IP Library Granted Patent US 12,669,255
Granted Patent B2
US 12,669,255 · App. 18/502,530 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Physics-informed smooth operator learning for high-dimensional systems prediction and control

Inventors: Saviz Mowlavi (Somerville, MA); Xiaoyu Xie (Evanston, IL); Mouhacine Benosman (Boston, MA)
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
F24F11/64G06N3/0455G05B13/02G05B13/04G06F17/13G06N3/09
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,669,255
App. No.
18/502,530
Filed
Nov 6, 2023
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2119
USPC
700/276
Abstract

An operator learning model generator is provided for training a smooth operator learning model for predicting airflow dynamics in a room used by a controller connected to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The operator learning model generator includes an interface circuit configured to receive a training dataset via a network connected to a simulation computer, wherein the training dataset includes solution trajectories of airflow in the room for various times series of control actions given to the HVAC system, a memory configured to store the smooth operator learning model comprising an auto-encoder and a neural ordinary differential equation, the training dataset, and training instructions for the smooth operator learning model, and a processor configured to train the smooth operator learning model stored in the memory, wherein the training instructions comprise a jerk regularization that enforces smoothness of the dynamics predicted by the smooth operator learning model.

Claims (29)

1 . An operator learning model generator for training a smooth operator learning model including an auto-encoder and a neural ordinary differential equation (ODE) used by a controller connected to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system installed in a room, comprising:

an interface circuit configured to receive a training dataset via a network connected to a simulation computer, wherein the training dataset includes solution trajectories of airflow in the room for various times series of control actions given to the HVAC system;

a memory configured to store a smooth operator learning model for predicting dynamics of airflow in the room, the training dataset, and training instructions for the smooth operator learning model; and

a processor configured to train the smooth operator learning model stored in the memory, wherein the training instructions comprise steps of:

training the auto-encoder to learn a mapping from a high-dimensional state of the system to a low-dimensional latent vector based on a training loss, wherein the training loss includes both a reconstruction loss and a jerk loss evaluated on the solution trajectories belonging to the training dataset;

training the neural ODE to learn the solution trajectories belonging to the training dataset mapped through the encoder to the low-dimensional latent space generating in real time optimal control actions to minimize a user-defined cost objective function by applying an open-loop control policy to the trained smooth operator learning model; and

transmitting the generated optimal control actions to the actuators of the HV AC system via an interface circuit, to control the airflow in the room.

2 . The operator learning model generator of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating in real time optimal control actions to minimize a user-defined cost objective function by applying an estimation and closed-loop control policy to the trained smooth operator learning model, and using the sensor measurements collected in real time; and

transmitting the generated optimal control actions to the actuators of the HVAC system via an interface circuit, to control the airflow in the room.

3 . The operator learning model generator of claim 2 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of system dynamics.

4 . The operator learning model generator of claim 1 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of system dynamics.

5 . The operator learning model generator of claim 1 , wherein parameters of the trained operator learning model are fine-tuned in real-time using sensor measurements collected during online operation of the system.

6 . The operator learning model generator of claim 1 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of system dynamics.

7 . A computer-implemented method for training a smooth operator learning model including an auto-encoder and a neural ordinary differential equation (ODE) used by a controller for a continuously operating dynamical system in an engineered process or a machine, comprising:

receiving, using an interface circuit, a training dataset via a network connected to a simulation computer, wherein the training dataset include a collection of solution trajectories of the system for various time series of control actions;

uploading a smooth operator learning model for predicting the dynamics of the continuously operating dynamical system, the training dataset, and training instructions to a processor from a memory; and

training, using the processor, the smooth operator learning model based on the training instructions, wherein the training instructions comprise steps of:

training the auto-encoder to learn a mapping from a high-dimensional state space to a low-dimensional latent space based on a training loss, wherein the training loss includes both a reconstruction loss and a jerk loss evaluated on the solution trajectories belonging to the training dataset;

training the neural ODE to learn the solution trajectories belonging to the training dataset mapped through the encoder to the low-dimensional latent space;

generating in real time optimal control actions to minimize a user-defined cost objective function by applying an open-loop control policy to the trained smooth operator learning model; and

transmitting the generated optimal control actions to actuators via an interface circuit, to control the dynamical system in the engineered process or the machine.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating control actions by applying an estimation and closed-loop control policy to the trained smooth operator learning model, using the states measured from sensors; and

transmitting the generated optimal control actions to actuators via an interface circuit, to control the dynamical system in the engineered process or the machine.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of the system dynamics.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of the system dynamics.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the training loss for the neural ODE includes a physics-informed term that enforces partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the physical model of the system dynamics.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein parameters of the trained operator learning model are fine-tuned in real-time using sensor measurements collected during online operation of the system.

Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250146695A1 · May 8, 2025
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