Statistical determination of power-circuit connectivity

• US 9,135,577 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: El-Essawy, Wael R., Ferreira, Alexandre P., Keller, Thomas W. Jr., Nassif, Sani R., Rajamani, Karthick, Rubio, Juan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/648,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 702/64, 702/66, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/00 Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor G01R7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for statistical determination of power circuit connectivity based on signal detection in a circuit. Signal data from the circuit gathered and a determination is made as to whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data. The statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range. The confidence range is compared to a first threshold and a second threshold. A determination is made that the signal is present in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold. A determination is made that the signal is not present in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for statistical determination of power circuit connectivity based on signal detection in a circuit, comprising:

gathering signal data from the circuit; and

determining whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data, wherein the statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range and comparing the confidence range to a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein a determination that the signal is present is made in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold, and wherein a determination that the signal is not present is made in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a lower bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is present.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a higher bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is not present.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a lower bound of the confidence range being below the first threshold and responsive to the higher bound of the confidence range being above the second threshold, determining whether the mean current value is higher than an average of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

responsive to the mean current value being higher than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicating that the signal is probably present.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a current confidence;

determining a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicating a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the mean current value being lower than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicating that the signal is probably not present.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a current confidence;

determining a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicating a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a lower bound of the confidence range being below the first threshold and responsive to the higher bound of the confidence range being above the second threshold, determining whether the mean current value is higher than an average of the first threshold and the second threshold;

responsive to the mean current value being higher than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, determining a first confidence that the signal is probably not present;

responsive to the mean current value being lower than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, determining a second confidence that the signal is probably not present;

responsive to the first confidence being higher than the second confidence, indicating that the signal is present; and

responsive to the second confidence being higher than the first confidence, indicating that the signal is not present.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

gather signal data from the circuit; and

determine whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data, wherein the statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range and comparing the confidence range to a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein a determination that the signal is present is made in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold, and wherein a determination that the signal is not present is made in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein a lower bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is present and wherein a higher bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is not present.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

responsive to a lower bound of the confidence range being below the first threshold and responsive to the higher bound of the confidence range being above the second threshold, determine whether the mean current value is higher than an average of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

responsive to the mean current value being higher than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicate that the signal is probably present.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

determine a current confidence;

determine a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicate a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

responsive to the mean current value being lower than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicate that the signal is probably not present.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

determine a current confidence;

determine a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicate a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

gather signal data from the circuit; and

determine whether a signal of interest is present in the gathered signal data from the circuit using a statistical analysis of the gathered signal data, wherein the statistical analysis comprises using a mean current value and statistical deviation of the current value of the signal data over a predetermined period of time to compute a confidence range and comparing the confidence range to a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein a determination that the signal is present is made in response to the confidence range being above the first threshold, and wherein a determination that the signal is not present is made in response to the confidence range being below the second threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a lower bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is present and wherein a higher bound of the confidence range is used to determine whether the signal is not present.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

responsive to a lower bound of the confidence range being below the first threshold and responsive to the higher bound of the confidence range being above the second threshold, determine whether the mean current value is higher than an average of the first threshold and the second threshold; and

responsive to the mean current value being higher than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicate that the signal is probably present.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a current confidence;

determine a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicate a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

responsive to the mean current value being lower than the average of the first threshold and the second threshold, indicate that the signal is probably not present.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a current confidence;

determine a number of samples required to achieve a desired confidence; and

indicate a wait time based on the current confidence, the desired confidence, and the number of samples.