Abstract: A driverless vehicle is guided along a guideline which is detected on a floor by an optical sensor having a plurality of light receiving elements. A value representing the amount of light received by each of the light receiving elements is composed with a value representing the amount of light received by one or more neighbouring light receiving elements and smoothed to an appropriately large value so that the detection of the guideline may be based on the smoothed value.

Abstract: An amplifier system for energizing a d.c. motor from a power source in response to an error signal includes a bridge circuit including a first switching transistor pair for supplying a first current from the power source through the motor in one direction and a second switching transistor pair for supplying a second current from the power source through the motor in the opposite direction. A zero crossing detector determines the sign of the error signal and enables the first transistor pair when the error is positive and enables the second transistor pair when the error is negative. A current sensing resistor senses the first and second currents through the motor and provides a motor current signal representative thereof. An absolute value circuit provides an absolute value error signal representative of the magnitude of the error signal.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to improve the machining accuracy of tracer control which moves a tracer head and a model relative to each other along a path specified by numerical information.Profile arithmetic means (4, 5, 30 to 33) creates a velocity signal (V.sub.a) in a tracing feed direction and a velocity signal (V.sub.z) in the Z direction on the basis of displacement signals (.epsilon..sub.x, .epsilon..sub.y, .epsilon..sub.z) from the tracer head (1) and direction signals (sin .alpha., cos .alpha.) indicating the tracing feed direction, which are supplied from direction signal generating means (36). Velocity signal generating means (18, 19) derives command pulse signals in the X and Y directions from numerical information indicating the path of travel of the tracer head (1) and the velocity signal (V.sub.a) in the tracing feed direction produced by the profile arithmetic means (4, 5, 30 to 33).

Abstract: An automatic system for changing the electricity supply source on a mobile unit with an operating arm the system comprising a station for storing the electricity supply sources, means for prearranged positioning of the mobile unit in relation to the station, and means for activating the arm for picking up the rundown electricity supply source and replacing it with a new electricity supply source withdrawn from the storage station.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for automatically adjusting parts of the environmental settings surrounding an automobile driver such as the setting of the rear view mirrors, the seat portion, and so forth; to a predetermined optimum setting for the individual driver. The system includes operating buttons for first adjusting the settings manually to an optimum position, position detectors for sensing the position of each part of the environment, a memory unit for storing the optimum positions and a control unit for moving the respective parts from an arbitrary position to the optimum positions stored in the memory unit when a command key is depressed.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing an electric motor such as used on an oil well pumping unit with stall protection. The system comprises means for generating a signal representative of motor speed and for establishing at least two stall speed set points corresponding to upper and lower stall speeds of the motor. Upon the motor speed signal reaching the upper speed set point for one time duration or the lower stall speed set point for a second short time duration, a motor control function is generated. The system may be used for motors having a plurality of operating modes. In this case, at least two stall condition suites, comprising at least two upper and lower stall speed set points as described above, are established corresponding to at least two motor modes, e.g., high torque and low torque modes. The motor winding leads are monitored to identify whether the motor is in the high torque or low torque mode and the appropriate stall condition suite selected.

Abstract: A servomotor velocity control system has an estimating unit (4) for obtaining an estimated value (V) of velocity based on rotary encoder position information (.theta.), which includes a current (I.sub.L) indicative of load torque, and motor current (I) of a servomotor (5). The system is adapted to obtain a torque command signal (U) based on the estimated value (V) of velocity and a velocity comman signal (V.sub.c).

Abstract: A capacitive position sensor for sensing changes in the position of a rotating element, in which there are two sets of stationary capacitive surfaces, one set forming a first integral unit, the other set forming a second integral unit; the two units are held together with the surfaces of each set resting in corresponding spaces in the other unit such that all surfaces of both sets intersect a common radial plane and the surfaces of one set are electrically isolated from the surfaces of the other set.

Abstract: A system that utilizes a robot for a loading operation of articles of works in a machine; a depalletizing operation for taking out the articles or the works one by one which are stacked up in a magazine at an assembly work station and a palletizing operation for stacking up the articles or the works one by one which are machined or assembled.

Abstract: A numerical control apparatus for controlling a machine which includes a movable element and a servomotor for moving the element. The numerical control apparatus includes memory means for storing numerical data representing parameters such as amount and rate of movement of the element. The numerical data are expressed either or both in a first and second system of measurement. Codes are stored in the memory means for some of the numerical data which are expressed in the first system to define basic movements of the element. The numerical control apparatus is settable to be operable for data expressed in either the first or second system of measurement. The numerical data expressed in the second system of measurement are automatically converted into the first system when the numerical control apparatus is set to be operable for data expressed in the second system of measurement.

Abstract: A feedback servo positioning system for motor 13 is configured under the control of microprocessor 27 either as a position feedback servo for small displacement demands or an acceleration feedback servo for large displacements. In the latter role, the processor determines an intermediate position (e.g. mid point), accelerating the motor at maximum acceleration rate until the intermediate position is reached, and then calculates the deceleration rate required to stop the motor at the demand position. During deceleration the instantaneous position and velocity are monitored to update the optimum deceleration rate to compensate for variations from the initially computed value due to friction and other measurement errors.

Abstract: The present invention provides a machine driving apparatus which is composed of a brushless motor for switching the energization phase of the stator winding in accordance with the position of a rotor with a permanent magnet being provided in a rotor as a machine driving motor, compares a speed instructing signal to be generated from a speed instructing unit 32 in accordance with the displacement amount of a machine pedal 31 with a speed detecting signal detected by a speed detector 44 to control the rotational speed of a motor 42, also damps in reverse operation the motor 42 with a stop instructing signal to be generated by a position instructing unit 33 in accordance with the operation of the machine pedal 31 and a needle position detecting signal detected by a needle position detector 46 to stop the machine needle in a given position.

Abstract: A microtome has a specimen holder which executes a vertical up and down movement relative to a cutting knife and which has a guide mechanism in which a sleeve is arranged so as to be horizontally displaceable. The sleeve is provided at its front end with a specimen clamping mechanism and in its interior with a micrometer nut which is secured against axial displacement and through which extends a micrometer spindle mounted on the guide mechanism. The micrometer nut has on its outer face a toothed ring which is connected operatively to a pinion connected to an electric motor. When the electric motor is activated the sleeve is displaced in the guide mechanism. The micrometer spindle extends, on the side opposite the specimen clamping mechanism, through the guide mechanism as a stub end on which is located a mechanical cutting-thickness advance mechanism.

Abstract: In an analogue-to-digital converter based on the principle of deflection of an electron beam striking a target plate, the number of diodes in the target plate is doubled. The target plate is covered with a metal pattern in a manner so that a complementary digital signal is available besides the original digital signal. Thus, a faster conversion can be achieved. The metal pattern is extended so that extreme values of the voltage to be converted are also detected in a simple manner.

Abstract: A velocity of a motor which selects a type element of a type head or a motor which drives a carrier carrying the type head in a printer is controlled in accordance with a positional error which represent a distance from a present position to a target print position of the type head or the carrier. When the motor is stopped at a desired position, it is appropriately damped.

Abstract: A driving device having tactility includes at least one set of two elastic extensible and contractible bodies having one ends connected to a stationary portion of the device and the other ends connected to a driven member driven by contractive force in axial directions of said elastic bodies caused by expanded diameters by introducing pressurized fluid into the elastic bodies. The driving device comprises detecting means for detecting movements of said driven member, valve means for supplying and exhausting the pressurized fluid into and out of the respective elastic bodies, positioning means for actuating the valve means in response to output signals from the detecting means to position the driven member in predetermined positions, and control means for comparing output signals from the detecting means produced by external actions on the driven member positioned in at least one predetermined position with a reference level to control the positioning means.

Abstract: In an X-Y addressable workpiece positioner the workpiece to be positioned, such as a semiconductive wafer to be aligned with a mask image, is coupled to move with a work stage moveable in X and Y direction and having a two-dimensional array of positioning indicia affixed thereto for movement therewith. An enlarged image of a portion of the positioning array is projected onto a relatively stationary sensor stage to derive an output determinative of the X and Y coordinates of the positioning array relative to the position of the sensor. The sensed X and Y coordinates of the positioning array are compared with the X and Y coordinates of a reference positioning address to derive an error output. The work stage is moved in response to the error output for causing the workpiece to be positioned to the reference address.

Abstract: An electromechanical energy conversion system comprising a brushless motor and a stored program controller for controlling motor operation in a plurality of modes in accordance with internally generated and/or external commands.

Abstract: An interface unit is connected beween a numerical controller (NC) and an electric power control circuit (PC). The interface unit includes an actual speed memory (50) into which the numerical controller (NC) can write actual speed data and from which the electric power control circuit (PC) can read out the written data, and a corrected speed memory (51) into which the electric power control circuit (PC) can write corrected speed data and from which the numerical controller (NC) can read out the written data. This makes it possible for the electric power control circuit (PC) to detect the actual speed of the numerical controller (NC) by reading out the actual speed memory (50), and to control the actual speed of the numerical controller (NC) by writing the corrected speed data in the corrected speed memory (51).

Abstract: A soft landing cantilever boat loader for loading semiconductor wafer carrying boats into a furnace process tube includes a loading station having one or more loading assemblies, an automatically controlled door associated with each loading assembly for selectively closing an end of the process tube and a microcomputer based control system for controlling and coordinating process operations. The loading assemblies are of a low profile configuration and each include a boat supporting, cantilevered paddle that is mounted by a quick release mechanism on a carriage which is driven along ways by a motor. A motor speed control circuit provides closed loop motor speed using a pulse width modulated motor drive. A door operating mechanism provides movement of the door along two transverse axes to assure tight sealing of the door against the tube.