Patent ID: 7571398

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for determining a quality factor of a set of properties representing a function of a machine, the properties determining a value series of internal values and output values for an input pattern, the input pattern comprising a temporal sequence of values of input values and an initial value of internal values, the method comprising: a) Determining an existence of at least one subset of interrelated properties (P 0 , P 1 , . . . P n ); b) Checking whether a value of a predetermined expression Q(t) is uniquely determined for at least one input pattern at at least one time point by means of an interaction of the at least one subset of interrelated properties, whereby at said time point, the value of the predetermined expression Q(t) is not uniquely determined by individual ones of the properties, and wherein the predetermined expression is only dependant on values of the input values and the output values at time points; and c) Outputting, by a computer, the quality factor based on said Q(t).