US3571932A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital planimeter
Assignee: H Dell Foster Co
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Filing: 1967-10-09
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Granted: 1971-03-23
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Expires: 1987-10-09
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a planimetry and particularly to planimetric apparatus whereby digital representations of the cursor movement in one of two orthogonal reference coordinates are provided in incremental fashion to register means for accumulation and temporary storage. The movement of the cursor in the other of the orthogonal reference coordinates causes the information in the register to be transferred to a down counter. The down counter is pulsed, by means of clock pulse signals, to a zero condition. Simultaneously the clock pulses are provided to an adder subtracter device which accumulates the pulses until the down counter obtains the zero output condition. Control means are provided such that the pulse information which is entered into the adder/subtracter unit provides the correct updated pulse accumulation which represents the total summation of the incremental information stored in the register and periodically transferred to the down counter. The accumulated information in the adder/subtracter device may be displayed to provide a current indication of the area traversed by the cursor.
Inventors
- 👤 John G Peddie
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 02:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F7/00; G06F7/60; G06F7/64; G06F7/66
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
An area measuring apparatus, comprising: cursor means for traversing the boundary of a two-dimensional figure forming the area to be measured; encoding means including first encoding and converter means for generating signals representing the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the figure only in a first coordinate direction, second encoding and converter means for generating signals representing the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the figure only in a second coordinate direction, the signals from the second encoding and converter means being command signals produced at each traversal by the cursor means of a unitary distance in the second coordinate direction; accumulating and registering means for storing the encoder signals and computing the area of the figure, including reversible register means for temporarily storing encoding signals representative of the cursor movement in a first coordinate direction, down counter means for periodically receiving the stored data in the reversible register means and for providing the quantitative value of the stored data, accumulator means for receiving and accumulating pulsed signals representing the quantitative value of the stored data; control means regulated by the cursor movement in one coordinative direction for generating timing and clock signals to operate the accumulating and registering means; and display means for indicating instantaneously the accumulated data in the accumulating and registering means representing the area of the measured figure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
228 words
An area measuring apparatus, comprising: cursor means for traversing the boundary of a two-dimensional figure forming the area to be measured; encoding means including first encoding and converter means for generating signals representing the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the figure only in a first coordinate direction, second encoding and converter means for generating signals representing the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the figure only in a second coordinate direction, the signals from the second encoding and converter means being command signals produced at each traversal by the cursor means of a unitary distance in the second coordinate direction; accumulating and registering means for storing the encoder signals and computing the area of the figure, including reversible register means for temporarily storing encoding signals representative of the cursor movement in a first coordinate direction, down counter means for periodically receiving the stored data in the reversible register means and for providing the quantitative value of the stored data, accumulator means for receiving and accumulating pulsed signals representing the quantitative value of the stored data; control means regulated by the cursor movement in one coordinative direction for generating timing and clock signals to operate the accumulating and registering means; and display means for indicating instantaneously the accumulated data in the accumulating and registering means representing the area of the measured figure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control means further includes clock generating means for providing periodic pulse signals and timing means for generating a transfer signal for transferring data from the reversible register means to the down counter means in response to a command signal from the second encoding and converter means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the timing means includes gating means for simultaneously transferring the periodic pulse signals to the down counter means and the accumulator means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the accumulating and registering means further comprises gating means responsive to the zero condition of the down counter means for controlling the timing gating means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the timing means is responsive to the periodic clock signals and to the command signals from the second encoding and converter means to provide synchronized periodic pulse signals, and comprises means responsive to the synchronized periodic pulse signals for generating additional control signals for the timing gating means and for generating the transfer signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the control means further includes up-down coNtrol means responsive to the signals from the first and second encoding and converter means and to the condition of the accumulator means for operating the accumulator means in either an add or a subtract mode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the up-down control means includes NAND gating means responsive to the signals from the first and second encoding and converter means, AND gating means responsive to the condition of the accumulator means, and means responsive to the output signals from the NAND and AND gating means for generating up and down control signals for operating the accumulator means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
201 words
An area measuring apparatus for measuring the area of two-dimensional figure, in combination, comprising: cursor means for traversing the boundary of said figure, accumulating and registering means for computing the area of the two-dimensional figure in response to pulse signals representative of the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the two-dimensional figure in a first and second coordinate direction; the accumulating and registering means including reversible register means for storing the pulse signals representing the boundary dimension in the first coordinate direction, down counter means for periodically receiving the stored data in the reversible register means, and accumulator means for receiving and accumulating digital signals representing the quantitative value of the stored data in the reversible counter means; control means including clock pulse generating means for providing repetitive pulse signals and timing means for generating a transfer signal to transfer data from the reversible register means to the down counter means in response to the pulse signals representing a unit dimension of the boundary in the second coordinate direction, said control means being regulated by the cursor movement; and display means for instantaneously indicating the accumulated data in the accumulator means representing the area of the measured figure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
201 words
An area measuring apparatus for measuring the area of two-dimensional figure, in combination, comprising: cursor means for traversing the boundary of said figure, accumulating and registering means for computing the area of the two-dimensional figure in response to pulse signals representative of the movement of the cursor means along the boundary of the two-dimensional figure in a first and second coordinate direction; the accumulating and registering means including reversible register means for storing the pulse signals representing the boundary dimension in the first coordinate direction, down counter means for periodically receiving the stored data in the reversible register means, and accumulator means for receiving and accumulating digital signals representing the quantitative value of the stored data in the reversible counter means; control means including clock pulse generating means for providing repetitive pulse signals and timing means for generating a transfer signal to transfer data from the reversible register means to the down counter means in response to the pulse signals representing a unit dimension of the boundary in the second coordinate direction, said control means being regulated by the cursor movement; and display means for instantaneously indicating the accumulated data in the accumulator means representing the area of the measured figure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the timing means includes gating means for simultaneously transferring the repetitive pulse signals to the down counter means and the accumulator means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the accumulating and registering means further comprises gating means responsive to the zero condition of the down counter means for controlling the timing gating means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the accumlating and registering means further comprises gating means responsive to the zero condition of the down counter means for controlling the timing gating means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
51 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the control means further includes up-down control means responsive to the pulse signals representative of the boundaries of the two-dimensional figure and to the condition of the accumulator means for operating the accumulator means in either an add or a subtract mode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
An area measuring apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the control means further includes up-down control means responsive to the pulse signals representative of the boundaries of the two-dimensional figure and to the condition of the accumulator means for operating the accumulator means in either an add or a subtract mode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-03-22 | 1974-09-21 | 1975-03-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-03-22 | 1978-09-21 | 1979-03-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-03-22 | 1982-09-21 | 1983-03-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |