IP Library Granted Patent US 7,725,283
Granted Patent B2
US 7,725,283 · App. 12/111,461 · Granted May 25, 2010

Methods and apparatus for a virtual test cell

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,725,283
App. No.
12/111,461
Granted
May 25, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for calibrating a physical test cell includes the steps of: determining a set of inputs to be provided to the physical test cell based in part on a set of historical test data; providing the inputs to the physical test cell and receiving a set of outputs associated therewith, wherein the providing includes implementing a sequential space filling sampling procedure to substantially cover a region defined by the set of historical values; creating a virtual test cell comprising one or more response surfaces based on the set of outputs; and interrogating the virtual test cell to determine a calibration relationship between at least one of the inputs and at least one of the outputs. Smooth Kriging may be used to determine the virtual test cell.

Claims (31)

1. A method for calibrating a physical test cell, the method comprising:

determining a set of inputs to be provided to the physical test cell based in part on a set of historical test data;

providing the inputs to the physical test cell and receiving a set of outputs associated therewith, wherein the providing includes implementing a sequential space filling sampling procedure to substantially cover a region defined by the set of historical values;

creating a virtual test cell comprising one or more response surfaces based on the set of outputs, wherein creating the virtual test cell includes storing instructions within a computer-readable medium, the instructions being configured to cause a processor to produce a virtual test cell output based on a virtual test cell input and the one or more response surfaces; and

interrogating the virtual test cell to determine a calibration relationship between at least one of the inputs and at least one of the outputs, wherein the interrogating includes providing a set of test points to the virtual test cell and receiving a set of virtual test cell outputs corresponding to the set of test points on the one or more response surfaces.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the virtual test cell includes performing a Kriging interpolation step.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the Kriging interpolation includes smooth Kriging.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including performing a convergence check on each response surface based on a set of monitoring points.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the response surfaces are not based on the monitoring points.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of interrogating includes interrogating a set of test points not included in the providing step.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining step includes determining a boundary of the historical test data, determining a test plan, and determining the inputs from the intersection of the boundary and the test plan.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interrogating step includes utilizing an optimization procedure including objective functions and constraints.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequential space-filling sampling includes selecting points based on minimizing a penalty measure.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the set of inputs includes determining a set of inputs associated with an automotive powertrain.

11. A calibration system comprising:

a physical test cell;

a test system communicatively coupled to the physical test cell, the test system configured to: determining a set of inputs to be provided to the physical test cell based in part on a set of historical test data; provide the inputs to the physical test cell and receiving a set of outputs associated therewith, wherein the providing includes implementing a sequential space filling sampling procedure to substantially cover a region defined by the set of historical values; create a virtual test cell comprising one or more response surfaces based on the set of outputs; and interrogate the virtual test cell to determine a calibration relationship between at least one of the inputs and at least one of the outputs by providing a set of test points to the virtual test cell and receiving a set of virtual test cell outputs corresponding to the set of test points on the one or more response surfaces.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test system is configured to perform Kriging interpolation.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test system performs a convergence check on each response surface based on a set of monitoring points, and wherein the response surfaces are not based on the monitoring points.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test system is configured to determine the inputs from the intersection of a test plan and a boundary associated with the historical test data.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test system utilizes an optimization procedure including objective functions and constraints.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the test system performs sequential space-filling sampling by selecting points based on minimizing a penalty measure.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the physical test cell is an automotive powertrain.

18. A method for calibrating an automotive component, the method comprising:

determining a set of inputs to be provided to the automotive component based in part on a set of historical test data;

providing the inputs to the automotive component and receiving a set of outputs associated therewith, wherein the providing includes implementing a sequential space filling sampling procedure to substantially cover a region defined by the set of historical values;

creating a virtual test cell comprising one or more response surfaces based on the set of outputs and Kriging interpolation, wherein creating the virtual test cell includes storing instructions within a computer-readable medium, the instructions being configured to cause a processor to produce a virtual test cell output based on a virtual test cell input and the one or more response surfaces;

checking for convergence of the response surfaces based on a set of monitoring points that are not themselves used to calculate the response surfaces;

interrogating the virtual test cell to determine a calibration relationship between at least one of the inputs and at least one of the outputs, wherein the interrogating includes providing a set of test points to the virtual test cell and receiving a set of virtual test cell outputs corresponding to the set of test points on the one or more response surfaces.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the determining step includes determining a boundary of the historical test data, determining a test plan, and determining the inputs from the intersection of the boundary and the test plan.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the interrogating step includes utilizing an optimization procedure including objective functions and constraints.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034384/0758 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0211 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025324/0475 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2010
From: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025315/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2010
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025245/0780 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UAW RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
Reel/Frame 023162/0187 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 27, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 023156/0215 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2009
From: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023155/0880 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2009
From: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 023124/0670 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR BANK PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES; CITICORP USA, INC. AS AGENT FOR HEDGE PRIORITY SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 022554/0479 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 022201/0405 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2009
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Reel/Frame 022201/0363 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2008
From: KORDE, UDAY P.; HSING, POCHUAN B.; HAN, XU; ZHOU, XINYU; PARANJPE, ROHIT S.; KELLY, JOSEPH P.; BLAIR, JULIAN J.; JONES, DONALD R.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 020872/0423 →