SYSTEM AND METHOD USING SEPARATORS FOR DEVELOPING TRAINING RECORDS FOR USE IN CREATING AN EMPIRICAL MODEL OF A PROCESS

A device and method develop a training record for use in creating an empirical model of a process from data associated with the process. Data from a continuous process in the form of a continuous file or data from a set of batch files associated with different runs of a batch process is used to develop a file having multiple values for each of a plurality of variables associated with the process. A flag or other indicator is placed within the file to indicate the location of a significant event within the process or the location at which the data from different batch files was concatenated together. A record is then developed from the file by selecting a multiplicity of values within the file. Thereafter, it is determined if any two of the selected values within the record are located within the file at positions which are on different sides of the position indicated by the flag or other indicator. If so, that record is prevented from being used as a training record for training an empirical model of the process.