Apparatus for controlling multiple time-varying processes
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling multiple time-varying processes comprising:
- a plurality of processes 1 through N to be controlled and being configured so as to generate data z1 through zN corresponding to each of said plurality of processes;
an electronic data selector operatively connected to said plurality of processes and being configured to respond to a sequencer signal so as to route a selected one zi of the data z1 through zN to the output thereof;
first means operatively connected at its input to the output of said electronic data selector for estimating the values x1 through xN of the data z1 through zN of each one of said plurality of processes 1 through N as well as measuring of the uncertainties p1 through pN in each of the estimates, said first means being configured to output at one output the uncertainties p1 through pN and to output at another output the largest xi (est) of the estimated values x1 through xN ;
a data sequencer operatively connected at its input to the one output of said first means and at its output to said electronic data selector, said data sequencer being configured to compare the uncertainties p1 through pN for each estimate x1 through xN so as to select the greatest uncertainty pi, the greatest uncertainty pi then being used to generate the sequencer signal at the output of said data sequencer; and
second means operatively connected to the another output of said first means, to said data sequencer and to said plurality of processes 1 through N to be controlled for controlling the appropriate one of said plurality of processes 1 through N as a function of the largest estimated value xi (est) and a reference value x(ref) as controlled by said data sequencer.
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Abstract
An apparatus for and a method of controlling multiple time varying proces by a central control device through a use of an adaptive data acquisition scheme is disclosed. A state estimator is used to extrapolate the current state of each control process as well as an estimate of the uncertainty of each state estimate. The state whose uncertainty is greatest is selected. The selected process is then measured, estimated, and a control variable calculated. Use of this selection criteria allows a single control device to effectively control more time varying processes then if the controls had been determined by a controller using a fixed sampling rate. Statistics for each process are updated with each measurement in order to compensate for the time/varying nature of the processes.
61 Citations
5 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling multiple time-varying processes comprising:
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a plurality of processes 1 through N to be controlled and being configured so as to generate data z1 through zN corresponding to each of said plurality of processes; an electronic data selector operatively connected to said plurality of processes and being configured to respond to a sequencer signal so as to route a selected one zi of the data z1 through zN to the output thereof; first means operatively connected at its input to the output of said electronic data selector for estimating the values x1 through xN of the data z1 through zN of each one of said plurality of processes 1 through N as well as measuring of the uncertainties p1 through pN in each of the estimates, said first means being configured to output at one output the uncertainties p1 through pN and to output at another output the largest xi (est) of the estimated values x1 through xN ; a data sequencer operatively connected at its input to the one output of said first means and at its output to said electronic data selector, said data sequencer being configured to compare the uncertainties p1 through pN for each estimate x1 through xN so as to select the greatest uncertainty pi, the greatest uncertainty pi then being used to generate the sequencer signal at the output of said data sequencer; and second means operatively connected to the another output of said first means, to said data sequencer and to said plurality of processes 1 through N to be controlled for controlling the appropriate one of said plurality of processes 1 through N as a function of the largest estimated value xi (est) and a reference value x(ref) as controlled by said data sequencer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification