Systems and methods for peak-seeking control

US8447443B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignees

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US
• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• John J. Ryan · Edgewood, US
• Jason L. Speyer · Los Angeles, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 7, 2012
• Grant date: May 21, 2013
• Expiry date: Feb 7, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B13/042
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A computerized system and method for peak-seeking-control that uses a unique Kalman filter design to optimize a control loop, in real time, to either maximize or minimize a performance function of a physical object (“plant”). The system and method achieves more accurate and efficient peak-seeking-control by using a time-varying Kalman filter to estimate both the performance function gradient (slope) and Hessian (curvature) based on direct position measurements of the plant, and does not rely upon modeling the plant response to persistent excitation. The system and method can be naturally applied in various applications in which plant performance functions have multiple independent parameters, and it does not depend upon frequency separation to distinguish between system dimensions.