Abstract: A method and apparatus controlling a production line including at least one work station operable in one of a normal production posture and at least one extraordinary production posture for producing products and a checking station located downstream of the work station for making a quality check to provide a quality audit result for each of the products transferred in succession from the work station. Trouble data are provided in succession for respective troubles which have occurred in the work station. The trouble data are accumulated to provide trouble history data specifying each of the troubles in relation to a nature of the corresponding trouble, a cause of the corresponding trouble, and a stoppage time required to restore the work station so as to remove the corresponding trouble. A failure signal is produced when the work station ceases to function due to a trouble. The failure signal indicates detected nature and cause of the trouble.

Abstract: A method for monitoring the surface treatment of substrates is disclosed. The surface treatment, preferably, is shot peening. The surface treatment is monitored through the use of a selective spectral analysis of the 3-D information relating to the 3-D profilometry of the surface treatment on the substrate.

Abstract: A controller is disclosed which uses pulse width ("PWM") and pulse frequency ("PFM") modulated signals to control a variable to a desired value, the PWM and PFM signals generated through calculation of the difference between the variable and the desired value and then by routing either the PWM or the PFM to the final control element or elements, thereby performing the functions of a proportional and integral controller. Derivative action is also disclosed by differentiating the difference, after filtering, and using the relationship between the difference and the differential to determine the routing of the output signal to the final control element or elements.

Abstract: A method of machining cylindrical workpieces, mainly cylindrical metallic workpieces such as cylindrical separate metallic workpieces and sequentially fed bar-like workpieces, into cylindrical products such as bearing outer and inner races and valve spools, by employing a bi-spindle numerically controlled machine tool provided with two parallel spindles capable of holding and rotating workpieces, respectively, and a single tool block unit capable of moving in two mutually orthogonal directions under the control of a numerical controller in accordance with a numerical control program, to precisely feed two separate groups of cutting tools mounted thereon and thereby accurately cut the rotating workpieces on the two parallel spindles alternately or simultaneously at a high production rate.

Abstract: A closed loop controller and method of operation are provided which allow for configuring the controller with two switches. In one mode of operation, the two switches (22) and (24) are manipulated to increase and decrease the integral time value and the proportional gain, respectively, of the controller (10). In another mode of operation, the first switch (22) is manipulated to select among a plurality of configuration parameters and the second switch (24) is manipulated to select the desired value of the selected parameter. Level shifting circuitry (14) is also provided to permit remote operation of the controller (10) using a modem.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for operating a process line in a spinning mill comprising various regions, for example comprising at least the regions blow room, spinning preparation and spinning, with each region being put together from several textile machines which operate in series and/or in parallel and form a machine plane, and with the individual series connected textile machines producing different fiber structures, wherein raw fiber material which enters into the blow room is obtained as spun yarn at the output of the spinning mill, is characterized in that one measures at least one quality feature of the respectively produced fiber structure at at least some textile machines in each of the named regions and uses it to regulate the respective textile machine or an earlier textile machine of the same region; and in that correction values are formed from at least some of the quality features measured in the spinning preparation and spinning regions and are used to influence the operation of a textile machin

Abstract: Disclosed is a part program execution method for converting a part program, which has been created in an automatic programming language, into NC data in a format capable of being executed by an NC unit. When an error present in a part program is detected during execution of the part program (PPM), an inquiry (M2) inquiring as to whether the part program is to be corrected is displayed on a display screen (CRT) together with an error message (M1). If implementation of a correction is designated, a correction screen is displayed and the part program is re-executed from the beginning thereof in response to designation of the end of the correction.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling operation of a plurality of elements in an automated process, such as a production process, and indicating error conditions as they occur. Each unique set of input and output conditions of the various system elements defines a unique logic state or zone. Thus, there are defined a multiplicity of valid system logic states or zones, each having a unique input/output image. A predetermined sequence of zones, productive zones representing designed machine operations, is stored in a zone table. All zones not explicitly defined in the zone table are automatically treated as error zones. A zone engine automatically cycles to observe any change in input/output image. Any change in inputs from the various system elements automatically transfer action to the unique zone associated with such inputs, resulting in corresponding changes in control outputs to the system elements and/or display an error message as appropriate.

Abstract: A method for determining the efficiency of separation of a dense media separation process is disclosed including determining an apparent distance a particle must travel to be correctly beneficiated and calculation of an apparent velocity for correct beneficiation. Apparent velocity, cyclone geometry, and operating parameters are used to calculate a divergence value which indicates the efficiency of separation. Cyclone geometry and operating parameters may be selected for use in a dense media separation process by adjusting geometry and operating parameters in a manner to obtain desired efficiency.

Abstract: An analog arithmetic circuit for executing multiplications, divisions, compressions, expansions and combinations thereof. The arithmetic circuit is provided with a .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator comprising an A/D converter and a first D/A converter, a second D/A converter for receiving the output from the .DELTA..SIGMA. modulator, and a low-pass filter which receives the output of the second D/A converter and outputs the result of an arithmetic operation. The arithmetic circuit can be fabricated in the form of a MOS LSI because it does not use a precise triangle waveform generator for pulse width modulation.

Abstract: An Adaptive Network For In-Band Signal Separation (26) and method for providing in-band separation of a composite signal (32) into its constituent signals (28), (30). The input to the network (26) is a series of sampled portions of the composite signal (32). The network (26) is trained with at least one of said composite signals (28) (30) using a neural network training paradigm by presenting one or more of the constituent signals (28) (30) to said network (28). The network (26) may be used to separate multiple speech signals from a composite signal from a single sensor such as a microphone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for optimally allocating available resources in a physical system defined by a mathematical model having parameters of uncertain values. The method comprises the steps of firstly assigning a value to each of the uncertain parameters in the mathematical model based on a scenario that may or is expected to occur. Thereafter, given the parameter values at each possible scenario, the mathematical model is solved to yield the best solution of the mathematical model for that scenario. Once this has been complete, a probability value representing the expected probability that the scenario will occur is assigned to each scenario solution. The scenario parameter values, scenario solutions and scenario probabilities are then used to determine a single solution to the mathematical model which best "fits" the desired system behavior under the uncertainty defined by all of the scenarios considered. The single solution is then used to allocate the resources in the system.

Abstract: A redundant closed loop control circuit has a plurality of channels, one of which is the presently active or operating channel, while the other channel (or channels) is in a standby state. When the active channel fails, the standby channel is automatically switched on. The switch-over takes place with a certain time delay determined by a time constant. For this purpose each channel has an analog integrator connected with its input to a change-over switch and with its output to a negative input of its own signal summing circuit having at least one positive input connected to the output of the other integrator of the control circuit. The integrator of the active channel receives an input signal through its change-over switch and is disconneced from the output of its own summing circuit.

Abstract: A computer routing band switcher is controlled by icons on a display screen which are programmable to represent any one of a number of devices, which can have multiple inputs and outputs, connected to a cross-point switching matrix. Routing is implemented by selection through use of a touch screen or a mouse of an icon representing a desired source device followed by one or more icons representing desired destination devices. In response to inputs through use of the icons, the computer generates control signals for the switching matrix which, instead of cables, utilizes printed circuit boards with a high density pattern of input and output signal tracks separated by shielding tracks and selectively interconnected by a plurality of modular cross-point switching units arranged together with the output tracks in groups, with only one unit in each group connected to any one input track, but with all of the units in each group connected to all of the output tracks.

Abstract: A method of conveying textile material in cans from a machine delivering textile material to a machine receiving textile material uses a self-propelled conveying carriage guided on a guide track and controlled by a central control unit. Known systems using a self-propelled conveying carriage for automatically transferring cans from one machine to another generally do not permit fully automatic operation without manual intervention. In other words, some manual intervention is required at short intervals of time for such systems. The invention provides in the path of an automatic conveying system a control station in which a central control unit is incorporated and which performs automatic operations, including transmission of control instructions to the carriage, checking can contents and conditions, exchanging defective cans, and exchanging and checking a power supply carried on board the conveying carriage.

Abstract: A punching machine has a punch holder driven under the influence of a first control device and a second control device for adjusting a die holder in height relative to a supporting face for sheet type material to be worked. There are measuring devices producing a first data signal representing the height of the die to be used, a second data signal representing the height of the punch to be used and a third data signal representing the thickness of the material to be worked.

Abstract: A system and method for constructing a three-dimensional object (10) from a design created on a CAD machine (14) is disclosed which includes a support (B) which may be indexed along two coordinate axes (X, Y) and a movable dispensing head (A) which indexes along a Z-axis. A fluent material (54) is dispensed or extruded from head (A) and as it is dispensed, the fluent material is subjected to a treatment by treatment sources (D) which cause the fluent material to transform into a fixed solidified state in the form of a three-dimensional object. Fluent material (54) may be a polymeric material which is solidified by an energy beam of ultraviolet light (56) upon dispensing. A shield (E) is provided to shield the dispensing head (A) and strand of material (54) so that the material is treated at the proper time and location to cause it to solidify properly to form the three-dimensional object. In accordance with the method, indexing takes place in desired steps so a dimensionally accurate object is formed.

Abstract: An improved local area network ring node of the type described in ANSI/IEEE Standard 802.5, including a receiver having an input connectable to the ring, a phase-locked loop circuit for extracting a clock frequency from the receiver output and including a phase detector for generating a phase error signal, and a data demodulator connected for demodulating at the extracted clock frequency the data in the receiver output. The improvement lies in the provision of a filter for deriving a control signal from the outputs of the data demodulator and the phase detector and an adaptive equalizer for reducing the effect of jitter in signals applied to the receiver input from the network, the equalizer comprising a filter network including a voltage variable impedance so connected as to vary responsively to the control signal.

Abstract: An improved plate flatness control method adapted to effect a control so that plate flatness of a rolled material is made optimum by adjusting manipulated variables. In determining correction quantities of the manipulated variables, under the constraint that upper and lower limits exist in at least one of the manipulated variables and the correction quantities, a weighted square sum of deviations of a plate flatness distribution in the width direction of the rolled material is taken as an objective function to determine, using a non-linear programming, correction quantities of the manipulated variables where the objective function becomes minimum, thus, to control the plate flatness of the rolled material on the basis of the determined correction quantities of the manipulated variables.

Abstract: An automated gas distribution system for safely and reliably controlling the flow of gaseous fuel to gas appliances. The system implements a "closed-loop" delivery of gas, i.e., the gas is provided to a recongnized appliance only when that appliance sends a valid request for gas to a control/communications subsystem. Certain conditions preclude the supply of gas despite a valid request for gas and include an appliance or system malfunction, or a command from the system operator instructing the system to ignore certain gas requests. In addition, emergency conditions, such as a fire or gas leak will also circumvent the closed-loop delivery of gas to appliances.