parameter and the stored nominal value based upon the stored rule and responsively provides an event output based upon the operation.

Abstract: An embroidery stitch data producing device with two-way data transmission function is disclosed, wherein a first embroidery stitch data producing part A comprises a connecting means 6, a control means 7, an image data memory 2, a stitch data producing means 3 and a stitch data memory 4, while a second embroidery stitch data producing part B comprises a second image data memory 51, a stitch data producing/compiling means 52 and a second stitch data memory 53. The image data memory 2, the stitch data producing means 3 and the stitch data memory 4 may be connected through the connecting means 6 to the second image data memory 51, the stitch data producing/compiling means 52 and the second stitch data memory 53 so that the data may be exchanged therebetween so as to be variously converted for optional embroider stitching.

Abstract: A mailing list is created including destination addresses for mailpieces to be submitted to a carrier service for delivery. A unique mailpiece identifier associated with mailpieces on the mailing list is generated by the carrier or other trusted third party. The unique mailpiece identifier is printed on the mailpiece with which it is associated. The -mailpieces with the printed unique identifier are submitted to the carrier service. The carrier service obtains the printed unique identifier from the mailpiece. The obtained unique identifier from each said mailpiece is utilized to verify that data associated with the mailpiece has been processed by the carrier or trusted third party. When the unique number has been obtained from the mailpieces, the carrier service, if desired, may note this fact in the carrier records to prevent reuse of the unique identifier.

Abstract: A novel, portable coordinate measuring machine comprises a multijointed (preferably six joints) manually positionable measuring arm for accurately and easily measuring a volume. In addition to the articulated measuring arm, the present invention employs a software interface which permits the arm to be used in connection with one or more applications programs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for vending products where the customer is guided through an interactive process that receives selection criteria from the customer relating to the type of product the customer would like to purchase and uses the customer's selection criteria to determine which products are potentially suitable for the customer's purposes, needs, interests, and tastes and to rank the products based on their suitability to facilitate the customer's final selection of a product. The system includes a computer that is provided with a storage device associated therewith. Products to be vended or data relating to products to be vended are stored in the storage device. The computer is also connected to an input/output (“I/O”) device, a payment device, and a manufacturing device.

Abstract: A central control and management station (10) is provided for automatically creating, loading, modifying and/or checking recorded audio announcements at a plurality of remotely located playback devices (20) of a plurality of vendors in a telecommunications network. The station (10) includes a library of voice files (13), an access database (18) containing machine identification details and access instructions for each of the remotely located playback devices (20), a management unit (11) for receiving requests from vendors to load or modify recorded announcements in the playback devices (20) and a control unit (12) which sends the recorded announcements via loading interfaces (17) to the playback devices (20).

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing system is provided in which chip position information is read without removing resin from a package so that the cause of a failure can be quickly identified and removed and the yield of chips can be rapidly improved. A replacement address reading device reads redundancy addresses from a semiconductor device which is determined as faulty in a test performed after the semiconductor device has been sealed into a package. A chip position analyzing device estimates, from the combination of these redundancy addresses, a lot number, a wafer number and a chip number of the faulty semiconductor device. A failure distribution mapping device maps the distribution of faulty chips in each wafer in the lot based on these numbers thus obtained. A failure cause determining device identifies which manufacturing device or processing step has caused the failures in the wafer process based on the above distribution.

Abstract: Various filter options in the current setpoint channel are available for optimal adjustment of a drive system to an elastomechanical system. The present method permits optimal adjustment of the speed controller through measurement of the speed control system by automatically determining possible parameters for a filter setting which may optionally be necessary. In a simulation calculation in the frequency range which relies on data from the measured system, a check is performed to determine whether the speed controller must be equipped with filters. In addition, the possible control parameters for the gain and the reset time of the speed controller are determined.

Abstract: Described and claimed is a method of controlling a boiler in which control is based on information from a control Matrix applicable to the specific parameters of the boiler. The control matrices include (a) Polymer Based All-in-One Product; (b) Residual Phosphate Polymer Product with Scavenger and Condensate Corrosion Inhibitor Fed Separately; (c) pH/Phosphate Product with Polymer, Scavenger, and Condensate Corrosion Inhibitor Fed Separately; (d) All-Polymer Product with Separate Scavenger and Condensate Corrosion Inhibitor Fed Separately; and (e) pH/Phosphate Polymer Product with Scavenger and Condensate Corrosion Inhibitor Fed Separately.

Abstract: When a molten plastic is molded using a metal mold, sufficient cooling time has to elapse before the metal mold is opened, but this cooling time restricts the production per unit time. If a metal mold is opened without sufficient cooling, the plastic undergoes significant deformation by thermal shrink. If this deformation can be estimated and the metal mold designed so as to make allowance for the anticipated deformation, it will be possible to produce a molding with a shape that is equal to the design dimensions, despite shortening the cooling time. The finite element method is used to obtain the deformation. Mold design can also be performed taking account of the deformation due to the hydrostatic pressure that is produced when the molding is filled with its liquid contents. In addition, as for a portion of an in-mold labelled container which include lamination construction, the deformation due to thermal shrink is not estimated as a container which an in-mold label is not being applied.

Abstract: An apparatus for printing an image on a generally non-absorbent surface of a food item selected from the group consisting of chocolate, cheese and the like or a combination thereof includes a computer allowing an operator to create a unique template for the food item. The apparatus further includes software adjusting a scanned image to the created template and a production line controllably operating a process of making the food product that corresponds to the template. Also, the apparatus has a means for treating the surface of the food item so as to directly print the image on its non-absorbent surface.

Abstract: A method for the accurate transmission of a message between a transmitter and a receiver that are connected to a transmission line supplied by the mains system. The method includes means for distinguishing between errors caused by line attenuation and errors caused by parasitic pulses. Once the cause of the errors is known, messages can be sent at appropriate different transmission rates and, if necessary, synchronously with the frequency of the mains system.

Abstract: A data communications protocol converter for interfacing manufacturing process equipment with a host computer comprises a controller that converts the messages transmitted by the host computer and equipment into messages that meet the protocol of the receiving side. A data acquisition system coupled between the controller and equipment provides a parallel interface to the process equipment and allows the converter to check for/activate logic signals from/to the process equipment. A user interface circuit provides the controller with a user friendly interface that enables the user to set any message parameters and conversation scheme and to interactively communicate with each attached device and edit and re-transmit previously send messages. A software support workstation coupled to the controller through a network provides capability for remote target machine access, software maintenance and configuration modification via the network.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting machining flaws of machine tools mechanically removing material from surfaces, especially of grinding machines, with the help of which the occurrence of machining flaws can be determined directly during the machining of the workpiece itself. This is achieved as far as the method is concerned in that the force exerted by the tool bit upon the workpiece during the machining process is measured as an “actual or momentary” value. This value is then fed to an electronic data processing unit and is compared there with a “nominal” value stored there and obtained from the processing of an unflawed workpiece, the thus obtained values can be documented and used to identify a flawed product.

Abstract: A numerically controlled machine tool which allows the automatic generation of a restoring program for carrying out processing required for the resumption of an NC machining program to resume the execution of the NC machining program after the execution of the NC machining program has been stopped and interrupt processing has been performed. Specifically, even for nesting programs, when the machining program is re-executed from where it had stopped after the execution of the machining program has stopped and the operator has performed optional interrupt processing, the stop-time and re-execution-time machine statuses are compared to automatically generate the restoring program so that the machine status may be returned to the stop-time status, whereby the operator can perform the resumption processing of the machining program without any restrictions.

Abstract: Automatic monitoring system and method for providing an instantaneous tool status indication for a stock removal cutter when cutting workpieces in accordance with a given machining operation for which a substantially new stock removal cutter of the same type has a reference average tool wear coefficient R0. The system includes a torque monitor (7) for measuring a main drive cutting torque M during the cutting of an ith successive workpiece. Coupled to the torque monitor (7), is an instantaneous tool wear coefficient processor (13) for calculating a plurality of instantaneous tool wear coefficients r(j) during the cutting of the ith successive workpiece.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for checking the validity of an item of data stored for access by a first data processor of a data processing network having at least two interconnected data processors. The first data processor provides a second data processor with a copy of an item of data and the second data processor determines whether the item of data is valid. The second data processor then reports to the first data processor on the validity of the item of data so that the first data processor can prevent access to any invalid data.

Abstract: A solid modeler is provided which is specifically tailored for the material removal process associated with milling procedure. The solid modeler permits a part to be designed using only machinable profiles thereby constraining the designer to real world machinable operations. The method utilized by this solid modeler allows design manipulation of the edges and curves of a very general feature profile, thereby representing the milling process with the same degree of flexibility that the actual milling process has, and provides a means to create and store for use in the generation of other parts any combination of 2D and 3D features.