US3609320A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Position-measuring system
Assignee: Inductosyn Corp
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Filing: 1969-03-24
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Granted: 1971-09-28
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Expires: 1989-03-24
Abstract
Abstract In a position measuring system a digital readout indicates the position of a movable machine member relative to a reference zero on a workpiece attached to the other machine member. The system uses a measuring device having a plurality of equally spaced measuring cycles. A reference position in these cycles herein is designated as sine zero, the workpiece reference position being offset by an amount Delta from one of these sine zero''s. The contents of an internal counter controlled by the measuring device represent the position of the movable member between two adjacent sine zero''s. An external counter and display indicate the actual position of the movable member with respect to the part zero.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert W Tripp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 09:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01D; G01D5/00; G01D5/12; G01D5/244; G01D5/24428; G01D18/00; G01D18/001; G01D5/14; G01D5/20; G01D5/204; G01D5/2073; G01D5/208; G01D5/24471; G01D5/2449; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/19; G05B19/39; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/35; G05B2219/35481
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 53
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A system for measuring the position of a movable machine member relative to a workpiece fixed to the machine including a position-measuring device having a plurality of operating cycles for generating an error signal as a function of the position of the movable member relative to the workpiece, said positionmeasuring device having a reference position relative to a reference position for said workpiece, said system comprising, digital means responsive to said error signal for measuring the difference between said reference positions, means for storing said difference, said digital means responsive including, means for storing a selected workpiece starting position number, first means for counting to said starting position number, and second means for counting the fractional part of said position number within a cycle of the position-measuring device as measured from the workpiece reference position, means for changing the count of said fractional part by an amount equal to said difference, said means for counting the fractional part including means for summing said stored difference and said fractional part for referencing the movable member to the reference position of the position measuring device and said system further including, display means, and said first means for counting to the starting position includes means for controlling said display means and for counting to the stored starting position simultaneously with the counting of said sum by said second means for counting.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
228 words
A system for measuring the position of a movable machine member relative to a workpiece fixed to the machine including a position-measuring device having a plurality of operating cycles for generating an error signal as a function of the position of the movable member relative to the workpiece, said positionmeasuring device having a reference position relative to a reference position for said workpiece, said system comprising, digital means responsive to said error signal for measuring the difference between said reference positions, means for storing said difference, said digital means responsive including, means for storing a selected workpiece starting position number, first means for counting to said starting position number, and second means for counting the fractional part of said position number within a cycle of the position-measuring device as measured from the workpiece reference position, means for changing the count of said fractional part by an amount equal to said difference, said means for counting the fractional part including means for summing said stored difference and said fractional part for referencing the movable member to the reference position of the position measuring device and said system further including, display means, and said first means for counting to the starting position includes means for controlling said display means and for counting to the stored starting position simultaneously with the counting of said sum by said second means for counting.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
115 words
The combination recited in claim 1 wherein, said means for storing the starting position is electrically connected to a common point between said display means and said means for counting to said position, and the means for storing said difference is electrically connected to a common point between the least significant digits of said means for counting to said starting position and the display means, and said digital means responsive includes means for inhibiting counting in said means for counting to the starting position when its count is equal to said stored position, and means for inhibiting the counting in the means for counting to said fractional part when the count equals the stored difference.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
a second counter of more limited capacity than said first counter,
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
a second counter of more limited capacity than said first counter,
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
8 words
a first switch for storing the number N,
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
8 words
a first switch for storing the number N,
Claim 8
Independent Claim
211 words
A system for measuring the position of a movable machine member relative to a workpiece fixed to the machine including a position-measuring device having a plurality of operating cycles for generating an error signal as a function of the position of the movable member relative to the workpiece, said position-measuring device having a reference position relative to a reference position for said workpiece, said system comprising, digital means responsive to said error signal for measuring the difference between said reference positions, means for storing said difference, said digital means responsive further including, means for cyclically generating a reference count, first means for counting the fractional part of the position of the movable machine member in a cycle of the position-measuring device, means for comparing said reference count with the count of the means for counting the fractional part and with a complement of said count and for generating pulses at coincidence between said counts and at equal intervals thereafter within said reference cycle, said pulses being symmetrically spaced, means responsive to selected ones of said pulses for generating pulses having widths related to the count in said first means, said pulses being filtered to produce analog signals having amplitudes proportional to the trigonometric function of the angle represented by the count.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
211 words
A system for measuring the position of a movable machine member relative to a workpiece fixed to the machine including a position-measuring device having a plurality of operating cycles for generating an error signal as a function of the position of the movable member relative to the workpiece, said position-measuring device having a reference position relative to a reference position for said workpiece, said system comprising, digital means responsive to said error signal for measuring the difference between said reference positions, means for storing said difference, said digital means responsive further including, means for cyclically generating a reference count, first means for counting the fractional part of the position of the movable machine member in a cycle of the position-measuring device, means for comparing said reference count with the count of the means for counting the fractional part and with a complement of said count and for generating pulses at coincidence between said counts and at equal intervals thereafter within said reference cycle, said pulses being symmetrically spaced, means responsive to selected ones of said pulses for generating pulses having widths related to the count in said first means, said pulses being filtered to produce analog signals having amplitudes proportional to the trigonometric function of the angle represented by the count.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
78 words
The combination recited in claim 3 including display means for displaying a position of said movable member and wherein said digital means responsive further includes means for changing the count of said first means until said error signal changes from one state to another, means for sensing the change in states of the error signal for inhibiting the first means and the display when the error signal undergoes changes in states after said movable member has been positioned.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
means for transferring N from said switch to said first counter and display, said second counter being slaved to said first counter and storing the digits of F,
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
means for transferring N from said switch to said first counter and display, said second counter being slaved to said first counter and storing the digits of F,
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
10 words
means for clearing said first counter and said display, and
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
10 words
means for clearing said first counter and said display, and
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
72 words
The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said means for changing said count includes means for changing the count at binary ''''1'''' coincidence between said means for cyclically generating a reference count and said means for counting said fractional part when said means for counting the fractional part is counting down and means for changing said count at binary ''''1'''' anticoincidence when said means for counting the fractional part is counting up.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
The combination recited in claim 5 wherein the complement of said count is a nines complement and said means for changing the count changes the complement of the count at binary ''''1'''' coincidence when the means for counting the fractional part is counting up and at binary ''''1'''' anticoincidence when the means for counting the fractional part is counting down.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
means for measuring the value B and for changing the contents of said second counter to correspond with said value B, said first counter being slaved to said second counter whereby the contents of said first counter and said display change by an amount equal to the difference F-B, said difference corresponding to A.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
means for measuring the value B and for changing the contents of said second counter to correspond with said value B, said first counter being slaved to said second counter whereby the contents of said first counter and said display change by an amount equal to the difference F-B, said difference corresponding to A.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
267 words
The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said digital means responsive to selected ones of said pulses comprises, first gating means for receiving pulses generated at coincidences between said reference count and the count of said means for counting the fractional part, counter means responsive to an output pulse of said first gating means for being set below the capacity of said counter means at said coincidence and for being set to capacity upon receipt of a subsequent output pulse for said first gating means, second gating means responsive to the count in said counter for generating output signals, first complementary gating means for receiving pulses generated at coincidences between said reference count and the complement of the count in the means for counting said fractional part, counter means responsive to an output pulse of said first complementary gating means for being set below the capacity of said counter means at said coincidence and for being set to capacity upon receipt of a subsequent output pulse from the first gating means, second complementary gating means responsive to the count in said counter means for generating output signals, output gating means responsive to selected outputs of said second gating means and said second complementary gating means for generating a first pulse width signal representing a trigonometric function of the count in the means for counting the fractional part and responsive to other outputs from sAid second gating means and said second complementary gating means for generating a second pulse width signal representing a different trigonometric function of the count contained in said means for counting the fractional part.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer for determining the values A and B of the fraction F of a number N, where F is the sum of A and B, said computer having:
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer for determining the values A and B of the fraction F of a number N, where F is the sum of A and B, said computer having:
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
215 words
A digital position-measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said elements being inductively related, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said inductively related elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, said generating means including control means providing outputs of first and second rectangular wave signals including fundamental frequency components having amplitudes proportional to sine theta and cosine theta , respectively, where theta 2 pi n/N, and where n represents a digital input signal stored in said control means and constitutes a number between O and N, and where N represents the cyclical range of counts of a counter fed by a clock, said error signal causing said control means to operate and change the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, another counter slaved to said control means and a digital display responsive to the contents of said other counter.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
215 words
A digital position-measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said elements being inductively related, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said inductively related elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, said generating means including control means providing outputs of first and second rectangular wave signals including fundamental frequency components having amplitudes proportional to sine theta and cosine theta , respectively, where theta 2 pi n/N, and where n represents a digital input signal stored in said control means and constitutes a number between O and N, and where N represents the cyclical range of counts of a counter fed by a clock, said error signal causing said control means to operate and change the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, another counter slaved to said control means and a digital display responsive to the contents of said other counter.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
59 words
A digital position-measuring system according to claim 9 further comprising means for causing the sign of said error signal to oscillate from plus to minus, and means for inhibiting generation of pulses operating said other counter and said display while the sign of said error signal is oscillating and while said means for generating trigonometrically related signals remains active.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
202 words
A digital position-measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said elements being inductively related, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said inductively related elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, said generating means comprising means for deriving said trigonometrically related signals from coincidence pulses between the contents of a reference counter and the contents of a control counter, said error signal causing said control counter to operate and change the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, the improvement wherein a generator supplies different values of frequency to cause said counters to cycle at different rates, and means responsive to said error signal to select a frequency to cause said control counter to cycle at a fast rate when the value of said error signal is high.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
202 words
A digital position-measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said elements being inductively related, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said inductively related elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, said generating means comprising means for deriving said trigonometrically related signals from coincidence pulses between the contents of a reference counter and the contents of a control counter, said error signal causing said control counter to operate and change the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, the improvement wherein a generator supplies different values of frequency to cause said counters to cycle at different rates, and means responsive to said error signal to select a frequency to cause said control counter to cycle at a fast rate when the value of said error signal is high.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
41 words
A digital position-measuring system according to claim 11 wherein said generator comprises a source supplying pulses of frequency f to advance said reference counter, said different values of frequency being derived by division of said frequency f in said reference counter.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
47 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 12 wherein said reference counter cycles at a constant rate related to f, and including means for causing said control counter to cycle at progressively lower rates as the magnitude of said error signal decreases from a high value.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
65 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 12 further comprising means for generating count pulses to increment or decrement said control counter, depending on the sign of said error signal, the frequency of said count pulses being f/A when the magnitude of said error signal is high and f/B F when said error signal is low, wherein a and B are integers and A<B.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 14 wherein F corresponds to the fundamental frequency of said error signal, and wherein B corresponds to the maximum count of said reference counter.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
40 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 15, said position measuring device having a plurality of cycles of equal spacing X determined by equally spaced sine zero positions, a unit count of said control counter representing the spacing X/B.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
36 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 16 wherein said frequency f 4MHz, wherein said spacing X 360*, wherein B 2,000, and wherein a unit count of said control counter represents a spacing X/B 0.18*.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
39 words
A digital position measuring system as defined in claim 16 wherein said frequency f 4MHz, wherein said spacing X 0.2 inches, wherein B 2,000, and wherein a unit count of said control counter represents a spacing X/B 0.0001 inch.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
49 words
A digital position measuring system according to claim 11 wherein said reference counter cycles at a constant rate, and wherein said control counter cycles at a rate determined by the frequency of a voltage-controlled oscillator, the frequency of said oscillator being controlled by the magnitude of said error signal.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
144 words
In a function generator of the type utilizing ''''positive'''' pulses generated by coincidence between the contents of a counter advancing at a constant rate and a number contained in a control counter, and ''''negative'''' pulses generated by coincidence between said contents and the nine''s complement of said number, said ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' pulses being combined to generate a first function, said ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' pulses being delayed in first and second delay counters, respectively, and then combined to produce another function, that improvement comprising means for recognizing ''''positive'''' coincidences between selected digits of said contents and corresponding digits of said number, and for recognizing ''''negative'''' coincidences between said like selected digits of said contents and corresponding digits of the nine''s complement of said number, and means for advancing said first and second delay counters, respectively, in response to said recognized ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' coincidences.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
144 words
In a function generator of the type utilizing ''''positive'''' pulses generated by coincidence between the contents of a counter advancing at a constant rate and a number contained in a control counter, and ''''negative'''' pulses generated by coincidence between said contents and the nine''s complement of said number, said ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' pulses being combined to generate a first function, said ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' pulses being delayed in first and second delay counters, respectively, and then combined to produce another function, that improvement comprising means for recognizing ''''positive'''' coincidences between selected digits of said contents and corresponding digits of said number, and for recognizing ''''negative'''' coincidences between said like selected digits of said contents and corresponding digits of the nine''s complement of said number, and means for advancing said first and second delay counters, respectively, in response to said recognized ''''positive'''' and ''''negative'''' coincidences.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
24 words
A function generator according to claim 20 wherein said counters comprise decade counters, and wherein said selected digits are the ten''s and units digits.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
162 words
A system for measuring the position of a first member movable relative to a seCond member, and employing a position measuring device having cyclically spaced zero positions, said system comprising: an internal counter controlled by said position measuring device, the contents of said counter indicating the relative position of said member between two adjacent-spaced zero positions, means for storing a part-start position representing the distance of said first member from a reference not necessarily corresponding with one of said spaced zero positions, an external counter having a greater number of digits than said internal counter, a display slaved to said external counter, and external control logic for presetting said external counter to said part-start position during a setup mode and for slaving said preset external counter to said internal counter during a readout mode, whereby during said readout mode said external counter and said display operate starting from said preset part-start position as said internal counter operates starting from said relative position.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
162 words
A system for measuring the position of a first member movable relative to a seCond member, and employing a position measuring device having cyclically spaced zero positions, said system comprising: an internal counter controlled by said position measuring device, the contents of said counter indicating the relative position of said member between two adjacent-spaced zero positions, means for storing a part-start position representing the distance of said first member from a reference not necessarily corresponding with one of said spaced zero positions, an external counter having a greater number of digits than said internal counter, a display slaved to said external counter, and external control logic for presetting said external counter to said part-start position during a setup mode and for slaving said preset external counter to said internal counter during a readout mode, whereby during said readout mode said external counter and said display operate starting from said preset part-start position as said internal counter operates starting from said relative position.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
441 words
A system for measuring the position of a first member movable relative to a second member, and employing a position measuring device having cyclically spaced zero positions, said system comprising: an internal counter controlled by said position-measuring device, the contents of said counter indicating the relative position of said member between two adjacent-spaced zero positions, means for storing a part-start position representing the distance of said first member from a reference not necessarily corresponding with one of said spaced zero positions, an external counter having a greater number of digits than said internal counter, external control logic for presetting said external counter to said part-start position during a setup mode and for slaving said preset external counter to said internal counter during a readout mode, whereby during said readout mode said external counter operates starting from said preset part-start position as said internal counter operates starting from said relative position, said external control logic comprising: a mode selection switch, offset switch means for storing a representation of the offset of said fixed reference from one of said spaced zero positions, a step counter reset when said mode selection switch is placed in a ''''setup'''' position, first gating means, responsive to the reset state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters both to count to said stored part-start position, and for advancing said step counter to a second state, second gating means, responsive to the second state of said step counter, for clearing to zero said external counter only, and for advancing said step counter to a third state, third gating means, responsive to the third state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to operate in unison until the contents of said internal counter represent said relative position, the contents of said external counter then representing said offset, said offset being storable in said offset switch means, and for setting said internal and external counters to zero and for advancing said step counter to a fourth state, fourth gating means, responsive to the fourth state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to count in unison until the contents of said external counter corresponds to said stored offset, and subsequently for clearing to zero said external counter only, and for advancing said step counter to a fifth state, fifth gating means, responsive to the fifth state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to count in unison until the contents of said internal counter corresponds to said relative position, the contents of said external counter then corresponding to said part-start position, thereby completing system setup.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
441 words
A system for measuring the position of a first member movable relative to a second member, and employing a position measuring device having cyclically spaced zero positions, said system comprising: an internal counter controlled by said position-measuring device, the contents of said counter indicating the relative position of said member between two adjacent-spaced zero positions, means for storing a part-start position representing the distance of said first member from a reference not necessarily corresponding with one of said spaced zero positions, an external counter having a greater number of digits than said internal counter, external control logic for presetting said external counter to said part-start position during a setup mode and for slaving said preset external counter to said internal counter during a readout mode, whereby during said readout mode said external counter operates starting from said preset part-start position as said internal counter operates starting from said relative position, said external control logic comprising: a mode selection switch, offset switch means for storing a representation of the offset of said fixed reference from one of said spaced zero positions, a step counter reset when said mode selection switch is placed in a ''''setup'''' position, first gating means, responsive to the reset state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters both to count to said stored part-start position, and for advancing said step counter to a second state, second gating means, responsive to the second state of said step counter, for clearing to zero said external counter only, and for advancing said step counter to a third state, third gating means, responsive to the third state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to operate in unison until the contents of said internal counter represent said relative position, the contents of said external counter then representing said offset, said offset being storable in said offset switch means, and for setting said internal and external counters to zero and for advancing said step counter to a fourth state, fourth gating means, responsive to the fourth state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to count in unison until the contents of said external counter corresponds to said stored offset, and subsequently for clearing to zero said external counter only, and for advancing said step counter to a fifth state, fifth gating means, responsive to the fifth state of said step counter, for causing said internal and external counters to count in unison until the contents of said internal counter corresponds to said relative position, the contents of said external counter then corresponding to said part-start position, thereby completing system setup.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
206 words
A digital readout for a position measuring system of the type comprising a measuring device having a first part attached to a stationary member of a machine and a second part attached to a machine member relatively movable with respect to said stationary member, said measuring device having a plurality of equally spaced cycles separated by equally spaced sine zeros, an internal counter having a limited number of digits, and means cooperating with said measuring device for operating said internal counter so that the contents of said internal counter indicate the relative position of said movable member within one of said equally spaced cycles, an external counter having a greater number of digits, said external counter being slaved to said internal counter during normal readout operation, and a display slaved to said external counter, the improvement comprising means for storing a part-start position of said movable member relative to a reference zero not necessarily coincident with one of said sine zeros, and setup means for presetting said external counter and said display to represent said part-start position, whereby subsequent movement of said relatively movable member to a new position will cause said counter and said display to represent the new position relative to said reference zero.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
206 words
A digital readout for a position measuring system of the type comprising a measuring device having a first part attached to a stationary member of a machine and a second part attached to a machine member relatively movable with respect to said stationary member, said measuring device having a plurality of equally spaced cycles separated by equally spaced sine zeros, an internal counter having a limited number of digits, and means cooperating with said measuring device for operating said internal counter so that the contents of said internal counter indicate the relative position of said movable member within one of said equally spaced cycles, an external counter having a greater number of digits, said external counter being slaved to said internal counter during normal readout operation, and a display slaved to said external counter, the improvement comprising means for storing a part-start position of said movable member relative to a reference zero not necessarily coincident with one of said sine zeros, and setup means for presetting said external counter and said display to represent said part-start position, whereby subsequent movement of said relatively movable member to a new position will cause said counter and said display to represent the new position relative to said reference zero.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
21 words
A digital readout according to claim 24 wherein said counters operate at a faster rate during presetting than during normal readout.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
80 words
Apparatus for eliminating jitter in the digital readout of a servo system of the type wherein an error signal is either plus or minus, said error signal changing sign as it passes through zero, pulses derived from said error signal operating said digital readout, said apparatus comprising means for inhibiting derivation of the next pulse following change of sign of said error signal and means responsive to said change of sign for causing said error signal again to change sign.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
80 words
Apparatus for eliminating jitter in the digital readout of a servo system of the type wherein an error signal is either plus or minus, said error signal changing sign as it passes through zero, pulses derived from said error signal operating said digital readout, said apparatus comprising means for inhibiting derivation of the next pulse following change of sign of said error signal and means responsive to said change of sign for causing said error signal again to change sign.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
151 words
A digital position measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, means whereby said error signal changes the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, the improvement wherein a generator supplies different values of frequency, a control being provided for cooperation with said generator for converting said error signal to digital pulses having a frequency depending on the magnitude of said error signal.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
151 words
A digital position measuring system for the relatively movable members of a machine wherein the movable machine member is suitably driven, a position-measuring device having a stationary element for attachment to the stationary machine member and having a movable element for attachment to the movable machine member, said position-measuring device supplying an error signal depending on a comparison of the relative displacement of said elements with an input of trigonometrically related signals to said position-measuring device, means for generating said trigonometrically related signals in response to said error signal, means whereby said error signal changes the values of said trigonometrically related signals in a direction reducing said error signal to a small value, the improvement wherein a generator supplies different values of frequency, a control being provided for cooperation with said generator for converting said error signal to digital pulses having a frequency depending on the magnitude of said error signal.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
448 words
A digital readout device for a position-measuring apparatus of the type comprising a position-measuring device having a first element adapted to be attached to a first member of a machine and a second element adapted to be attached to a second member of the machine wherein one of said members is relatively movable with respect to the other of said members, said second element having a plurality of equally spaced cycles at equally spaced positions and said first element having a coordinate with respect to said cycles, an internal counter having digital contents representing a coordinate between adjacent ones of said equally spaced positions, an external counter, a display slaved to said external counter for indicating the magnitude of the count in said external counter, a converter for converting said digital contents of said internal counter to analog signals and for applying said analog signals to said position-measuring device to produce an error signal as a function of the relative position of said first and second elements and of said analog signals, a control for converting said error signal to digital pulses, A first storage device for storing a part-start number, control apparatus causing said internal counter to be set with part-start number digits representing a part-start position within one of said cycles and said external counter to be cleared to zero, the digital contents of said internal counter causing said error signal to supply digital pulses to said internal and external counters to cause each to change in count by an amount Delta equal to the difference between the part-start number digits and the coordinate of said first element, said control apparatus including a program device movable through a plurality of states, a first gating means responsive to a first one of said states to clear both said internal counter and said external counter to zero, a second gating means responsive to a second one of said states to cause said external counter to count up to the setting of said first storage device from said cleared condition, said internal counter counting in unison with said external counter from said cleared condition, whereby said internal counter contains a count corresponding to said part-start number digits, a third gating means responsive to a third one of said states to clear said external counter only, and a fourth gating means responsive to a fourth one of said states to cause said external counter to count in unison with said internal counter under control of said control responsive to the error signal whereby said internal counter counts to the coordinate of said first element and the contents of said external counter and said display means represent the amount Delta .
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
448 words
A digital readout device for a position-measuring apparatus of the type comprising a position-measuring device having a first element adapted to be attached to a first member of a machine and a second element adapted to be attached to a second member of the machine wherein one of said members is relatively movable with respect to the other of said members, said second element having a plurality of equally spaced cycles at equally spaced positions and said first element having a coordinate with respect to said cycles, an internal counter having digital contents representing a coordinate between adjacent ones of said equally spaced positions, an external counter, a display slaved to said external counter for indicating the magnitude of the count in said external counter, a converter for converting said digital contents of said internal counter to analog signals and for applying said analog signals to said position-measuring device to produce an error signal as a function of the relative position of said first and second elements and of said analog signals, a control for converting said error signal to digital pulses, A first storage device for storing a part-start number, control apparatus causing said internal counter to be set with part-start number digits representing a part-start position within one of said cycles and said external counter to be cleared to zero, the digital contents of said internal counter causing said error signal to supply digital pulses to said internal and external counters to cause each to change in count by an amount Delta equal to the difference between the part-start number digits and the coordinate of said first element, said control apparatus including a program device movable through a plurality of states, a first gating means responsive to a first one of said states to clear both said internal counter and said external counter to zero, a second gating means responsive to a second one of said states to cause said external counter to count up to the setting of said first storage device from said cleared condition, said internal counter counting in unison with said external counter from said cleared condition, whereby said internal counter contains a count corresponding to said part-start number digits, a third gating means responsive to a third one of said states to clear said external counter only, and a fourth gating means responsive to a fourth one of said states to cause said external counter to count in unison with said internal counter under control of said control responsive to the error signal whereby said internal counter counts to the coordinate of said first element and the contents of said external counter and said display means represent the amount Delta .
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
22 words
Device according to claim 28 wherein the contents of said external counter and said display means represent the complement of Delta .
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
326 words
In a digital readout apparatus for a position-measuring device having a first member movable with respect to a second fixed member along a path having plurality of equally spaced measuring cycles, said fixed member having a part zero position normally offset by a first amount from a zero reference position in one of said cycles, said movable member having a part-start position normally offset by a second amount from a said zero reference position in one of said cycles, an internal counter having a capacity only to count an amount representing the full distance within a said cycle, an external counter having a capacity greater than said internal counter and sufficient to count an amount representing the distance between said part zero position and said part-start position, display means slaved to said external counter, and control means cooperable with said measuring device for causing said internal counter to count to said second amount, the combination comprising, selectively settable switch means for storing an amount indicative of the distance between said part-start position and said part zero position, a program device movable through a plurality of states, a first gating means responsive to a first one of said states to cause said external counter to count up to the setting of said switch means from a cleared condition and to cause said internal counter to count in unison with said external counter from a cleared condition, said internal counter being effective to restart counting when its capacity is reached, a second gating means responsive to a second one of said states to clear said external counter only, and a third gating means responsive to a third one of said states to cause said external counter to count in unison with said internal counter and to cause said control means to control said internal counter whereby said internal counter will count to said second amount and said external counter and said display means will represent said first amount.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
326 words
In a digital readout apparatus for a position-measuring device having a first member movable with respect to a second fixed member along a path having plurality of equally spaced measuring cycles, said fixed member having a part zero position normally offset by a first amount from a zero reference position in one of said cycles, said movable member having a part-start position normally offset by a second amount from a said zero reference position in one of said cycles, an internal counter having a capacity only to count an amount representing the full distance within a said cycle, an external counter having a capacity greater than said internal counter and sufficient to count an amount representing the distance between said part zero position and said part-start position, display means slaved to said external counter, and control means cooperable with said measuring device for causing said internal counter to count to said second amount, the combination comprising, selectively settable switch means for storing an amount indicative of the distance between said part-start position and said part zero position, a program device movable through a plurality of states, a first gating means responsive to a first one of said states to cause said external counter to count up to the setting of said switch means from a cleared condition and to cause said internal counter to count in unison with said external counter from a cleared condition, said internal counter being effective to restart counting when its capacity is reached, a second gating means responsive to a second one of said states to clear said external counter only, and a third gating means responsive to a third one of said states to cause said external counter to count in unison with said internal counter and to cause said control means to control said internal counter whereby said internal counter will count to said second amount and said external counter and said display means will represent said first amount.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-27 | 1975-03-29 | 1975-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-27 | 1979-03-29 | 1979-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-27 | 1983-03-29 | 1983-09-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |