Device for coordinate conversions

Claim 1

A coordinate converting device for the determination of the coordinates of a moving body with respect to a pair of stationary coordinate axes, the value of the angle between one of the stationary axes and one of the axes of a pair of a coordinate axes being related to the moving body and the value of the distance travelled by the moving body in the direction of at least one of the axes of the coordinate axes related thereto being known, said distance being in the form of a series of distance increments, comprising: first means for calculating the sin and cos of said angle from the variations of said angle, said first means having a first plurality of binary incremental computers connected in a closed circuit arrangement, the outputs of each computer being connected to the inputs of the other computer, respectively; second means, responsive to the values of said angle, for coding said values in digital form; third means, responsive to the output of said second means, for inhibiting the output of said second means at the beginning of each calculation of the sin and cos of the angle; fourth means for producing a plurality of pulses at regular timed intervals; fifth means, responsive to said pulses, for counting said pulses recurring within a regular period; sixth means, responsive to the output of said third means and said fifth means, for detecting the equality between the digital value of said angle and the number of counted pulses; seventh means, responsive to the output of said fifth means, for producing pulses at time intervals proportional to the length of said regular periods up to the establishment of said equality, said pulses corresponding to increments of said angle; eighth means, responsive to the output of said seventh means, for calibrating said angular increments over the length of said regular periods, the output of said eighth means being connected to said first means; ninth means, responsive to the successive values of said sin and cos of said angle for storing said successive values at the end of each regular period; tenth means, responsive to the output of said ninth means, for multiplying said stored values of the sin and cos of said angle by said distance increments, including a second plurality of binary incremental computers, calibrated over a length of time equal to that of said regular periods; and Eleventh means, connected to each of said first through tenth means, for controlling the sequential operation carried out thereby.