Patent ID: 7209866

Claim:
A method of automatic adjustment of devices having setting elements, comprising the steps of: a) carrying out a first measurement of a characteristic curve to be controlled by the adjustment at predefined measurement points, at least one setting element assuming a first reference setting; b) testing a termination condition, and terminating the method if the termination condition is satisfied; and c) executing the following steps if the termination condition is not satisfied: i) modifying the first reference setting of the at least one setting element, and measuring the characteristic curve again at predefined measurement points for a configuration of the at least one setting element, ii) reproducing the first reference setting of the at least one setting element modified in step i), iii) when there is more than one setting element, repeating the steps i) and ii) for each setting element, iv) calculating gradient functions of the characteristic curve, v) calculating new settings of the setting elements by minimizing an error function by using measured values obtained in steps a) and i) and the gradient functions calculated in step iv), and setting the setting elements to calculated values to adjust the devices, and vi) carrying out the method again, beginning with step a) with the new settings calculated in step v) serving as a new reference setting.