Abstract: A method and apparatus implementing a user interface device, such as a mouse or trackball, having electronically controllable tactile responsiveness which is flexibly programmable. A user interface device effects positioning of a cursor within a limited area, such as on a display screen, with limits imposed by controllable tactile responsiveness. Programmable force-position characteristics relate the tactile responsiveness of the interface device to the position of the cursor within the limited area or on the display screen. In a described embodiment, the interface device includes at least two sets of wheels that move as the interface device is actuated. The at least two sets of wheels are aligned on mutually orthogonal axes. A servo motor is attached to each of the at least two sets of wheels.

Abstract: An area division unit divides a part placement area into a plurality of divided areas based on an area granularity. A part gravity value operation unit and a parts replacement unit extract a set of parts at each end of a connection line for each placement according to a connection line definition table and a parts placement table. If each part belonging to the set of parts obtained in the second process exists in a different divided area for each connection line, then the placement of each part belonging to a divided area is amended in the divided area in such a way that a connection line length between the parts can be shortened. A repetition control unit repeats a series of the above described processes while optionally changing a division starting position of the area division unit. An area granularity change unit repeats the series of the processes up to this point while gradually reducing an area granularity each time the above described series of processes terminate.

Abstract: An all digital physical parameter sensing network. Sensors under control of a central computer measure factors such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, filter efficiency and the like at numerous locations in a system such as a water treatment plant. Each sensor is precalibrated with voltage offset information, sensitivity variations, corrections for nonlinear behavior, etc. stored in memory at the sensor. All sensors generate corrected voltage signals conforming with the measured physical parameter, so that any sensor can be replaced without requiring recalibration. Basically, the system comprises a central computer, a communications interface between the computer and a single bus, plural sensor nodes along the bus each including a sensor for sensing a physical condition and processing the sensed information to correct for sensor individual characteristics and for transmitting the corrected sensed information to the central computer.