Abstract: A method for determining a characteristic variable for opening and/or closing a flow-through opening of a solenoid valve, in which solenoid valve a solenoid coil is energized to raise an armature to open the flow-through opening for a fluid. During operation of the solenoid valve, a profile of a current in the solenoid coil being determined, and using a pattern recognition method based on artificial intelligence, the characteristic variable(s) is/are determined based on at least one section of the profile or a profile derived therefrom using a neural network. A method for applying and for training a pattern recognition method based on artificial intelligence are also described.

Abstract: A method for processing at least one information item in a networked system to yield a result, the at least one information item, which encompasses a value and a validity of the value, being transferred from at least one source of the system to a receiver of the system, an interim data set having at least two variables being used, of which a first variable is allocated to the value of the at least one information item, and a further variable is allocated to the validity of the value, and at least one evaluating step being carried out in the receiver, using the value and the validity, in order to determine a resultant data set having a resultant value and a resultant validity as a result of the processing of the at least one information item.

Abstract: A control unit for a machine includes a processor and a memory for program instructions and parameter values. A first portion of the program instructions defines a first process which accesses the parameter values in order to ascertain control information and to transmit same to the machine, and a second portion defines a second process which evaluates the quality of the application data, and either permits or prevents the execution of the first process based on the evaluation results. The second process checks whether the value of at least one first physical parameter specified by the application data is valid and does not permit execution of the first process using these application data unless the value of the parameter has been determined to be valid.