Straight line generator which specifies a position increment in a minor component direction only when accompanied by an increment in the major component direction

Claim 2

The machine method of successively positioning a controlled element to constrain its movement to approximate a linear trajectory comprising the steps of: A. determining in a machine the relative magnitude of coordinate components of said linear trajectory, thereby identifying superior and inferior components of said trajectory, B. advancing said controlled element under automatic machine control in a direction of an inferior component only when accompanied by an advance in the direction of all superior components.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein said delaying is performed whenever signals in said sequence corresponding to said minor component do not occur at substantially the same point in time as a signal in said sequence corresponding to said major component.

Claim 6

Apparatus comprising: A. means for storing selected ones of a first sequence of signals, and B. means for reading said stored signals in response to ones of a second sequence of signals, C. means for positioning a controlled element in accordance with said first and second sequences of signals.

Claim 7

Apparatus comprising: A. means for storing selected ones of a first sequence of signals, and B. means for reading said stored signals in response to ones of a second sequence of signals, C. means for positioning a controlled element in accordance with said first and second sequences of signals.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising: A. means for generating the signals of said first sequence at a rate corresponding to the magnitude of a first input signal, and B. means for generating the signals of said second sequence at a rate corresponding to the magnitude of a second input signal.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising: A. a comparator for generating signals indicative of the magnitudes of said first and second input signals, and B. means responsive to said signals generated by said comparator for selecting ones of said first sequence of signals.

Claim 10

In a system for illuminating selected portions of a surface with signals from a source of radiant energy, apparatus for generating an approximation to a linear illuminated trajectory comprising: A. means for generating a first sequence of positioning signals corresponding to increments in the direction of a first coordinate direction, B. means for generating a second sequence of positioning signals corresponding to increments in the direction of a second coordinate direction, C. means for identifying individual ones of said signals in said first sequence with ones of said signals in said second sequence, and D. means for activating said source of radiant energy whenever individual ones of said signals in said first sequence are identified with corresponding ones of said signals in said second sequence.

Claim 11

In a system for illuminating selected portions of a surface with signals from a source of radiant energy, apparatus for generating an approximation to a linear illuminated trajectory comprising: A. means for generating a first sequence of positioning signals corresponding to increments in the direction of a first coordinate direction, B. means for generating a second sequence of positioning signals corresponding to increments in the direction of a second coordinate direction, C. means for identifying individual ones of said signals in said first sequence with ones of said signals in said second sequence, and D. means for activating said source of radiant energy whenever individual ones of said signals in said first sequence are identified with corresponding ones of said signals in said second sequence.