Abstract: An automatic guided vehicle travels for a predetermined distance by detecting the distance covered, and thereafter stops when the mark located at the desired stopping point is detected by at least one sensor. Obstacles on the route, and cumulative error therefore have very little influence on the vehicle's travel, so that accurate travel control is obtained.

Abstract: An automatic guided vehicle detects marks located on a plurality of points along a route it travels using at least three sensors, selects the number of marks detected from each individual sensor as a reference value in accordance with the logic of majority, and stops when the reference value agrees with a predetermined value. Cumulative errors, caused by misdetection are thus avoided and, there is little cumulative error. Thus, accurate control in long distance travel is possible.

Abstract: A motor driving circuit apparatus for use in a motor actuator for actuating, for example, a valve between two limit positions, having a control means for inputting a driving control signal for the motor, a sensor adapted to output a signal corresponding to the position of the actuator, and a comparator section adapted to compare the input through the control means and the output from the sensor, the comparator being adapted to produce an output signal in accordance with which the motor is driven and controlled. The motor driving circuit apparatus comprises a differentiation circuit for differentiating the output of the comparator section and a timer section adapted to be controlled by the output from the differentiation circuit, wherein the driving control of the motor by the output of the comparator section is conducted only within a predetermined period of time in accordance with the output from the timer section.

Abstract: A load positioning system with gravity compensation has a servo-motor (12), position sensing feedback potentiometer (38) and velocity sensing tachometer (42) in a conventional closed-loop servo arrangement to cause lead screw (14) and ball nut (20) to vertically position load (22). Gravity compensating components comprise the DC motor (32), gears (34) and (36), which couple torque from motor (32) to the lead screw (14), and constant-current power supply (37). The constant weight of the load (22) applied to the lead screw (14) via the ball nut (20) tends to cause the lead screw (14) to rotate, the constant torque of which is opposed by the constant torque produced by motor (32) when fed from the constant-current source (37). The constant current is preset as required by potentiometer (54) to effect equilibration of the load (22) which thereby enables the positioning servo-motor (12) to "see" the load (22) as weightless under both static and dynamic conditions.

Abstract: The present invention is to increase the reliability of a numerical controller by permitting the detection of an abnormality in a position sensing pulse which is output each time a moving part moves by a fixed amount.A position sensor (6) outputs a reference position sensing pulse each time a moving part reaches a predetermined position, and a direction discriminating circuit (7) outputs a position sensing pulse each time the moving part moves by a fixed amount. A reversible counter (8) counts the position sensing pulse from the direction discriminating circuit (7), and abnormality detecting circuits (9) and (10) detect an abnormality in the position sensing pulse on the basis of the count value of the reversible counter (8) and the generating timing of generation of the reference position sensing pulse.

Abstract: A position control apparatus has a variable gain-type velocity amplifier (115) provided within a servo control circuit, and a low velocity sensing circuit (114) for sensing a predetermined low velocity of a motor (100) immediately before the motor is stopped. When the rotational velocity of the motor (100) drops to the predetermined low velocity immediately before stoppage during orientation control, the velocity amplifier is changed over in response to a signal from the gain of the low velocity sensing circuit (114), thereby raising servo loop gain.

Abstract: A D.C. motor position control system operates either in the motor speed detection mode or in the motor position detection mode. A rotary encoder develops an approximate sinusoidal position indicating analog signal in response to the rotation of the D.C. motor. A waveform shaping circuit receives the approximate sinusoidal position indicating analog signal and develops a rectangular position indicating digital signal to a phase comparator which compares the phase of the rectangular position indicating digital signal with the phase of a speed instructing pulse signal so as to control the motor speed in a phase-locked-loop (PLL) manner in the motor speed detection mode. A slice level determination circuit divides the voltage level of the approximate sinusoidal position indicating analog signal into 16 (sixteen) degrees to obtain a sliced position indicating digital signal which is used to control the motor position in the motor position detection mode.

Abstract: The levitating force of the levitation magnets of a magnetically levitated ehicle of the linear stator type is controlled for regulating the air gap width (S) between these levitation magnets (2) and a rail track having teeth of uniform, determined width in the travel direction. The control is responsive to the air gap width and, if desired, to the differentiation of the air gap width with respect to time. The control requirements are dependent on the vehicle speed, whereby in the low speed and stopping situations the primary task is a stabilizing one and in higher speed situations the primary task is a good following behavior. For this purpose a steering signal is derived from the output terminals of an induction conductor loop located in the surface of a pole piece of a levitation magnet facing the track teeth. The loop has a width corresponding to the tooth width. The frequency of the signal induced in the loop is directly proportional to the vehicle speed.

Abstract: A handle assembly for an x-ray examination apparatus for permitting a technician to position the apparatus above a patient with the aid of a support motor has a grip connected to the apparatus by two support elements, each of the support elements having a defined weak point, such as a segment of reduced thickness, and a plurality of control elements for operating the support motor in response to stresses experienced by the weak point caused by pulling on the grip. The control elements are connected between the support elements and the apparatus, spanning each weak point. Two control elements, disposed at right angles to each other, may be utilized for each weak point.

Abstract: A device for driving a motor-operated closure part for an opening, especially on a motor vehicle, having a protective circuit for interrupting the closing movement when there is an indication that an object may be obstructing closure of the opening. A speed transmitting means exists that detects the adjusting speed of the closing part on at least one range of the adjusting path of the closure part that is critical with respect to the engagement of an obstruction. In addition, an evaluating stage is provided that responds to the speed signal and/or its rate of change with respect to time, for producing an obstruction signal that activates a control means of the circuit to interrupt the closing movement.

Abstract: A machine present position region discrimination method divides a stroke, over which a movable portion of a machine travels along a single controlled axis, into n equal parts to partition the stroke into regions, each region having a length I. A region number is assigned to each region sequentially from one end of the stroke to the other. A present position region number A is incremented or decremented in dependence upon the travelling direction when an accumulated travelling distance B of the movable portion of the machine exceeds the region interval length I (during movement in the positive direction), or is less than zero (during movement in the negative direction). The resulting present position region number A, which is indicative of the present position region of the movable portion of the machine, is supplied by an NC unit in which the present position region number A is calculated to the controlled machine.

Abstract: For compensating the geometrical defects of the annular armature of a radial position detector slaving an active radial magnetic bearing, a reference rotor having a small diameter is co-axially mounted within the rotor supporting the annular armature. The rotor supporting the annular armature and the reference rotor are both rotated in synchronism while a reference surface of the reference rotor is sensed by an additional radial position detector. A plurality of data representing the geometrical defects of the annular armature as a function of the angular position of the rotor are derived from the output of the additional radial position detector and stored in a memory to be applied to a compensation circuit linked with the radial position detector.

Abstract: A PCM signal processor which converts an analog signal into a digital signal to transmit or record the digital signal. When the PCM signal processor receives a PCM signal whose data has been compressed in such a manner that one or more lower bits are cut off from a plurality of bits for forming the PCM signal and indicating the signal level of the analog signal, in accordance with the signal level of the analog signal, one or more bits corresponding to the number of bits having been cut off are added in the processor to the compressed PCM signal at the position following the least significant bit of the compressed PCM signal. Correction data indicating about one half the largest one of numerical values that can be expressed by the added bit or bits, is given to the added bit or bits.

Abstract: In a D/A converter in a deflection system of an electron beam exposure device, the most significant bits (m bits) of input digital data consisting of n bits are input into a decoder circuit, and 2.sup.m D/A converters which correspond to the m bits are provided. The data consisting of the least significant bits (n-m bits) is input into the 2.sup.m D/A converters via 2.sup.m gates, respectively. The decoder circuit is constructed so as to control the 2.sup.m gates so that when the content of the data of the m bits is S, the first to S-th data of the 2.sup.m D/A converters is all rendered to be "1", the data of the (S+1)-th D/A converter remains the same as the data of the n-m bits, and the data of the (S+2)-th and subsequent D/A converters is all rendered to be "0", the sum of the outputs of the 2.sup.m D/A converters being applied to a coil which deflects the electron beam.

Abstract: A resistive network is used for an electro-pneumatic converter so that the speed of the electro-pneumatic converter can be regulated. The converter includes a reversible DC servo motor having a pair of terminals connected to a pair of lines. The lines are selectively connectable to a common terminal of a power supply. The power terminal of the power supply is connected over a variable resistor to a terminal connecting the lines. Selectively connecting one of the lines to the common terminal causes electrical power to pass through the motor and one for an opposite direction to turn the motor shaft in a selected direction of rotation. The speed of rotation is determined by the position of the variable resistor. The motor shaft is used in conjunction with a cam that is associated with a nozzle supplied with pressurized gas over a bellows. The nozzle is moved closer or further away from the cam edge as the bellows expands or contracts.

Abstract: A system for automatically calibrating a robot in all degrees of freedom in one point to compensate for inaccuracies in the different coordinate directions. The system includes moving a measuring body, held by the robot gripper, in response to a command representative of a previously determined nominal position within a measuring fixture known to the robot controller, determining by means of sensing means the actual position reached by said measuring body, calculating the errors in the different coordinate directions based on the measured values and the nominal position values and compensating for the errors in respective coordinate directions.

Abstract: In a feed control system, a feed controller controls a servomotor in such a manner as to reduce the difference between an objective position and a present position of a movable body. An interference detection circuit coupled to the feed controller detects the occurrence of an interference between the movable body and an obstruction when feed movement of the movable body is discontinued nevertheless the difference between the objection and present positions does not reach zero. A digital computer is coupled to an objective position counter provided in the feed controller to selectively set therein objective positions to which the movable body is to be positioned successively. The digital computer, when receiving a signal from the interference detection circuit, sets the objective position counter with data for moving the movable body a predetermined amount in a direction opposite to that wherein the movable body was moved before the occurrence of an interference.

Abstract: Tools to be positioned all at once are moved from a stand-by reach toward a positioning reach by means of a rotatable shaft, and respectively positioned at their desired positions in the positioning reach after passing an origin located at a border line between the stand-by and positioning reaches. Central computer controls count pulse signals transmitted from a pulse generator synchronously rotated by the rotatable shaft, and compensate set values for the desired positions for the distance over which each tool has been moved in the stand-by reach.

Abstract: In an absolute position detecting system for a servocontrol system operatively controlled according to a numerical control program or the like, the absolute position of an operating shaft is detected with a high accuracy based on outputs of a resolver 106 and an absolute encoder 110. The resolver 106 and absolute encoder 110 rotate with a servomotor 105 at a prescribed revolution ratio, so that variations in the absolute position of the operating shaft at the time of a malfunction in the servocontrol system can be stabilized quickly.

Abstract: A brushless tachometer in which output signal switching is achieved using field effect transistors and which is capable of achieving linearity over a broad range, particularly the zero speed region. According to a preferred embodiment, the brushless tachometer is operated in a current mode as part of the servo loop to substantially reduce tachometer voltage switching requirements. A ROM can be used to control commutation switching. Commutation is preferable line-to-neutral to reduce ripple.