Patent ID: 7142626

Claim:
A 1-input-2-output controller for a process having a process output which is controlled by two controller outputs V 1 (t) and V 2 (t) applied to two actuators whose outputs are the inputs of said process, said controller including a neural network comprising: a) an error input representative of the difference between a predetermined setpoint and said process output; b) a normalization unit for normalizing said error input to a predetermined range of values; c) a scaling function for scaling said normalized error input to produce a value E 1 of the form E 1 = K cx T cx ⁢ N ⁡ ( e ⁡ ( t ) ) , or an equivalent thereof, in which K cx is the controller gain; T cx is the user-selected time constant of said process; N(·) is the normalization function of said normalization unit; and e(t) is the value of said error input at any given time; d) a layer of input neurons having as their inputs successively time-delayed values of E 1 ; e) a layer of hidden neurons each having as its output the sum of individually weighted ones of said successively time-delayed values of E 1 ; f) an output neuron having as its output the sum of a first function of the individually weighted outputs of said hidden neurons; g) a control signal u(t) which is at least in part the denormalized value of a second function of the output of said output neuron; and h) a split-range setter arranged to produce from the said control signal the said controller outputs V 1 (t) and V 2 (t).