Abstract: The present invention relates to a manufacturing system which accepts a custom order of product from a customer and custom manufactures a product without sacrificing manufacturing efficiency. The manufacturing system includes the featuring steps of inputting the required specification of a product, creating the product design based on the design information of the product transmitted from a designing department, status data from the production department, and the input required specification, showing the created product design to the customer, selectively indicating a product to be purchased, transmitting the specification of the selected product to the production department, and producing a product based on the selected product specification.

Abstract: In a taper angle setting and displaying method, the inclination angle and inclination direction of a taper specified on a machining locus that is defined on a display screen is displayed, as a taper indicating symbol including the inclination angle, on either the right or left of the machining locus, whereby the angle and direction of the taper can be visually confirmed on the display screen.

Abstract: A sewing data processing apparatus including a storing device storing stitch data indicative of stitch positions adapted to be penetrated by a sewing needle, a producing device producing data indicative of a defining line, and a modifying device modifying the stitch data such that at least a portion of the stitch positions are located on the defining line.

Abstract: A punch machining device for a plate is formed of a vertically movable upper die including a horizontally arranged punch holder with a large number of punches for punching the plate, a stripper plate vertically movably situated under the punch holder and having holes to allow the punches to pass therethrough and a returning device for urging the stripper plate in a direction away from the punch holder, and a lower die situated under the stripper plate to form a passage for the plate to be punched between the lower die and the stripper plate. The device further includes pressing heads installed on the punch holder for the respective punches, and pressing head driving devices attached to the respective pressing heads.

Abstract: Branchwood signals are generated by a tailbiting convolutional coder. The receiver stores received branchword signals in memory such that the branchword signals are accessible in a logically circular sequence. The receiver then performs Viterbi updates on the logically circular sequence of branchwords, the sequence comprising more than N branchwords. The receiver stops performing Viterbi updates in response to an indication that update decisions have become repetitive. A set of generated decision vectors resulting from the Viterbi updates is then modified in response to the indication. A decoded signal is generated by performing a Viterbi traceback procedure using the modified set of decision vectors. The indication that Viterbi update decisions have become repetitive may be provided by a predetermined fixed number of Viterbi updates, the number reflecting an estimate of when said update decisions will likely become repetitive.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of enabling fractal objects to be manufactured. In accordance with the invention, the method consists in performing repeated scaling reductions on a parent generator defined by means of three-dimensional coordinates, in storing the coordinates of each daughter object obtained by such a scaling reduction, and in repeating the scaling reduction until the dimensions of a daughter object become less than a given threshold value. The coordinates of the daughter objects are then supplied to stereolithographic apparatus which manufactures the fractal object defined by assembling together the daughter objects.

Abstract: A control apparatus, in particular for a machine tool, has an input keyboard, for the input of items of data and/or control commands, has further a visual display unit with a screen, and has an operation unit. Items of control information can be displayed on the screen in the form of a menu and a sub-menu. A key image is placed before each item of control information, which image comprises several fields of which one field is made optically distinguishable from the other fields. The keyboard has selected keys which are arranged similarly to the fields of the key image. The key images serve for menu guidance, the operator, when selecting a command term, having to press that key which corresponds to the optically distinguishable field of the associated key image.

Abstract: An alignment signal is analyzed asymmetrically using any means of artificial intelligence or similar logic to apply empirical or theoretical offsets to signal position calculations based on the unique signal shapes of the different signals collected. A database of signal shapes and correlated offsets is used to improve subsequent alignment steps. For example, a case-based reasoning method can be used.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a reflection mirror formed by sticking together a plurality of mirror segments for use on a reflecting telescope or the like. The mirror segments are arranged so that the thermal deformation of the reflecting mirror is limited to the least possible extent. The method comprises steps of: setting a plurality of sample points on the mirror surface; developing a matrix connecting a coefficient of the thermal expansion (CTE) vector having the deviations of the respective CTEs of the mirror segments from the average CTEs obtained by averaging the CTEs of the mirror segments as components corresponding to the respective positions of the mirror segments with the displacements of the sample points; selecting a vector making the sum of squares of the displacements a minimum among those obtained by rearranging the components of the CTE vector; and arranging the mirror segments according to the positions of the components of the selected vector.

Abstract: In a system, utilized in, e.g., scheduling, for satisfying constraints by allowing relaxation of constraints, a constraint relaxation necessity detection section detects necessity of constraint relaxation in a problem solving cycle of a problem solving section. When the necessity of constraint relaxation is detected, a relaxation target constraint selection section is enabled to select a constraint to be relaxed from a constraint group. A constraint relaxation section searches a constraint relaxation knowledge management section in association with the selected constraint to check if a partial solution satisfies a relaxation permission condition. If the relaxation permission condition is satisfied, constraint relaxation is attempted according to a relaxation method recorded in correspondence with the relaxation permission condition.

Abstract: A plant (72) is operable to receive control inputs c(t) and provide an output y(t). The plant (72) has associated therewith state variables s(t) that are not variable. A control network (74) is provided that accurately models the plant (72). The output of the control network (74) provides a predicted output which is combined with a desired output to generate an error. This error is back propagated through an inverse control network (76), which is the inverse of the control network (74) to generate a control error signal that is input to a distributed control system (73) to vary the control inputs to the plant (72) in order to change the output y(t) to meet the desired output. The control network (74) is comprised of a first network NET 1 that is operable to store a representation of the dependency of the control variables on the state variables. The predicted result is subtracted from the actual state variable input and stored as a residual in a residual layer (102).

Abstract: There is provided a method to be applied to a tape recorder of the type for storing and retrieving reference signals on a plurality of tracks of a magnetic tape by a magnetic head comprising, as integral parts thereof, writing sections and reading sections arranged at a given pitch for at least two channels for detecting a signal on a reference position of a track by a related one of the reading sections of the magnetic head for each channel. This is done by moving the magnetic head in order to detect the positional relationship between the related writing and reading sections of the magnetic head and the track on the magnetic tape for each channel.

Abstract: With the method and apparatus for machining workpieces according to FIG. 2, the boundary contours of a workpiece (12) are ascertained with the aid of peripheral points (e2, e3; f2, f3; g2, g3; h2, h3), which are obtained by set theory intersection point observations. To this end, a network of auxiliary lines (e, f, g, h) is placed via an intersection line of the surface of the workpiece with a current layer (machining plane), which are linked with the contour of the intersection line (12) in accordance with so-called Boolean rules.

Abstract: A system for controlling an object such as a vehicle safety device comprises a microcomputer, and reset circuits. The microcomputer judges whether or not an identification data is stored in a specific area of the RAM in order to identify the kind of the resetting method. If the judgment result is "NO", the object is controlled after an early judgment of the control system is effected. In contrast, if the judgment result is "YES", the object is controlled without effecting the early checking.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for and a method of performing an n-bit modular multiplication of A.times.B modulo C in approximately n/2 steps, where A denotes a binary multiplier, B denotes a binary multiplicand, and C denotes a binary modulus. A, B, and -C are stored in registers. All variables needed to perform the A.times.B modulo C are generated. A partial product register is initialized. The multiplier A is scanned two bits at a time. The value of these two bits determines the multiple of B added to the partial product register. The values 4C, 2C, and C are subtracted from the partial product. If any of these subtractions result in a negative number the result of that subtraction is discarded. The partial product is then shifted two significant positions and stored in the partial product register. These steps are repeated until every bit of A has been scanned. The partial product is then converted to non-redundant form. The value C is then subtracted from the partial product.

Abstract: An automatic form dispensing system for a variety of transactions has a housing with an operator interface for receiving operator input, and has a form dispensing assembly in the housing and a roll of blank form stock and two rolls of a carrier web containing blank stickers retained thereon by a pressure sensitive adhesive. At least one of the stickers is removed automatically from the carrier web and applied to the blank form stock as the blank form stock moves towards a dispense slot of the housing. A printer thermally prints information on the sticker and on a portion of the blank form stock adjacent the applied sticker in response to the operator input. A cutter cuts the printed potion of the form stock which contains the applied sticker from the roll of blank form stock to provide a completed printed form. A dispensing device then dispenses the printed form from the housing through a dispense slot.

Abstract: The basic state feedback gain is derived and selected by the on-line identification based on the on-line input/output data of a controlled object, and at the same time, the sensitivity of the state feedback gain is directly and sequentially calculated based on the on-line input/output data of the controlled object. The state feedback gain is finely adjusted when the state feedback gain is not optimum. Further, the sensitivity of the state feedback gain of the controlled object is derived by the feedback gain sensitivity calculating unit according to the on-line input/output data of the controlled object. When the sensitivity is determined to be zero based on the criterion by the controller, the state feedback gain is determined to be optimum. When the sensitivity is determined to be near zero, the state feedback gain is finely adjusted by use of the sensitivity.

Abstract: A tool travel path creating method for a numerical control device comprises the steps of reading G-code program; determining whether or not any correction command is included in the read G-code program; determining whether or not the interior angle between a first vector, being a line segment from a start point of correction to a work starting point, and a second vector, being a line segment from the work starting point to an work ending point, is acute when a correction command is included in the read G-code program, and then creating a tool travel path to be corrected in accordance with the following steps: calculating and storing data for a third vector starting from the work starting point and with a direction perpendicular to the first vector and the same length as the radius of the tool; calculating and storing data for a fourth vector starting from the work starting point and formed by adding the second vector to an intermediary vector with the same direction as the second vector and the same length as

Abstract: Information code for conveying devices on which an item to be processed is placed has the data of the same item to be processed stored as a set in a memory. The information code inputted into a register undergoes tracking corresponding to the conveyance of the item to be processed. Accordingly, by referring to the identification code in the register and the contents of the memory, it is possible to know the data relating to an item to be processed and the position thereof.

Abstract: Automated, closed loop method and system for monitor and control of semiconductor fabrication processing are described. Optical emissions spectrometer (OES) data readings from a fabrication plasma chamber are statistically analyzed and a novel pattern model (based on Markov random fields) is used in combination with a selective stochastic relaxation technique to identify gaseous species within the chamber from the OES readings. Wavelength and intensity information is also employed to accurately estimate relative concentration levels of identified gases within the chamber. The unique statistical analysis approach described allows real-time monitor and control of physical processing within the fabrication chamber. Several practical algorithms are set forth, including techniques for OES peak identification, peak sharpening, gas identification, and physical processing control.