Patent ID: 6813590
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for providing a mathematical representation of a system having a plurality of variables, comprising:a) collecting data representative of the system and storing said data into memory; b) identifying a plane which does not cover any of the data; c) fitting a plane to a region of the data for each of a plurality of regions that the data is divided into, where, each next fitted plane is fitted to a region that i) is not yet fitted to by a plane and ii) possesses the maximum error in the data, amongst the regions not yet fitted to, as measured against the plane that does not cover any of the data; and where the difference between each fitted plane and the data outside its region does not exceed a predetermined tolerance in one sense; d) selecting one of the fitted planes as a first plane for inclusion into a set of planes, the selected one plane being the plane having the least error; e) fitting a plane to a region of the data for each of a plurality of regions that the data is divided into, where, each next fitted plane is fitted to a region that: i) is not yet fitted to by a plane that has been selected for inclusion into the set of planes and, and where the difference between each fitted plane and the data outside its region does not exceed the predetermined tolerance in one sense; f) selecting one of the fitted planes from e) as a next plane for inclusion into the set of planes, the selected next plane being the plane that most reduces error by way of its introduction and repeating e) unless said next fitted plane could not be identified because no reduction in error would result by way of its introduction.