Patents Examined by Sunray R Chang
  • Patent number: 7451003
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system for real-time monitoring, validation, optimization and predictive fault analysis in a process control system. The invention monitors process operations by continuously analyzing sensor measurements and providing predictive alarms using models of normal process operation and statistical parameters corresponding to normal process data, and generating secondary residual process models. The invention allows for the creation of a fault analyzer directly from linearly independent models of normal process operation, and provides for automatic generation from such process models of linearly dependent process models. Fuzzy logic is used in various fault situations to compute certainty factors to identify faults and/or validate underlying assumptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Falconeer Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Daniel L. Chester, Stephen L. Daniel, Richard J. Fickelscherer, Douglas H. Lenz
  • Patent number: 7447554
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for developing and using a high-speed adaptive multivariable controller by removing the dynamics of the PID controllers from a Model Predictive Controller that was developed using identification testing of a process. The resulting multivariable controller, based on final control elements as the manipulated variables is then used in a novel control adaptation with all of the PID controllers switched to manual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Cutler Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Charles R. Cutler
  • Patent number: 7444192
    Abstract: Reactive replenishable device management comprises receiving device measurement data from at least one device, updating one or more device usage profiles associated with the at least one device, and if an analysis of the one or more device usage profiles indicates usage of the at least one device is sub-optimal, performing one or more of: controlling at least one of an attribute or an operation of the at least one device, issuing one or more device management recommendations to a user of the at least one device, and issuing one or more user alerts to the user. The at least one device comprises at least one of one or more replenishable devices, one or more replenishers associated with the one or more replenishable devices, and one or more other devices associated with the one or more replenishable devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Aerovironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Blake Dickinson, Lisa Lei Horiuchi, Nathaniel Jordan Ramer
  • Patent number: 7444187
    Abstract: A controlling device for controlling lighting parameters is connected to a number of lamps and includes a controlling member which is placed on a contact surface by a user. Lighting parameters of each lamp are determined based on the position of the controlling member on the contact surface. This enables the user to control the lighting parameters simply by controlling the position of the controlling member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Elmo Marcus Attila Diederiks, Josephus Hubertus Eggen, Jasper Ivo Van Kuijk
  • Patent number: 7440807
    Abstract: A system configuration can evaluate the stability of an output from a user's control system including all effects of unknown dynamic characteristics and disturbances and can guarantee the stability of the output from the user's control system irrespective of the unknown dynamic characteristics and the disturbances. The control system is provided with a virtual power monitor and is thereby provided with a function of evaluation and analyzing the stability of an object to be controlled, and is such that in a user's control system the user's controlled object is controlled by the user's control strategy. Included is a conservative control strategy which receives a feedback signal from the user's controlled object and can input a control input to the user's controlled object; and a virtual power monitor which monitors power virtually transmitted from the conservative control strategy to the user's controlled object, and can evaluate the stability of an output from the user's control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: The Ritsumeikan Trust
    Inventors: Katsuya Kanaoka, Tsuneo Yoshikawa
  • Patent number: 7421301
    Abstract: A control system and a method of using the same for an electric machine having a random number generating module generating a random number ranging from a first value to a second value, a multiplying module multiplying the random number and a sample rate to generate an random delay value; and a delay limiter module limiting the random delay value as a function of speed of the electric machine and generating a limited delay value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Steven E. Schulz, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Patent number: 7415312
    Abstract: A process module tuning method characterizes a process module by gathering data using a process condition measuring device to measure process outputs while inputs are excited. The data is used to identify a dynamic process model. The dynamic process model is then be used to determine process input settings that will produce desired outputs. For multi-zone process modules, the interactions between zones may be modeled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2008
    Inventors: James R. Barnett, Jr., Mark K. Ekblad, Jeffrey M. Parker
  • Patent number: 7406353
    Abstract: An automation system for programming appliances having programmable controllers, programmable devices and trigger devices that communicate over a communication link. The user programs the programmable devices by placing the programmable controller in its training mode, activating the trigger device to generate a trigger signed and places select programmable devices in their programmed state. After all of the desired programmable devices have been put in then programmed states, the user takes the programmable controller out of its training mode. When the programmable controller is out of its training mode, it monitors the communication link for the trigger event. Upon detecting the trigger event, the programmable controller sends messages to the selected programmable devices instructing them to go to their programmed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ameritech Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond W. Bennett
  • Patent number: 7395122
    Abstract: Content is generated on a host system based on real-time data from a controlled process collected over an internet from a customer's client machine tool control system. The real-time data is captured from the client machine tool by downloading software that manipulates controller functionality to perform a data capture trace predefined events and triggers. The captured data is retrieved by the host, which may generate content based on the data, or provide selective, authorized access to the data by others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Volker Kreidler, Knut Lagies, Wolfgang Mutscheller, Michael Kaever, Stephan Greff, Rainer Dirnfeldner