Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Xerox Corporation

Haitham Hindi

Lara S Crawford

Daniel H Greene

Juan Liu

Minh Binh Do

Wheeler Ruml

Markus P J Fromherz

Maurice Kyojin Chu

Bryan Thomas Preas

Nitin S Parekh

Yizhou Wang

Dashan Gao

Lalit Keshav Mestha

Rong Zhou

Craig Eldershaw

James E Reich

Kenneth J Mihalyov

John Hanley

Kimon D Roufas

An energy management system identifies one or more energy-load components, and generates an energy-disutility graph for the identified components. The energy-disutility graph can include, for each of a sequence of discrete time instances, one or more vertices that each corresponds to an alternative operating state for a component. Further, an arc that couples two vertices indicates an energy-disutility model corresponding to energy and disutility costs for the component. The energy management system also communicates an energy-demand bid to the energy provider, such that the energy-demand bid includes the energy-disutility graph.

Energy-disutility modeling for agile demand response

Controllers communicate commands in terms of goals and constraints. A goal is an objective. A constraint is information regarding how the goal is to be achieved. For example, a constraint may specify when, or how much of, a resource may be used to achieve a goal. Additionally, or alternatively, a constraint may specify an acceptable or expected accuracy or tolerance regarding how the goal is achieved. Each controller is expected to achieve assigned goals in accord with associated constraints. Thereby, system communication may be reduced. If controllers achieve goals according to specified constraints, the controllers do not need to provide updates or be updated regarding the status of activities of other controllers or regarding other operational context information. In some embodiments, commands are generally not acknowledged. Instead, serving controllers respond to a command with an error message if a goal cannot be met in accord with an associated constraint.

Communication in a distributed system

A computer-implemented method of managing resources in a virtual machine environment can include determining a specification of provisioning success corresponding to each of multiple jobs in the virtual machine environment, determining a prediction of resource needs corresponding to each of the jobs, and determining a resource specification corresponding to each of the jobs based on the specification of provisioning success and the prediction of resource needs.

Statistical packing of resource requirements in data centers

Methods and systems are presented for characterizing a color rendering system or a color marking material design process, in which forward color transform parameters are generated for mapping color from a first color space associated with an internal color representation of the color rendering system or marking material design process into a second color space using a least squares minimization of an error metric weighted according to a Taylor series expansion of the error metric.

Color characterization model computation using weighted least squares minimization

A power control system in a data center has a plurality of physical servers, each server having a local controller, at least one virtual server coupled to at least some of the physical servers, and a central controller to control task loading on the physical servers through the virtual servers. A method of controlling power consumption in a data center includes receiving inputs from local controllers residing on loads, the inputs including data about power consumption on the loads, receiving as an input at least one quality of service requirement, and allocating tasks to at least one server based upon the quality of service and the power consumption on the loads.

Integrated energy savings and business operations in data centers

A method and tool is provided to obtain an optimistic estimate or exact optimal value of an operational parameter for a realistic system model under investigation. The model includes components and paths arranged to process continuous or discrete commodities. The system could be a model of a manufacturing system with different machines processing multiple job types, with different sequences of operations at different stages. Constraints are applied to the abstracted network flow model, and a plurality of steady state network flows are performed. and combined to captures the transformation of the commodities from a first state to a final output state. The optimistic estimate of the realistic system model under investigation is then returned through use of a general purpose or custom solver. The method can be used to perform tradeoff studies between machine allocations, job mixes, operating costs, reliability and throughput, or to speed up scheduling and machine control.

System and method for manufacturing system design and shop scheduling using network flow modeling

Methods and systems are presented for characterizing a printer, display or other color reproduction device in which a forward color transform having a parametric surface forward color transform and a nonparametric residual forward color transform is updated by adapting the parametric surface forward color transform using an input adaptation data set and a measured adaptation data set, generating a prediction data set in the second color space using the adapted parametric surface forward color transform and the nonparametric residual forward color transform, generating a prediction error data set in the second color space using the input adaptation data set and the prediction data set, generating a membrane forward color transform using the prediction error data set, and updating the forward color transform using the adapted parametric and nonparametric forward color transforms.

Membrane-based methods and system for color characterization

Methods and systems are presented for characterizing a printer, display or other color reproduction device in which parametric and nonparametric forward color transforms are generated to construct a forward color device transform to characterize the mapping of CMYK input data to La*b* data of the device, with the parametric transform adapted to compensate for drifting performance of the color reproduction device.

Methods and system for improved color characterization

A computer-implemented system and method for retrieving a digital image through document image decomposition is provided. A stored digital image is retrieved. Generic visual features are extracted. The features are grouped into a primitive layer including word-graphs that each include words and features. The words are grouped into a layout layer including zone hypotheses that each include one or more of the words. Causal dependencies between the word-graphs and the zone hypotheses are expressed through zone models that include a joint probability defining a pair of probabilistic models generated through a learned binary edge classifier. Each pair of probabilistic models is expressed as an optimal set selection problem including a set of cost functions and constraints. The optimal set selection problem is evaluated through a heuristic search of the cost functions and constraints and a non-overlapping optimal set of the zone hypotheses is provided that characterize the stored digital image.

Computer-implemented system and method for recognizing patterns in a digital image through document image decomposition

Features described herein relate to optimizing a job plan procedure for selecting a plan for executing a manufacturing job. A planner can receive a model of a system that is to perform a job, and may select a precomputed plan that is sufficient to perform the job. The precomputed plan is identified during a first portion of a planning period, and the remainder of the planning period may be utilized to search for and identify a better plan for executing the job. If a better plan cannot be identified by the end of the planning period, then the selected precomputed plan can be executed.

System and method for real-time system control using precomputed plans

A system and method for decomposing a digital image is provided. A digital image is represented as a word-graph, which includes words and visualized features, and zone hypotheses that group one or more of the words. Causal dependencies of the zone hypotheses are expressed through a learned generative zone model to which costs and constraints are assigned. An optimal set of the zone hypotheses are inferred, which are non-overlapping, through a heuristic search of the costs and constraints.

System and method for decomposing a digital image

Respective coordinators are spawned or activated to coordinate activities with regard to respective tasks. Where the respective tasks require cooperative efforts of a plurality of controllers, the respective coordinators ensure cooperative efforts by generating and communicating cooperative commands to the plurality of controllers. The coordinators may act as clearinghouses for system data, selectively requesting and relaying system information to appropriate controllers. For example, a document processing system activates respective coordinators for respective sheets of print media. The respective coordinators orchestrate the transportation of the sheets by sequentially orchestrating the activities of sequentially selected pluralities of transportation actuator controllers. Selected sheet position information from sensors and/or from models maintained by the actuator controllers may be relayed by the coordinators to selected actuator controllers as appropriate to the sheet transportation tasks.

Distributed control systems and methods that selectively activate respective coordinators for respective tasks

A new process is synchronized to an existing process in the face of a communications delay (d) by collecting a history of delayed measurements and states of the existing process. This history and predetermined information regarding the behavior of the existing process are used to simulate the existing process forward in time to a current time, thereby computing a current process state. Once the current state is computed, the new process, driven by the same information, maintains synchronization with the existing process. In a document processor the method of synchronizing can be applied to tightly coupled modules. For example, a print media transport system includes a plurality of transport modules. Each transport module includes a plurality of transport actuators and an associated controller. Print media may be driven by actuators of plural modules contemporaneously. Modules about to receive media are synchronized to modules already transporting the media.

On-the-fly state synchronization in a distributed system

A method for synchronizing the control efforts of a plurality of controllers includes determining an apply time for using updated information. The apply time can take into account worst case processing and/or communication delays across a system. Reacting to the updated information only after at the apply time ensures that all system elements are able to react to the updated information in concert. A time stamp indicates when the data was collected. The apply time indicates when the data can be used. Process modeling or simulation is used to estimate system status at the apply time based on the system status at the time of the time stamp, the updated information, and predetermined information regarding the behavior of the system over time. In a document processor, the method allows tightly coupled modules, such as sheet transportation modules, to behave in a cooperative manner when separate modules are in contact with the same sheet.

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Haitham Hindi