Abstract: A modular multi-axis motion control and driving system includes a control board having a DSP and Flash ROM; a plurality of driver boards connected to the control board though a bus, each board including a FPGA device and a plurality of MOSFET power amplifiers; a computer, connected to the control board provides a graphic user interface through which motor setting, current and position control loop tuning and diagnostic may be performed. A DSP program, system parameters and FPGA configuration file are stored in the Flash ROM. At startup the DSP automatically executes loader firmware transferring the DSP program from the Flash ROM to the DSP. The DSP reads the FPGA configuration file and configures the FPGA in each driver board simultaneously. The control program then loops to perform system diagnose, network service and check command queue, while the current and position controls are implemented in an interrupt service.

Abstract: Method and system for optimizing plant production in a cost effective manner. System (100) includes a processor (102) in communication with resource controllers (110, 112) for controlling resources (106, 108) such as, for example, lighting and carbon dioxide. Each resource has a cost that varies temporally or with other factors. The processor implements an algorithm that receives a desired plant production rate and other input, such as operating conditions of the system and environment, and determines amounts of each resource to expend consistent with plant production goals and resource costs.

Abstract: A system for finding a solution to a constrained optimization problem is disclosed. The system uses a mathematical formulation describing the constrained optimization problem. A transformer builds a specific function using the mathematical formulation, variables; an objective function; at least one constraint; a class of transformation functions with a predefined set of properties; and Lagrange multipliers. The specific function may include a nonlinear resealing part; and an augmented Lagrangian part. An iterative solver uses the specific function, and Lagrange multipliers to generate a solution.

Abstract: A plastics processing machine, in particular injection molding machine or extruder, includes at least one component represented by a clamping unit, feed and metering apparatus, plasticizing unit, injection unit, or separate injection apparatus, and characterized by specific parameters for carrying out at least one working or process step. A control device is connected to the at least one component and configured to control the at least one component, with the component-specific parameters being useable in the control device for control of the component. Provided for the component is a separate memory device in which the component-specific parameters are stored and can be transmitted to the control device prior to or upon startup of operation of the component.

Abstract: A controller is disclosed for control operations in underground mining, especially for controllers to control support shields. The controller utilizes a central unit with a microprocessor and assigned, programmable memory devices for the storage and processing of software as well as a connector unit with connectors or circuits for communication between the controller and other controllers and/or actuators, sensors or the like, that are to be controlled with the controller. Both the central unit and the connector unit utilize a modular design. A collection of modules with different performances and/or functionalities are provided for both the central unit and the connector unit to form the hardware of a controller. The modules can be combined with one another and coupled together according to a modular concept.

Abstract: An interface module is proposed, to which sensors are connected and which is positioned in a control device, it being indicated via an identification input how the sensor data are to be classified by the interface module. In particular, this can be used to distinguish between safety-relevant and safety-irrelevant data. Furthermore, the nature of the data can be identified therewith. This identification input is advantageously designed as a voltage input, the voltage levels being then converted into a bit sequence. The identification input is connected to ground via a resistor, so that, in the case of an unspecified input potential, the voltage level is connected to ground. The interface module has a logic circuit to which voltage comparators are connected, which compare the voltages to reference potentials, and then the logic circuit performs a coding using the bit sequences, as a function of the output signals of the voltage comparators.

Abstract: A method and a system for the automated control of a technical installation (2) having a plurality of installation components (4) that are interconnected by data transmission in order to carry out process steps. Control commands (S) which are generated by a central control device (6) are fed to these components in accordance with process control signals (P) that are sent to the device. Process control signals (P) that are generated in a mobile operator unit (12) are wirelessly transmitted to interfaces (14) and are forwarded by the latter to the control device (6). The installation components (4) for which the system considers the process control signals (P) received from the mobile operator unit (12) during the generation of the corresponding control commands (S) are released using a local characteristic value (O) for the mobile operator unit (12).

Abstract: A network administration system for automatically activating and deactivating dynamic rule sets in response to receipt of error logs from network devices and applications, comprising a user interface for manually activating and deactivating rule sets having defined rule set criteria and for associating rule set activation keys with the rule sets, wherein said activation keys associate changes in status of the dynamic rule sets, and a program for receiving the error logs and for each of the rule sets in connection with which activation keys have been associated and whose criteria have been satisfied by the error logs, reading the activation keys and one of either activating or deactivating the dynamic rule sets in accordance with the associated changes in status.

Abstract: An apparatus for optimizing orientation of a workpiece in a planermill for feeding of the workpiece into a planer includes an infeed to the planer, a workpiece turner for selectively turning the workpiece end-for-end upstream of the planer on the infeed a workpiece flipper for selectively flipping the workpiece one hundred eighty degrees about a longitudinal axis of the workpiece upstream of the planer on the infeed, a scanner on the infeed upstream of the workpiece turner and workpiece flipper for detecting defects on the workpiece, a processor cooperating with the scanner, the workpiece turner and the workpiece flipper for optimizing the orientation of the workpiece relative to status and actively translatable cutterheads in the planer.

Abstract: A remote operation management system for commercial appliances is provided. The system includes a user interface for authorizing use of an appliance and a dedicated appliance controller coupled to the user interface and the appliance for controlling operation of the appliance. An appliance communication controller is coupled to the user interface over an appliance communication connection, and an external host controller is coupled to the appliance communication controller over a host communication connection. The external host controller is configured to communicate a message for the appliance to the appliance communication controller. A remote management system is coupled to the external host controller and configured to control a function of the appliance.

Abstract: The process for the on-line characterization of a surface in motion, preferably a galvannealed sheet, essentially comprises an industrial microscope associated with a stroboscopic laser illumination device, a positioning assembly, an assembly for acquiring and processing images. The obtained view fields vary between 125 ?m and 2000 ?m in width, the spatial resolution is at least 0.5 ?m, and the focussing of the system is precise to a micrometer. The images are taken on a product moving at a speed of between 1 m/s and 20 m/s and are frozen by the use of a stroboscopic illumination device with a duration of illumination of at least 10 ns. The obtained images are processed in several steps. A background average level is first of all regularly evaluated in order to be eliminated from each current image. The processed image is then divided into several zones. The sharpness of each zone is evaluated and stored in memory.

Abstract: In a speed control system, there are provided a speed observer compensator (10) for inputting a difference between a speed VM of a mechanical system (5) and an estimated value VMO of a speed of the mechanical system (5) which is obtained by a speed observer (6) and outputting a speed difference VM?VMO based on the input, and a mechanical system model (8) for inputting a sum of an output of the speed observer compensator (10) and an output Tro of a PI controller (2), and the speed observer (6) is constituted in such a manner that the signal VMO produced after a passage of an output of the mechanical system model (8) through a filter delay element model (11) and a dead time delay element model (12) is equal to the speed VM of the mechanical system (5), and the output of the mechanical system model (8) is set to be a speed feedback signal Vf of the speed control system.

Abstract: A method and system for selecting and presenting questions to users is provided. The method and system provides for a decision-tree architecture that functionally changes form as users traverse the tree, depending on the responses provided by the users.

Abstract: A data management system stores and visualizes data generated during process management. The data management system provides different data management services and definitions of these are stored in a database. Management of data in this database is carried out by a collection of software agents, one of which, the management information agent, can access, update and download data in or from the database. Stored separately are graphical user interfaces which are downloaded to a user in accordance with the relevant service definition stored in the database when the user requests a particular data access service.

Abstract: Multiple virtual processes are each associated with a unique virtual process identifier. For each virtual process, a separate initialization process is started, from which all other processes included in the virtual process originate. The initialization process is associated with the appropriate virtual process identifier. System calls that create new processes are intercepted, and created processes are associated with the virtual process identifier of the appropriate initialization process. Multiple virtual processes are provided on a single, physical computer system.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for predicting process results of objects being processed in a processing chamber of a processing apparatus, operation data and process result data obtained at the time of processing each of the objects are collected and a multivariate analysis is performed on the basis of the collected operation data and process result data to obtain a first correlation therebetween. Process results are predicted on the basis of the first correlation. Weighting coefficients for the respective operation data are set on the basis of the predicted process results. A second correlation between the weighted operation data and the process result data is obtained by a multivariate analysis. Process results are predicted by using operation data, obtained when objects other than the objects used to obtain the second correlation are processed, on the basis of the second correlation.

Abstract: A method for programming a failsafe control system comprises the steps of defining logical interconnections between input signals of the failsafe control system and of assigning interconnection products to output signals of the failsafe control system. The steps of defining and assigning take place on the basis of predefined function-specific program modules, which are selected from a set of such program modules.

Abstract: A computer program that indicates lexical impact of various words in a text and provides various statistics relating to lexical impact of the text. Also, a ranked thesaurus for listing alternative words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, related), along with an indication of their relative lexical impact (item 141). The thesaurus may alternatively rank words according to ranking system.

Abstract: Let us consider a plurality of input patterns having an essential characteristic in common but which differ on at least one parameter (this parameter modifies the input pattern in some extent but not this essential characteristic for a specific application). During the learning phase, each input pattern is normalized in a normalizer, before it is presented to a classifier. If not recognized, it is learned, i.e. the normalized pattern is stored in the classifier as a prototype with its category associated thereto. From a predetermined reference value of that parameter, the normalizer computes an element related to said parameter which allows to set the normalized pattern from the input pattern and vice versa to retrieve the input pattern from the normalized pattern. As a result, all these input patterns are represented by the same normalized pattern. The above method and circuits allow to reduce the number of required prototypes in the classifier, improving thereby its response quality.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide apparatus and method for determining non-circular figure to drill boring holes having a regular N-polygonal cross sections while retaining the advantage of the turning operation. For boring a boring hole (H) with a cross-sectional shape of a regular N-polygon having vertexes of N in number, a boring tool (T) having a cross-sectional shape of a regular (N?1)-polygon which is inscribed on the regular N-polygon of the boring hole is driven to rotate at a certain rotational speed around its center (G) and revolve at a certain revolving speed along a circle (R) which is concentric to the boring hole center (0) and has a certain radius. The boring tool (T) may be replaced with a jet of fluid. A boring tool (T) with a regular (N+1)-polygonal contour may be used instead.