IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,602,026
Granted Patent B2
US 12,602,026 · App. 18/633,525 · Granted Apr 14, 2026

Control apparatus, control method, and storage medium

Inventors: Go Takami (Tokyo, JP); Fumio Nishijo (Tokyo, JP); Satoru Tanaka (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
G05B19/4142B25J9/161B25J9/163G05B13/0265G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,602,026
App. No.
18/633,525
Granted
Apr 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a control apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment, a first control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control, a second control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data, and a switching unit configured to perform switching between the first control unit and the second control unit by which the control target equipment is controlled.

Claims (74)

1 . A control apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

a first control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control;

a second control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data; and

a switching unit configured to perform switching between the first control unit and the second control unit by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from a control by the first control unit to a control by the second control unit according to a difference between the measurement value and a target value.

2 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from the control by the first control unit to the control by the second control unit in response to a state occurring multiple times where the difference between the measurement value and the target value is higher than a reference value within a reference time window.

3 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first control unit is configured to output an operation amount calculated based on the measurement value and a target value; and

the model of the second control unit is learnt by using learning data that includes measurement data including the measurement value and the operation amount of the control target equipment, and is configured to output a recommended operation amount of the control target equipment for increasing a reward value determined by a previously set reward function in response to input of the measurement data.

4 . The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:

the reward function is a function by which the reward value is increased as the measurement value gets closer to the target value; and

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching on the basis of a comparison result between a threshold based on the target value and the measurement value.

5 . The control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the switching unit is configured to set a threshold used for switching from the control by the second control unit to the control by the first control unit to be higher than a threshold used for switching from the control by the first control unit to the control by the second control unit.

6 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the switching unit is configured to cause

the second control unit to perform the control until reference time elapses from start of the control on the control target equipment, and

the first control unit to perform the control after the reference time has elapsed from the start of the control on the control target equipment.

7 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first control unit is configured to perform feedback control using at least one of proportional control, integral control, or differential control.

8 . The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the first control unit is operable in

an auto mode for calculating and outputting, in response to input of the measurement value, an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value, and

a manual mode for outputting, in response to input of the operation amount that is to be output, the operation amount;

the second control unit is configured to input the operation amount of the control target equipment to the first control unit; and

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching by switching a mode of the first control unit.

9 . The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein in a case where the switching from the manual mode to the auto mode is performed, the first control unit is configured to control the operation amount before and after the switching such that an abrupt change of the operation amount before and after the switching is suppressed.

10 . A control apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

a first control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control;

a second control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data; and

a switching unit configured to perform switching between the first control unit and the second control unit by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from a control by the second control unit to a control by the first control unit in response to a fact that a difference between the measurement value and a target value becomes smaller than a reference value.

11 . The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from the control by the first control unit to the control by the second control unit in response to a state occurring multiple times where the difference between the measurement value and the target value is higher than a reference value within a reference time window.

12 . The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first control unit is configured to output an operation amount calculated based on the measurement value and a target value; and

the model of the second control unit is learnt by using learning data that includes measurement data including the measurement value and the operation amount of the control target equipment, and is configured to output a recommended operation amount of the control target equipment for increasing a reward value determined by a previously set reward function in response to input of the measurement data.

13 . The control apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:

the reward function is a function by which the reward value is increased as the measurement value gets closer to the target value; and

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching on the basis of a comparison result between a threshold based on the target value and the measurement value.

14 . The control apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the switching unit is configured to set a threshold used for switching from the control by the second control unit to the control by the first control unit to be higher than a threshold used for switching from the control by the first control unit to the control by the second control unit.

15 . The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the switching unit is configured to cause

the second control unit to perform the control until reference time elapses from start of the control on the control target equipment, and

the first control unit to perform the control after the reference time has elapsed from the start of the control on the control target equipment.

16 . The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first control unit is configured to perform feedback control using at least one of proportional control, integral control, or differential control.

17 . The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein:

the first control unit is operable in

an auto mode for calculating and outputting, in response to input of the measurement value, an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value, and

a manual mode for outputting, in response to input of the operation amount that is to be output, the operation amount;

the second control unit is configured to input the operation amount of the control target equipment to the first control unit; and

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching by switching a mode of the first control unit.

18 . The control apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein in a case where the switching from the manual mode to the auto mode is performed, the first control unit is configured to control the operation amount before and after the switching such that an abrupt change of the operation amount before and after the switching is suppressed.

19 . A control method comprising:

acquiring a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

outputting an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control in a first control phase;

outputting an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data in a second control phase; and

performing switching between the first control phase and the second control phase by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the performing switching includes performing the switching from a control in the first control phase to a control in the second control phase according to a difference between the measurement value and a target value.

20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to function as:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

a first control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control;

a second control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data; and

a switching unit configured to perform switching between the first control unit and the second control unit by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from a control by the first control unit to a control by the second control unit according to a difference between the measurement value and a target value.

21 . A control method comprising:

acquiring a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

outputting an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control in a first control phase;

outputting an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data in a second control phase; and

performing switching between the first control phase and the second control phase by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the performing switching includes performing the switching from a control in the second control phase to a control in the first control phase in response to a fact that a difference between the measurement value and a target value becomes smaller than a reference value.

22 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for causing a computer to function as:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a measurement value measured regarding control target equipment;

a first control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value by at least one of feedback control or feed-forward control;

a second control unit configured to output an operation amount of the control target equipment according to the measurement value using a model learnt by using learning data; and

a switching unit configured to perform switching between the first control unit and the second control unit by which the control target equipment is controlled, wherein

the switching unit is configured to perform the switching from a control by the second control unit to a control by the first control unit in response to a fact that a difference between the measurement value and a target value becomes smaller than a reference value.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-077843 · Apr 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17223044 · Apr 6, 2021
Related Publication 20240255918A1 · Aug 1, 2024
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