Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120323343 | VIRTUAL SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD - A control system is disclosed. The control system may have a physical sensor configured to measure physical parameter values of a machine. The control system may also have a virtual sensor network system configured to receive the physical parameter values measured by the physical sensor as input parameter values, and generate output parameter values based on the input parameter values. Further, the control system may have an electronic control module configured to store an output parameter value default rate of change and an output parameter value threshold rate of change, compare a rate of change of the output parameter values generated by the virtual sensor network system to the output parameter value threshold rate of change, and control the machine based on the output parameter value default rate of change if the rate of change of the output parameter values exceeds the output parameter value threshold rate of change. | 12-20-2012 |
20130173028 | Systems and Methods for Extending Physical Sensor Range Using Virtual Sensors - A control system is disclosed. The control system may have a physical sensor that may output a physical output value, and a virtual sensor network that may output a virtual output value. The control system may also have an electronic control module that may be configured to receive the physical output value from the physical sensor and receive the virtual output value from the virtual sensor. The electronic control module may be further configured to determine a trust level of the physical sensor based on the physical output value, and determine that the trust level of the physical sensor is below a first threshold trust value. The electronic control module may control a machine based on the virtual output value responsive to determining that the trust level of the physical sensor is below the first threshold trust value. | 07-04-2013 |
20130204659 | Systems and Methods for Forecasting Using Business Goals - A characteristic forecasting system is disclosed. The characteristic forecasting system may have a memory module and a processor. The memory module may store instructions, that, when executed, enable the processor to determine a forecast function that includes one or more variables and represents forecasted characteristics of the target item. The processor may also be enabled to implement a genetic algorithm to generate one or more chromosomes having a data value for each of the variables of the forecast function, determine a chromosome value for at least one of the chromosomes that is based on a goal function including one or more measurable business goals. Moreover, the processor may be further enabled to select a chromosome from among the one or more chromosomes based on the chromosome value, and forecast the characteristics of the target item using the selected chromosome. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204660 | Systems and Methods for Forecasting Using an Attenuated Forecast Function - A characteristic forecasting system is disclosed. The characteristic forecasting system may have a memory module and a processor. The memory module may store instructions, that, when executed, enable the processor to generate a forecast function that represents forecasted characteristics of a target item and includes one or more continuous functions and one or more attenuating functions. Each of the attenuating functions may attenuate forecast values generated by the continuous functions at periodic time intervals. The processor may also be enabled to forecast the characteristics of the target item using the forecast function. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204661 | Systems and Methods For Selectively Updating Forecast Data - A characteristic forecasting system is disclosed. The characteristic forecasting system may have a memory module and a processor. The memory module may store instructions, that, when executed, enable the processor to generate forecast data for a target item based on historical data related to the target item, the forecast data representing a forecast for characteristics of the target item. The processor may also be enabled to analyze a subset of the historical data within an observation window to determine whether the forecast data should be updated with new forecast data and generate the new forecast data for the target item responsive to a determination that the forecast data should be updated with the new forecast data. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204662 | Systems and Methods For Forecasting Using Modulated Data - A characteristic forecasting system is disclosed. The characteristic forecasting system may have a memory module and a processor. The memory module may store instructions, that, when executed, enable the processor to collect historical data associated with characteristics of a target item, and modulate the historical data with a modulator signal. The processor may also be enabled to determine an intermediary function that includes one or more variables, and implement a genetic algorithm to determine a data value for each of the variables of the intermediary function. Moreover, the processor may be enabled to solve the intermediary function using the data values determined by the genetic algorithm, and generate a forecast function representing forecasted characteristics of the target item by subtracting the modulator signal from the intermediary function. | 08-08-2013 |
20130204817 | Systems and Methods For Forecasting Using Process Constraints - A characteristic forecasting system is disclosed. The characteristic forecasting system may have a memory and a processor. The memory may store instructions, that, when executed, enable the processor to generate at least one chromosome using a genetic algorithm, the chromosome including data values for variables of one or more equations used to generate forecast data for a target item. The processor may also be enabled to calculate a chromosome value for the chromosome based on a goal function associated with the genetic algorithm and determine at least one process parameter value for the chromosome at a time interval of the forecast data. The processor may also compare the process parameter value to a process constraint value representing a process limitation associated with the target item and modify the chromosome value for the chromosome responsive to a determination that the process parameter value does not satisfy the process constraint value. | 08-08-2013 |
20140012791 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SENSOR ERROR DETECTION AND COMPENSATION - A sensor error detection and compensation system is disclosed. The system may have a sensor state estimation module that is configured to generate a physical sensor confidence value representing an accuracy estimation of a physical sensor output value received from a physical sensor. The system may also have a sensor output aggregation module configured to determine an aggregated sensor value based on the physical sensor confidence value, the physical sensor output value, a virtual sensor output value received from a virtual sensor, and a virtual sensor confidence value representing an accuracy estimation of the virtual sensor output value. Moreover, the system may have a replace sensor decision module configured to determine whether the physical sensor has failed by comparing the physical sensor confidence value to a replacement threshold level. | 01-09-2014 |
20140046637 | Facility Design and Management Systems Using Topology Mapping - A computer-implemented method for simulating movement of materials within a facility using predefined software objects is disclosed. The method includes storing a plurality of predefined software objects in a computer memory, each of the predefined software objects including one or more discrete event simulator commands and representing a process performed at a facility. The method also includes receiving, by one or more processors, an instruction to simulate movement of a material within a facility, and linking, by the one or more processors, two or more of the predefined software objects together to represent the movement of the material within the facility. The method further includes executing, by the one or more processors, the linked predefined software objects using a discrete event simulator to simulate the movement of the material within the facility. | 02-13-2014 |
20140046733 | Facility Design and Management Systems For Achieving Business Goals - A computer-implemented method for simulating a facility to achieve one or more business goals is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a processor, one or more input parameters for a discrete event simulator (DES) module for a facility, a plurality of business goals for the facility, and a selection of a goal optimization technique. The method also includes generating, by the processor, a DES output that simulates processes occurring within the facility based on the one or more input parameters and simultaneously achieves the business goals in accordance with the selected goal optimization technique. | 02-13-2014 |
20140324534 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORECASTING USING CUSTOMER PREFERENCE PROFILES - A computer-implemented method for forecasting characteristics of a target item is disclosed. The method may include determining a forecast function representing characteristics of the target item. The forecast function may include one or more generic functions and one or more customer-specific functions. Each one of the generic functions may be uniform for a plurality of customers within one or more customer groups and may have one or more generic function variables. Each one of the customer-specific functions may be specifically configured for a corresponding customer group and may have one or more customer-specific function variables. The method may also include determining a data value for each one of the generic function variables and the customer-specific function variables by using a genetic algorithm. The method may further include forecasting the characteristics of the target item by using the forecast function and the determined data values. | 10-30-2014 |
20140350991 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOGISTICS NETWORK MANAGEMENT - A method for managing a logistics network is disclosed. The method may include receiving, by a processor, historical demand data representing historical demand for an item at each one of a plurality of facilities associated with the logistics network, the plurality of facilities including at least one manufacturing facility and at least one distributing facility; forecasting future demand data representing a forecasted future demand for the item at each one of the plurality of facilities based on the respective historical demand data and one or more respective business goals for each facility; adjusting the future demand data at each one of the facilities by compensating for a shipping time delay associated with shipping the item from a supplier to the facility; and combining the adjusted future demand data at each one of the facilities to generate combined future demand data representing demand for the item at the supplier. | 11-27-2014 |
20150039375 | SUPPLY CHAIN OPTIMIZATION METHOD AND SYSTEM - A computer-implemented method for managing a supply chain including a plurality of supply chain entities is disclosed. The method may include determining a plurality of input parameters for modeling the supply chain. Each input parameter has a plurality of input parameter values within a plausible range. The method may also include determining a plurality of candidate network structures, and determining a business goal value for each candidate network structure based on a plurality of possible input combinations of the input parameter values. The method may further include determining a statistical distribution of the business goal values for each network structure. | 02-05-2015 |