Abstract: A method and apparatus for regulating Internet or Intranet access to selected functions of a machine controller based upon a user network address.

Abstract: A predictive failure system for a power delivery system. The power delivery system includes a number of modules which are interconnected to a system monitor. The system monitor collects data on operating parameters of each module and environmental parameters. The system monitor analyzes the data in order to define conditions based upon the parameters. The parameters are then applied against a set of rules to determine whether a warning or a fault indicator should be generated. The system monitor may be implemented locally as part of the power delivery system or may be located remotely from the power delivery system to enable off site data collection and analysis.

Abstract: A method for automatically configuring a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system using an as-built drawing. The electronic as-built file is scanned for devices selected from a menu. A list is compiled of selected devices, including location and relational information for each device. Selected graphical information from the electronic as-built file is then converted into a preferred SCADA graphical user interface.

Abstract: A fuzzy data record pointer is utilized for identification of both a target file and a target data record within the target file. A target data record is accessed from a target file, selected from a set of N related files, utilizing a fuzzy data record pointer (“fuzzy”, as used herein, means that the data record pointer need not be coincident with the actual data record address). A modulus for the data record pointer divided by N is computed. This modulus is used to select the target file. A data record address is computed for the target data record utilizing the data record pointer and modulus. In this manner a fuzzy data record pointer is utilized to determine both the target file from a set of N related files and the target data record to be accessed within the target file.

Abstract: A novel sales system of complex products whose configuration is designed based on the customer requirements provides method steps for generating guarantee offers. A value of the guarantee criterion for the complex product (such as product availability) can be evaluated only after the complex product configuration is determined. For each combination of the customer requirements, a system configuration and a corresponding value of the guarantee criterion is generated. Then, this value is used for the customer remedy calculations.

Abstract: A neural network for predicting values in non-linear functional mappings having a single hidden layer function generator (12) and an output layer (40). The single hidden layer function generator (12) is operable to receive one or more mapping inputs (x1) and generate a plurality of terms (14) from each mapping input. The plurality of terms generated by the single hidden layer function generator (12) includes at least one trigonometric term selected from the group comprising sin(x1), sin(2x1), sin(3x1), cos(x1), cos(2xl), cos(3xl), cosec(xl), cotan(xl), and being free of Gaussian and Sigmoidal terms.

Abstract: A method for controlling a decisional process when pursuing an overall aim in a specific field of application, such as economic, technical, organisational or similar, which is automated by the placing in relation, according to rules and strategies predetermined in accordance with the overall aim of at least one knowledge object reflecting a point of view of the field of application and comprising an item of information interpreted as an alarm sign for the decisional process with other knowledge objects reflecting other points of view or other fonctional competencies of the same field of application or of other fields.

Abstract: The systems and the methods relating to process control optimizations systems useful to manage oilfield hydrocarbon production. The systems and the methods utilize intelligent software objects which exhibit automatic adaptive optimization behavior. The systems and the methods can be used to automatically manage hydrocarbon production in accordance with one or more production management goals using one or more adaptable software models of the production processes.

Abstract: A test system for testing a controller provides a way to use large numbers of miniature mobile robots to test a cooperative search controller in a test area, where each mobile robot has a sensor, a communication device, a processor, and a memory. A method of using a test system provides a way for testing a cooperative search controller using multiple robots sharing information and communicating over a communication network.

Abstract: An intelligent control method for injection machine is to transplant the intelligent control and prediction techniques of a neural network to an injection machine, which has been exemplified capable of deciding the quasi best machine parameters rapidly in couple processing cycles for increasing yield with least loss, and for detecting and adjusting conditions until a desired operation environment is obtained.

Abstract: A robot with multi-joint arms, wherein articulated first and second arms 9, 10 are movable in a horizontal plane as well as in a vertical direction, the second arm having a free end to which a supplementary unit A is removably connected, the supplementary unit A including a joint member 17 adjustably connected to the free end of the second arm 10 and a working member 18 removable connected to the joint member 17. The working member 18 has a predetermined length Lx which determines the effective length L2 of the second arm 10, and wherein the data representing the effective length L2 of the second arm is entered to renew the existing effective length of the second arm to produce new data representing the value of the newly entered effective length L2 of the second arm 10, the new data being employed to calculate out the value to control the operations of the first and second arms 9, 10.

Abstract: An N-dimensional material planning method for evaluating supplier material policy includes steps for storing supplier characterization data in a N-dimensional data space, and evaluating the supplier characterization data using predetermined rules to thereby generate at least one of a current policy assessment and a recommended policy goal. Moreover, the method includes a further step for analyzing the predetermined rules upon which the at least one of the current policy assessment and the recommended policy goal are based. According to an aspect of the present invention, the evaluating step uses predetermined rules including binary rules and weighting rules to generate the at least one of the current policy assessment and the recommended policy goal, where the binary rules have precedence over the weighting rules. A computer system and a storage medium for carrying out and storing computer readable instructions, respectively, pertaining to the N-dimensional material planning method are also described.

Abstract: Method of simultaneously carrying out manufacturing and product engineering integrated with knowledge networking.

Abstract: A district heat supply plant controller for efficiently and flexibly obtaining operation plans of a district heat supply plant includes a plant operation planning device responsive to a predicted thermal load value for a current day predicted by a thermal load prediction device to determine an operation plan of the district heat supply plant. The plant operation planning device has a genetic algorithm executing device applying genetic algorithms onto an individual having rows of genes representing ON/OFF states in each time unit by 1/0 for each of the heat source devices. In the plant operation planning device, a mathematical programming executing device 4 uses an operation plan obtained by the genetic algorithm executing device 3 as its initial value to determine the operation plan of the district heat supply plant 20.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a dynamic nonlinear plant. An input signal controls the plant and an output signal represents a state of the plant in response to the received input signal. A memory stores input and output signals corresponding to m consecutive past states of the plant. A computer neural network predicts a set of future output states representative of the output signal corresponding to the next n consecutive future states of the plant in response to a set of trial control inputs. The trial control inputs represent the input signal corresponding to the next n consecutive future states of the plant. The neural network predicts the future output states based on the past input and output signals and the future trial control inputs. A processor generates the trial control inputs and determines a performance index, indicative of plant performance over time in response to the trial control inputs, as a function of the future output states.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring an industrial process and/or industrial data source. The system includes generating time varying data from industrial data sources, processing the data to obtain time correlation of the data, determining the range of data, determining learned states of normal operation and using these states to generate expected values, comparing the expected values to current actual values to identify a current state of the process closest to a learned, normal state; generating a set of modeled data, and processing the modeled data to identify a data pattern and generating an alarm upon detecting a deviation from normalcy.

Abstract: GPAE is a dynamic and generic object-oriented process automation engine that provides workflow management (WFM) services in a heterogeneous distributed computing environment. This invention decouples process definitions, run-time process management, and process execution agents. The system consists of three major parts: (a) a build time part used to capture and store process definitions, and to request the enactment of a process; (b) a run time part used to schedule, execute, and monitor the requested process; (c) a CORBA bus to plug-in software applications needed to execute processes, and to allow interactions among the system components. This GPAE invention, based on CORBA, and event-driven and constraint propagation models, provides near optimal scheduling and resource allocation schemes. This invention is generic, scalable, flexible, and enables the process automation in a distributed heterogeneous platform environment, while sharing global resources and services efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to process control optimization systems which utilize an adaptive optimization software system comprising goal seeking intelligent software objects; the goal seeking intelligent software objects further comprise internal software objects which include expert system objects, adaptive models objects, optimizer objects, predictor objects, sensor objects, and communication translation objects. The goal seeking intelligent software objects can be arranged in a hierarchical relationship whereby the goal seeking behavior of each intelligent software object can be modified by goal seeking intelligent software objects higher in the hierarchical structure. The goal seeking intelligent software objects can also be arranged in a relationship which representationally corresponds to the controlled process' flow of materials or data.

Abstract: A method of storing data in an internal storage device included in a process controller for controlling a molding machine divides storage areas of the internal storage device hierarchically into a molding condition data storage area for storing molding condition data specific to a product or an operating environment, a changeable machine data storage area for storing changeable machine data specific to the molding machine and necessary for setting operating conditions and subject to change when necessary, and an unchangeable machine data storage area for storing unchangeable machine data specific to the molding machine. The molding condition data storage area, the changeable machine data storage area, and the unchangeable machine data storage area can selectively be initialized individually or in an optional combination.

Abstract: A deadband control assistant, operating as part of a control system, eliminates oscillation of a controlled process output around a desired setpoint. The deadband control defines a deadband range, and steady-state-stabilization-time for the process being controlled. When the process output is within the deadband range and oscillation around the setpoint occurs for the steady-state-stabilization-time, the error is set to zero. The control signal may simultaneously be set, or may settle to a fixed value. The deadband control assistant thus allows the process output to stabilize as close as possible to the desired setpoint. Normal process control may resume once the process output strays outside the deadband range.