# US 2025/0147475 A1 · Method and device for assessing the quality of an optimization-based control signal prior to its use in a technical system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0147475 A1 - Document ID: US20250147475A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/838,003 - Filed: 2022-02-21 - Published: 2025-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-21 - Assignees: Volvo Truck Corporation - Applicants: Volvo Truck Corporation - Inventors: Esteban Gelso; Leo Laine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250147475A1 ## CPC - G05B 13/042: {in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance} - G06F 17/11: for solving equations {, e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems (optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for assessing the quality of a solution from an optimization process configured to solve a constrained quadratic problem (QP), the method comprising: initiating an execution of an active-set optimization process configured to solve the constrained QP; obtaining a first solution vector and an associated active set of constraints from the execution of the active-set optimization process; substituting variables in the constrained QP in accordance with the active set of constraints to form an associated unconstrained QP; initiating an execution of a second optimization process configured to solve the associated unconstrained QP; obtaining a second solution vector from the execution of the second optimization process; and generating a quality indicator for the first solution vector on the basis of a difference between the first and the second solution vectors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for assessing the quality of a solution from an optimization process configured to solve a constrained quadratic problem (QP) the method comprising: initiating an execution of an active-set (AS) optimization process configured to solve the constrained QP; obtaining a first solution vector and an associated active set of constraints from the execution of the AS optimization process; substituting variables in the constrained QP in accordance with the active set of constraints to form an associated unconstrained QP, wherein the variable substitution reduces the dimensionality by the number of constraints in the active set; initiating an execution of a second optimization process configured to solve the associated unconstrained QP; obtaining a second solution vector from the execution of the second optimization process, including undoing the variable substitution; and generating a quality indicator for the first solution vector on the basis of a difference between the first and the second solution vectors. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the difference is related to a vector difference of the first and the second solution vectors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the predefined constrained QP includes an optimization of a cost functional; and the quality indicator is generated further on the basis of the respective costs of the first and the second solution vectors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substitution of variables includes solving for one of the variables of an inequality constraint in the case of equality. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the AS optimization process and/or the second optimization process is iterative. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the first solution vector and/or the second solution vector is extracted after a predetermined delay. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the AS optimization process and the second optimization process are of different types. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the AS optimization process includes executing one or more selected from the set comprising: an interior-point method (IP); alternating direction method of multipliers, (ADMM); successive linear programming (SLP); sequential quadratic programming (SQP); sequential linear-quadratic programming (SLQP); a reduced gradient method (RG). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the constrained QP relates to control of a technical system, further comprising: deciding, on the basis of the quality indicator, whether or not to utilize the first solution vector for generating a control signal to the technical system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the constrained QP relates to control of a technical system in real time. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the technical system is an over-actuated technical system, such as a propulsion system in a road vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A controller configured to control a technical system in real time, the controller comprising memory, a signal interface, and processing circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A computer program comprising instructions for causing a controller configured to control a technical system in real time, the controller comprising memory, a signal interface, and processing circuitry, to perform the method of claim 1.