Abstract: Identical robots are disposed on a common track along a textile machine having a plurality of spinning stations. The robots are controlled by a central control unit so as to be allocated to a respective sub-section of the track with each sub-section comprising the same number of faults which require clearing. The allocation of the robots to the respective sub-sections is performed periodically so as to optimize the operation of each robot for fault clearing purposes.

Abstract: In a temperature control indicating apparatus of a hot runner in a thermoplastic synthetic resin injection molding system, the apparatus has a hot runner comprising a body heater, a tip heater and a temperature sensor. The hot runner is connected to a hot runner temperature control circuit having A/D converter. The apparatus has the function of arithmetic control, setting operation and display. Further, the apparatus comprises a digital control means including a microprocessor, thereby the body heater of the hot runner is digital-controlled in the process of thermoplastic synthetic resin injection molding operation.

Abstract: A machine and control are provided for effecting motion of a function element, such as an adhesive material dispensing gun, and controlling the operation of the function element by means of a control signal proportional to the velocity of a workpoint associated with the function element. The control produces a velocity signal representing the velocity of the workpoint, calculates the value of a control signal using the velocity signal and predetermined constant defining the constant of proportionality and zero velocity output and applies the control signal to a digital-to-analogue converter to produce an output signal for controlling the function element.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a processor for performing various information processing operations in accordance with an instruction from an operator, a bioinformation sensor for detecting a mental condition of the operator, and an output unit for outputting corresponding information to the operator based on the detected mental condition. The operator is relaxed by the information output from the output unit.

Abstract: A method for yield tightening of screws by use of a wrench including a device for detecting a tightening torque in the actual tightening process, a device for detecting a tightening angle and an electric motor for applying a torque to each screw, a device for driving the wrench, and a controller including a device for communication with an external device. After the actual tightening torque reaches a certain value, an average torque rate is obtained by an integration using four or more pieces of torque data and is compared with a preset target torque rate, judging a yield point. The integration is performed for each minimum angle for which new torque data can be obtained. The tightening process is stopped when the judgement of the yield point has been given in succession a larger number of times than 1/2 of the number of torque data used for the integration.

Abstract: A method of controlling the movement of an articulated arm to permit the arm to move an end point thereof more freely and more directly to a preselected target. This smoother operation is obtained by a computer calculating the change in joint angle using an iterative pseudo inverse Jacobian having a damping factor. The damping factor is adjusted for each iteration based on the distance necessary to reach said preselected target.

Abstract: The computerized car wash controls a plurality of washing and waxing devices for cars. These devices are controlled by command signals and the cars are moved through the devices via a conveyor. The system includes a car tracking scheme that monitors the position of the cars as they move by the plurality of car washing and waxing devices. The system also includes an input device at which the car wash operator selects certain car washing and waxing options as ordered by the car owner. The system includes a device for generating command signals for each of the plurality of car washing and waxing devices. The command signal generator generates these signals based upon (1) the selections obtained by the car wash operator at the input device; (2) a pre-established baseline operational sequence for the plurality of car washing and waxing devices; and (3) the positions of the cars that are determined by the car tracker.

Abstract: The video image of the end effector (26) and work surface (32) in the vicinity of the end effector is converted into a series of continually generated digitized images (132), which are further processed to detect and track the relative motion between the end effector and the work surface. After calibration (126), whereby an index of coordinates and arm orientation is established for a known positioning of the end effector relative to a known reference feature (28a) on the work surface, the tracking (168) of the motion of the end effector is utilized to continually update the index (104) to indicate the actual coordinate and orientation of the end effector relative to the work surface. The updated index is displayed on a live video monitor (44), and can be used as input to the feedback circuit (94) of the manipulator control system.

Abstract: A control system including a plurality of machine units each implementing a role for a specific working, the system comprising independent operation control units which direct the machine units to perform independent operations, at least one concerted operation control unit which directs machine units to perform concerted-operations and control means which operates on machine units designated to perform a concerted operation to work under control of the concerted operation control unit and operates on said machine unit left aside from the concerted operation to work under control of the independent operation control units. The arrangement enables a plurality of machine units to have a concerted operation or quit a concerted operation, allowing a machine unit which is put aside from said concerted operation to implement independent operation, whereby a high-efficiency control system is realized.

Abstract: A system for generating a prescription wheelchair or other seating or body support arrangement includes a deformable seat portion. A patient to be fitted with the wheelchair is placed upon the seat deforming a surface thereof. A signal representative of force distribution resultant from the patient along the seat is generated. In accordance with this signal, the seat surface may be selectively varied by a plurality of pneumatic actuators. An updated force distribution signal is generated. In this fashion, a means and method is provided for arriving at preselected force distribution of the patient on the wheelchair seat. This data is made available for transmission to a fabrication unit from which a permanent seat cushion with the desired characteristics may be fabricated.

Abstract: A technique for collecting changes to working memory objects made by rule execution in an artificial intelligence production system avoids frequent use of a matching algorithm by delaying the match processing of the collected changes to a memory object until completion of an executing rule. A change to an object wrought by execution of a rule is signified in a control block for that object. Once a first change has occurred, subsequent changes caused before execution of the rule is complete will be made to the object and indicated by the change block. When execution of the rule is complete, the changes coalesced in the object itself are registered in the system by introduction of the changed object into the matching algorithm. This avoids match processing the object each time it is changed during execution of the rule.

Abstract: A robotic system in which robot devices are assembled from an inventory of elements responsive to a work request. The robotic devices include robots incorporating two-dimensional, linear motors movable along a stationary platen and coupled to various power sources through flexible, extendible, umbilical cords. The robot devices are selectively connectible with manipulators for holding parts to be assembled and/or for performing operations on such parts and/or members to which such parts are mounted. The devices are automatically assembled by selecting elements capable of performing the tasks necessary to complete the work request as well as selecting those elements which result in optimization of the assembly time and avoid collisions and cord tangling in moving along the paths traversed by the robot devices during their assembly.

Abstract: A collision detection system with less computation time and higher performance is provided. The shortest distance between the surface of one object and the surface of another at the beginning or end of a period to be checked is compared with the sum of the maximum length of paths along which points of the surface of the one object move in the period, and the like of the other. If the former is bigger than the later, then it is sure that the two objects cannot collide in the period. If not, it is not sure, and the period is divided into two parts, and then such a test is done for each partial period. Such a test and division are recursively performed until the whole period is ensured to have no collision or an approximate collision is detected. The approximate collision is defined as a state of the shortest distance between the surface of the one object and the surface of the other being less than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An improved natural language text parser is disclosed which provides syntactic analysis of text using a fast and compact technique. Sequential steps of word isolation, morphological analysis and dictionary look-up combined with a complement grammar analysis, are applied to an input data stream of woods. Word expert rules, verb group analysis and clause analysis are then applied to provide an output data structure where the words in the input data stream are associated with appropriate phrase markings. The principle of operation of the parser is applicable to a variety of Indo-European languages and provides a faster and more compact technique for parsing in a data processor than has been available in the prior art.

Abstract: A computer controlled machine tool such as a honing machine having a work engaging portion and apparatus to control the machine tool including to establish certain machine operating parameters based on the characteristics of the work to be done, including a computer device having an entry device for entering data as to the workpiece to be operated on, a computer storage device containing data pertaining to certain operating conditions and parameters, said computer device producing output data for establishing the operating parameters of the honing machine based on the entered data as to the workpiece, and the stored data, the computer device having outputs at which signals are produced for establishing the operating parameter for the machine tool.

Abstract: There is provided an operation control method for an industrial robot having a plurality of joints, cooperation of these joints allowing a hand or an end effector attached to the hand to perform necessary operation comprising the steps of representing a position and orientation of a hand effecting point relatively determined with respect to the hand or the end effector by a generalized coordinate system suitable for describing the task, deriving respective displacement values of the plurality of joints corresponding to the position and orientation information by using means such as computation, and making the hand effecting point perform necessary operation. For at least one joint among the plurality of joints, displacement is approximately derived by using approximate solution.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing resource allocations is disclosed which utilizes the Karmarkar algorithm to proceed in the interior of the solution space polytope. The constraints on the allocation variables (the surfaces of the polytope) are partitioned into sparse and non-sparse partitions to permit applying a perturbation formula permitting rapid inversion of the resulting perturbed matrix products. Each successive approximation of the solution point, and the polytope, are normalized such that the solution point is at the center of the normalized polytope using a diagonal matrix of the current solution point, also partitioned into sparse and non-sparse portions. The objective function is then projected into the normalized space and the next step is taken in the interior of the polytope, in the direction of steepest-descent of the objective function gradient and of such a magnitude as to remain within the interior of the polytope.

Abstract: An automatic system for sequentially controlling and monitoring for detecting at least two discrete devices used by a batch process. To accomplish this a plurality of device driver blocks are connected on a one to one basis with a plurality of discrete devices. Each driver block receives signals from the discrete device as to its status and sends a control signal to the device to indicate the operation of same. The device driver blocks are monitored by a monitoring function block which establishes status signals to a sequence controller which in turns controls the individual device driver blocks according to the requirements of the batch process.

Abstract: There is provided a numerical control unit having a processor (102a), a control program memory (102b), a memory (102c) for storing files, and input means (102d) for accessing the files. The processor (102a), in accordance with the control program, processes externally entered control data to numerically control a machine connected thereto. The arrangement is such that the name of a file to be protected is stored in the memory (102c) of the numerical control unit and, the name of an object file is compared with the protected file name in the memory (102c), when a modification command and the name of the object file are entered from the input means (102d). Processing for modifying the file is executed, on the condition that there is a processing confirmation input from the input means (102d), when the object is a file protected file.

Abstract: In a method and machine for balancing centering a workpiece, such as a crankshaft, to be machined only at certain portions and in which the workpiece is transversely displaced with respect to an axis of rotation so as to minimize any unbalance and is subsequently cut to length, after which centering bores are formed in the opposite end faces of the workpiece to define the axis of rotation, the final balancing after the finishing machining of the workpiece is optimized by pre-balancing the workpiece in a manner which takes into account only the unbalance of those workpiece portions which will not be machined to determine the extent and direction of the transverse displacement.