Abstract: A method and system for automatically determining the position and orientation of an object by utilizing as few as a single digital image generated by as few as a single camera without the use of a structured light. The digital image contains at least three non-colinear geometric features of the object. The three features may be either coplanar or non-coplanar. The features or targets are viewed such that perspective information is present in the digital image. In a single camera system the geometric features are points, and in a multi-camera system, the features are typically combinations of points and lines. The location of the features are determined and processed within a programmed computer together with reference data and camera calibration data to provide at least three non-parallel 3-D lines. The 3-D lines are utilized by an iterative algorithm to obtain data relating to the position and orientation of the object in 3-D space.

Abstract: A material processing system comprising a plurality of material processing stations, and means for transporting articles to be processed serially through the processing stations in a given order; the improvement wherein each of the processing stations comprises a data and control processing system, and further comprising a communication path interconnecting each the data and control processing system with the data and control processing system of the next preceding and next succeeding material processing station in the given order; each data and control processing system comprising means for controlling material processing at the respective station, means for signaling the data and control processing system of the next previous station that the respective station is ready to receive material to be processed therefrom, and means for directing data to the data control and processing system of the next succeeding station concerning material processing steps that have been taken in the respective station on mater

Abstract: A running type robot control system in which a plurality of running type robots run along a common running path to actuate machines arranged at both sides of the running path cooperatively. With such a running type robot control system, while in service, the running type robots are controlled so that no interference occurs in service areas of the robots. Further, the running path is provided with turnouts at both ends thereof. When one of the robots is inoperative, the damaged robot is controlled to be directed to the turnout, and the remaining robot is controlled to cover all of the machines. Consequently, productivity or workability is improved remarkably.

Abstract: An apparatus for recognizing and approaching a target in a space not directly visible within the maximum range of an industrial robot with camera on the end of a boom. The camera is used to observe an environment of the space including the target and to send images to a monitor at a remote control station. The apparatus includes an industrial robot with a plurality of axes having degrees of freedom and a camera with a lens having an optical axis which can be selectively rotated 360 degrees around a first axis and selectively pivoted 180 degrees around a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. The rotating and pivoting motions are used to move the camera and the optical axis until the target can be seen in the monitor. A system is used to control various movements of the robot while sensing and maintaining the camera position and the target direction during movement of the end of the boom from the robot to the target.

Abstract: A method of facilitating the alphabetical dictionary sorting, by computer, of words based upon characters from a multilingual alphabet, especially the repertoire of characters defined in the new standard alphabet known as ISO 8859/1. This invention uses an encoding scheme to determine the language dependent sort orders for the characters defined in ISO 8859/1. This encoding scheme removes the dependency of sorting on the character set's internal collating representation. This method allows the same sorting software to support many (if not all) of the languages supported by the alphabet. By storing the language dependent sort orders as data files, the sorting software is immune to the user's language and hence is highly portable. The number of languages supported is directly proportional to the number of data files available.

Abstract: A method of assembling the separate components of a multi-component article includes generating a master definition of the article as a graphic data set in a 3-dimensional graphics computer system including coordinate points precisely locating the design definition in a three dimensional coordinate system. Data sub sets of the master definition are selected for component parts of the article including coordinate points. The data sub sets are transferred to a tool and component parts of the article are formed on the tool utilizing the data sub sets. The formed parts include physical markings thereon corresponding to the coordinate points of the master design definition. The data sub set are further downloaded to a microprocessor controlled measuring device. The measuring device is calibrated to the master design definition utilizing the physical markings on one of the parts.

Abstract: A graded-learning processing network which grades its performance as it maps the input-output relationship during a training period. At the end of an operation of the Processing Newtork, its performance is graded and network variables are adjusted or amended, and the processing network is operated again and its performance is graded. The order or direction of performance grades (e.g. better or worse) are noted and the adjustments or amendments of the processing network may proceed in the same direction (or opposite direction) depending upon the grading of subsequent performances. This obviates the need for information about a desired response on output performance of the processing network at any given time, and is conducive to efficient learning for improved performance in a processing environment in which the operational parameters are not known.

Abstract: A method of scheduling the building sequence of a plurality of objects on an assembly line in order to minimze the cost of building the objects is disclosed. Each object has a plurality of attributes, which together with the position of the object in the sequence, affects the overall cost of the build sequence. A computer is provided with a representation of the object, its attributes, and a procedure for calculating the cost associated with any arrangement of the attributes. An initial build sequence is generated using the representation which has a minimal cost associated with the arrangement of at least one of the attributes. A final build sequence is generated in accordance with a simulated annealing algorithm which utilizes a scoring function that includes the costs defined by the procedure, those costs associated with the attributes being independently weighted in accordance with a temperature varying function.

Abstract: A method of controlling a floating zone applied to a crystal manufacturing system based on the FZ method and designed to enable the diameter at the crystallization boundary and the axial length of the floating zone or other similar quantities to desired values, in which a floating zone (20) is imaged with an imaging device (30); geometric quantities of the floating zone is measured from the image thereby obtained; the electric power (P) supplied to an induction heating coil (12) and the speed (V.sub.p) at which a raw-material rod (16) is moved relative to the induction heating coil so that the geometric quantities become equal to desired values. The geometric values include one Z.sub.i of the axial length of the floating zone, the distance (L) between the induction heating coil and a crystallization boundary (24) and the diameter (D.sub.n) of a melt neck portion located on the side of the crystallization boundary at a predetermined distance from the induction heating coil, and one D.sub.i of the diameter (D.

Abstract: The thickness distribution across a sheet material, formed by biaxially stretching a molten material web delivered from a die, is automatically controlled by a control processing wait. A correspondence relationship between adjustment of adjusting means arranged on the die and the variation of thickness distribution of the sheet material after formation thereof is sequentially estimated using a Kalman filter built into the control processing unit. Responsive to the estimated relationship, the adjusting means are controlled by optimum amounts in order to enable the thickness distribution to approach a target distribution. The accuracy of thickness control of the sheet material can be greatly increased and accurate control can automatically follow any variation in the conditiond of a sheet forming process. The correspondence relationship between the thickness distribution of the sheet material and the adjusting means on the die can be monitored and displayed.

Abstract: A faucet supplies water at a computer controlled temperture. Hot and cold water valves are connected to hot and cold water supplies. A mixing connection is attached between the valves for mixing the hot and cold water together and supplying it at a faucet discharge. Each valve has a movable valve member which can be moved toward and away from a valve seat to control the flow of hot or cold water. A stepper motor is connected to each of the valve members and can be controlled by a digital error signal to rotate, in steps, either to increase or decrease the flow of hot or cold water. A temperature sensor is provided at the faucet outlet for sensing the actual temperature. A microcomputer receives signals corresponding to the actual temperature. The actual temperature is compared to a selected set point temperature which is programmed into the microcomputer.

Abstract: A method and system for text analysis provides that text messages perceived by a population can be scored to determine the extent to which the messages favor one or more specified positions on a specified issue. A method and system for predicting public opinion based on message scores provides that the extent to which messages favor one or more specified positions can be used to determine the effect on the opinions of a specified population and to determine changes in the percentages of the percent of subpopulations within said specified population which favor said one or more specified positions.

Abstract: The present invention is a system that takes a drawing definition produced by a CAD/CAM system 10 and produces a debugged part program. The drawing definition is used to produce a sequence of processes which will produce the part. The drawing definition is a list of the surfaces which create the part. The list is scanned by a process planner 14 and a list of primitive shapes and transition points in each shape is created. The transition points are used to create a process tree defining regions for machining. The tree is populated with region boundaries that are used to designate machining operations. The boundaries are then used to select particular processes based on the shape to be machined during the operation by traversing a shape tree looking for a match. The process selection also specifies tools, feeds and speeds necessary for rough machining the part.

Abstract: An expert system having a forward inference control method in which an inference process (hereinafter referred to as trace) is displayed in consideration of the condition of a negation when the trace is displayed to verify a rule inputted to the expert system, whereby, a user can confirm that a rule is unexecutable because of the condition of the negation being not satisfied.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for performing error checking and syndrome generation on multibit characters of blocks of messages. The characters are processed ad seriatim and the symbols or syndromes are accumulated until all characters of a block have been processed. The check symbols are concatenated with the associated message block while the check symbols are accumulated for the next block. If there is a nonzero syndrome, the accumulated syndromes can be extracted while the syndromes for a next block are being generated.

Abstract: A storage and retrieval subsystem in a data processing system includes a plurality or magnetic tape cartridges, a host computer, and a library storage module storing the plurality of magnetic tape cartridges in substantially upright positions. The library storage module includes a first cylindrical array of storage cells centered about a vertical axis, a second cylindrical array concentrically arranged about the first array, and a library tape unit including a plurality of tape drives, each of the tape drives being adapted to receive one of the magnetic tape cartridges in a substantially horizontal transducing position. A robot within the library storage module is used to transfer selected ones of the magnetic tape cartridges between their substantially upright positions and the substantially horizontal transducing positions at a selected tape drive.

Abstract: A computerized data storage structure for storing garment pattern data in machine-readable form for use in connection with a computerized structure for manipulating the garment pattern data. The structure comprises coordinate data storage for storing points and lines depicting parts of a garment. The structure further comprises garment description storage for storing a description of the garment. The garment description storage comprises geometric constraint storage for storing constraint descriptions that specify limits on relationships among the points and lines that depict the garment. The garment description storage further comprises measurement storage for storing one or more measurement constraints that map the physical dimensions of the garment onto the points and lines and specify relationships between the physical dimensions of the garment and standard or individual body measurements.

Abstract: A robotic lead trimmer employing a sensor probe guided over a printed wiring board by a robot to determine the contour of a printed wiring board and a lead trimming element guided by the robot to automatically follow the determined contour of the board during lead trimming to achieve tight trimming tolerances. The sensor probe in conjunction with a fixed sensor is employed to determine an offset factor related to dimensional variations in the lead trimming element in order to impart additional accuracy to the lead trimming operation. An air ionizer and blower are utilized to neutralize static charge and remove debris. The robotic lead trimmer may be enclosed and utilized in conjunction with a tooling shuttle which receives a printed wiring board and transfers it to within the working envelope of the robot.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for converting both a knowledge base and an inferencing technique into compilable program code forming a knowledge based system. The method is based on determining what actions an interpretitive inference engine would take with the specific knowledge base and generating only the program code needed to perform these actions. These method eliminates the overhead of interpreting a representation of the knowledge base and significantly improves performance of the system. The method is applicable to both forward and backward chaining reasoning strategies and does not modify or restrict the functional capabilities of the knowledge based system.

Abstract: A pattern-recognizing, self-tuning controller is provided for controlling a process wherein measured characteristics including at least one peak of an error signal, derived from the differences occurring over time between the values of a process controlled variable and a desired set-point level for that variable, are used for identifying the behavior pattern of the error signal so that an operating parameter of the controller can be changed as required to minimize process recovery time whenever the process is subsequently disturbed or an abrupt change is made to the set-point level at some later time. The preferred embodiment of the device is in the form of a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller in which the PID coefficients are calculated in accordance with prescribed relationships that are based on damping, overshoot and time period characteristics of the error signal.