Digital driving equipment

Claim 2

Digital driving equipment for accurately positioning a controlled member comprising: a distribution command unit having input means for receiving first information to generate distribution command signals spaced by time intervals inversely proportional to command feed rate by using said first information which prescribes the command feed rate at which a controlled member is to be moved; first means coupled to said distribution command unit for generating a controlled distribution command signal; distributor means coupled to said second means and means for receiving second information to generate a distribution signal using both said controlled distribution command signal and said second information which prescribes the method of distribution; a driving unit including a motor for moving said controlled member toward a command point called for by said distributor; which command point is one of a group of stable points arranged at spaced intervals, said distributor being adapted to move said motor in stepwise fashion from one stable point to the next when each distribution signal is applied to said driving unit; said driving unit being adapted to drive the controlled member by the torque generated in said motor by each said distribution signal; second means coupled to said motor and said distributor means generating a distribution control signal when a control point of said motor is in a prescribed positional relation with said command point; and said first means including means coupled to said second means for altering the signal applied to said distributor means when said distribution control signal is generated.

Claim 3

The digital driving unit of claim 1 wherein said second means is further comprised of third means for receiving said distribution signals; fourth means mechanically coupled to said controlled member for determining the control point of said motor; and means for comparing the outputs of said third and fourth means for generating a first signal when the control point information and its associated distribution signal lie within a predetermined range and for generating a second signal when the control point information and its associated distribution signal lie outside of said predetermined range.

Claim 4

The digital driving unit of claim 2 wherein said first means is further comprised of gating means coupled to receive said distribution command signals and said comparing means signals for passing said distribution command signals when said comparing means first signal is received and for inhibiting said distribution command signals when said comparing means second signal is received.

Claim 5

The digital driving means of claim 1 wherein said second means is further comprised of: a disc having a plurality of radially aligned slits arranged at spaced intervals around said disc; said disc being driven by the output shaft of said motor; said slits each having a width substantially equal to the stable operating range for each control point; a light source for projecting light upon a predetermined sector of said disc, said sector being narrower than the distance between the center lines of adjacent discs; a plurality of light conducting members arranged to lie substantially along an imaginary straight line and being positioned between said light source and one side of said disc so that said imaginary line lies perpendicular to said radial diRection; a plurality of light detectors arranged to lie substantially along a second imaginary straight line on the opposite side of said disc; said imaginary lines being arranged spaced parallel fashion; said disc being driven by the output shaft of said motor; said slits each having a width substantially equal to the stable operating range for each control point; a plurality of normally deenergized light emitting sources each having a control input arranged to lie substantially along an imaginary straight line which is aligned perpendicular to the radial direction of said disc on one side of said disc for selectively directing light rays toward said disc; at least one detector means arranged to lie along a second imaginary straight line and being positioned on the opposite side of said disc for selective energization by said light emitting sources when one of said slits is aligned with an energized light emitting source; an inverter coupled to said detector means; and said distributor means further comprising means for distributing said pulses to the inputs of said light emitting sources in sequential fashion thereby sequentially enabling said light emitting sources to selectively pass signals generated by said detector when alignment occurs between an energized light source and one of said slits.

Claim 6

The digital driving means of claim 1 wherein said second means further comprises: a synchro-detector having a rotor and a stator, said rotor being driven by said motor; means for applying first pulses to said synchro-detector stator at a rate faster than the rate of application of said driving signals; means coupled to said synchro-detector for converting the output of said synchro-detector into a pair of signals of equal amplitude and opposite polarity; gating means for receiving said first pulses and said driving signals to generate a first output when a driving signal and a first pulse are simultaneously applied thereto; first means for generating a third signal representing the vector sum of said first output and one of said pair of signals; second means for generating a fourth signal representing the vector sum of said first output and the other one of said pair of signals; and third means for comparing the absolute values of said vector means to generate a fifth signal having a first level when the absolute value of said third signal is greater than the absolute value of said fourth signal and having a second level when the absolute value of said third signal is less than the absolute value of said fourth signal.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1 wherein said first means is further comprised of: an inverter for inverting the state of said second means output; and gating means for receiving distribution command signals from said distribution command means and for receiving the output of said inverter to pass said distribution command signals when the output of said inverter is at a predetermined level.

Claim 8

The device of claim 7 wherein said distributor means includes means for generating signals for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor; said first means being further comprised to second gating means responsive to said second means and said direction controlling signals generated by said distributor means for generating output signals applied to the input of said distributor means for preventing overshoot of said motor means when said motor is being decelerated by said distributor means.