Abstract: A thermosensitive part sensing temperature; a temperature sensor for measurement provided in the unit and measuring temperature by contacting the unit with a body to be measured; a temperature detecting part detecting, from when the unit contacts the body, the time when the sensor senses a difference from an initial temperature of the sensor, and a measured temperature of the sensor at that time, and detecting, from when the difference is sensed, a time after a certain length of time and a measured temperature of the sensor at that time; an estimating part estimating, from the time when the difference is sensed and a time after a certain length of time, the time when the thermosensitive part contacts the body, and the measured temperature at that time; and a heat conduction analyzing part estimating the measured temperature based on output information from the temperature detecting part and the estimating part.

Abstract: A function-distributed control apparatus comprises a first bus, a second bus, and at least one base processor element which includes a first main processing unit connected to at least the first bus, a second main processing unit connected to at least the second bus, and a dual-port memory with a mutual interrupt circuit connected to both these main processing units for communications between them. The first bus and the first main processing unit are chiefly for intelligent processing required for controlling a machine, while the second bus and the second main processing unit are chiefly for motion control of the machine. Those buses are also connected to various intelligent subsystems each including a processing unit and a dual-port memory with a mutual interrupt circuit for communications with the base processor element.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a controlled object including controlled elements comprises a host processor, a plurality of slave modules and a communication network for providing communication between the host processor and the slave modules. The host processor interprets a control program to generate commands for the controlled elements in response to demands send from the slave modules. These commands are sent via the communication network to the respective slave modules. Each slave module is allotted to a controlled element and has a processor which interprets and executes the commands for its allotted controlled element and generates a demand upon finishing the execution of a command. This demand is sent via the communication network to the host processor and causes the next command to be generated.

Abstract: A memory system has a first memory such as a magnetic bubble memory and a second memory such as a RAM having a faster access time than the first memory. The first memory is divided into a plurality of blocks each of which has program steps stored therein. The second memory has a plurality of unit chains which correspond to the blocks of the first memory respectively and in each of which step information representative of the number of steps stored in the corresponding block and pointer information indicative of a connection to a next block are stored. The step information in the unit chains are successively read in accordance with predetermined start block information and the pointer information to count the total number of steps on the basis of the read step information. From the first memory is read information in the block corresponding to the unit chain of the second memory with respect to which the counting is made when the counted number of steps reaches or exceeds a program step number to be detected.

Abstract: A path control method and apparatus which are well-suited especially for application to articulated machine tools and industrial robots having path-controlled parts, using commands calculated from teach point information and orders calculated from the commands by operations performed without coordinate transformations so that a large number of path points can be evaluated without considerably lengthening an operating period of time.

Abstract: Each of some automatic machines, such as an industrial robot of the type having a servo-amplifier (4) controlled by a central processing unit (1) through a servo-control (3), has a plurality of control modes for moving a movable part (50), for example, teaching and playback modes. In the specified control mode, for example, the teaching mode, the velocity or driving force of the movable part (50) is restrained directly via a man-machine interface (7) by controlling either or both of the servo-amplifier (4) and a power source (5) to regulate driving energy supplied by a servo-motor (8) to the movable part (50) so as to mitigate danger to a person who is near the movable part.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for controlling the path of an industrial robot, in which a slight change in the shape of the work or the position of the work relatively to the robot, if any, can be detected by a position detection arrangement capable of detecting the work position, and a previously given data concerning the path of the robot is corrected in accordance with the result of the detection by the position detection arrangement, so that the range of work conducted by robot, such as welding, sealing and so forth, is broadened advantageously.

Abstract: An automatic working apparatus having a route-controlled object to be controlled in respect of the route along which the object is moved is controlled by a point-to-point control system in which coordinates of three successively given bend points are used for automatically determining a bend angle at one of the given bend points and for automatically controlling the speed of the route-controlled object at the one given bend point as a function of the bend angle.

Abstract: For producing steel pipe from thick steel plate, a foreign member is arranged on a die at the center of its caliber in the length thereof such that the member meets the edge groove of the steel, and in such a condition O-ing is carried out thereon, thereby to produce a thick welded pipe having very little the peaking amount.