Abstract: A program control system is disclosed wherein the coordinates of a plurality of specified points of a prescribed path in the space to be traced by a manipulator assembly which are spaced apart from each other by a line segment of the same unit length are stored in a storage device in a teaching mode, and one set of coordinates of the adjacent specified points are simultaneously and sequentially read out from the storage device in a repeat mode so that the position command signals or coordinates of a plurality of interpolation points between the adjacent specified points are obtained by linear interpolation and are sequentially compared, at a predetermined time interval, with the actual or present positions of the manipulator assembly. The manipulator assembly is displaced at a velocity corresponding to the difference between the position command signal and the actual or present position signal so that the difference may become zero.

Abstract: In an automatic wire bonder, a rotatable work stage for a lead frame on which a plurality of leads are arranged and an electronic circuit element having a plurality of electrodes is mounted for rotation to align the circuit element in a predetermined direction. The angle of rotation is detected as an azimuthal error. A bonding tool is subsequently translated relative to the work stage to a position predetermined relative to the circuit element. The translation is detected as a positional error. Calculating means electrically calculates the relative positions of the leads using absolute positions of the leads and the azimuthal and positional errors. The bonding tool is driven responsive to the absolute positions of the electrodes and the relative positions of the leads to carry out the bonding process.

Abstract: In a method of controlling the roll gap of a cold rolling mill of the class wherein the rolling load is first estimated and then the roll gap is calculated, the deformation resistance of the material being rolled is determined in accordance with a constant determined by the reduction, the strain rate, and the temperature and quality of the strip being rolled; the exit strip temperature is determined by taking into consideration the reduction and the characteristics of the rolling mill; the mean deformation resistance of the strip is determined from the deformation resistance and the exit strip temperature; the rolling pressure is calculated in accordance with the equation as hereinbelow defined for determining the rolling pressure by using the mean deformation resistance; and then the roll gap is determined and controlled in accordance with the equation of a gauge meter as hereinbelow defined.

Abstract: An electronic process controller is disclosed having analog circuitry for generating an analog control signal, a digital memory for generating a manual control signal and digital circuitry for sequencing of the analog functions. This controller provides drift-free manual control in the manual control mode, tracking of the process control signal in the automatic mode to allow bumpless transfer from automatic mode to manual mode and output ramping to allow bumpless transfer to and from direct digital control mode.

Abstract: An electronic process controller is disclosed having automatically bumpless operation. Changes such as transfer between manual and automatic modes, switching between set point sources and adjustment of control parameter values are all accomplished bumplessly with the aid of a settle circuit which adjusts the automatic control signal for bumpless switching while the manual memory freezes the process control signal at its last value before the change was initiated.

Abstract: An electric power plant including a steam generator and a steam turbine is operated by a control system including a turbine control, a boiler control and a plant unit master; each of the aforementioned controls includes integrating or adaptive controllers responsive to error signals to effect a desired control and ramp generators to provide an output against which a control process may be tracked. The integrating controllers include an integrating circuit for integrating an input error signal and a proportional circuit responsive to the error signal for providing an output signal to be summed with the output of the integrating circuit. The constant of the proportional circuit and the time constant of the integrating circuit are changed as a function of an index. In a control for an electric power plant, the index is the load reference provided by the plant unit master. A ramp generator is suggested that is capable of generating linear ramps at a fixed rate toward a known value, e.g.

Abstract: An information recording system comprises a peripheral control unit for recording bits of a character one at a time coincident with the middle of a record time interval. The peripheral control unit is responsive to a central unit which cyclically transmits microinstructions to the peripheral control unit coincidentally with transfer of bits to said record device from a register storing the bits of a character to be recorded.

Abstract: Apparatus for generating a character pattern comprising vector producing means for sequentially producing a plurality of vectors comprising the character pattern; and first storing means for storing the vectors where the configuration of the vectors in the first storing means corresponds to the configuration of the character pattern so that display or recording thereof is readily effected.

Abstract: The word self-adaptive has been used to describe the capability of human beings and machines to adjust their characteristics in accordance with a changing environment. Recently a more advanced form of self-adaptive system has been theorized and implemented called "self-organizing" controller because it performs even more like a human being. Its control action has a "dual" character. It studies the response from the system being controlled and then brings about its desired state by adjusting its own characteristics. Its performance can be somewhat likened to a blind man's actions as he attempts to follow a desired path. The controller can perform 250 or more solutions per second to make the sensed output response agree with the command signal with the desired limits. Each controller consists of a performance assessment part and a probability state variable (PSV) part. On-line biasing of the probability states of the PSV part results in the continual restructuring of the statistical control law.

Abstract: An apparatus for optimizing the yield of predetermined usable pieces from a workpiece such as a board of lumber or the like having randomly disposed defects designated on a plane surface thereof including means for scanning the workpiece to detect unusable defect containing areas on the plane surface, means for forming and storing a primary bit matrix corresponding to a pattern of scanned unusable defect containing areas, means for identifying predetermined combinable unusable defect containing areas and predetermined combinable unusable non-defect containing areas on the primary bit matrix, means for merging identified combinable unusable defect and non-defect containing areas to produce a list defining a pattern consisting of one or a combination of a group consisting of combined and uncombined unusable areas, defining usable areas, means for establishing and storing predetermined billing requirements, means for successively determining on the basis of the usable area information and the predetermined billi