Microfilm plotter system

Claim 2

A digital incremental plotting system including: a source of digital data for producing a succession of groups of coded instructions, each instruction forming a first character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along one axis and a second character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along a second axis; incremental plotting means including a cathode-ray display tube having a display screen; means coupled to said source and to said incremental plotting means and responsive to said first character of each such instruction to cause the cathode-ray beam in said cathode-ray tube to be deflected through a first predetermined number of incremental steps along said first axis, and responsive to said second character of each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected through said second-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said second axis, so as to display the plots corresponding to the aforesaid incremental steps in successive frames on said display screen; and a microfilm camera mounted in said system and optically coupled to said display screen in position to photograph the aforesaid plots appearing in said successive frames on said display screen so as to provide a microfilm record thereof.

Claim 3

A digital incremental plotting system including: a source of digital data for producing a succession of groups of coded instructions, each instruction forming a first character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along one axis and a second character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along a second axis; incremental plotting means including a cathode-ray display tube having a display screen; means coupled to said source and to said incremental plotting means and responsive to said first character of each such instruction to cause the cathode-ray beam in said cathode-ray tube to be deflected through a first predetermined number of incremental steps along said first axis, and responsive to said second character of each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected through said second-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said second axis, so as to display the plots corresponding to the aforesaid incremental steps in successive frames on said display screen; and a microfilm camera mounted in said system and optically coupled to said display screen in position to photograph the aforesaid plots appearing in said successive frames on said display screen so as to provide a microfilm record thereof.

Claim 4

A digital incremental plotting system including: a source of digital data for producing a succession of groups of coded instructions, each instruction forming a first character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along one axis and a second character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along a second axis; incremental plotting means including a cathode-ray display tube having a display screen; means coupled to said source and to said incremental plotting means and responsive to said first character of each such instruction to cause the cathode-ray beam in said cathode-ray tube to be deflected through a first predetermined number of incremental steps along said first axis, and responsive to said second character of each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected through said second-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said second axis, so as to display the plots corresponding to the aforesaid incremental steps in successive frames on said display screen; and a microfilm camera mounted in said system and optically coupled to said display screen in position to photograph the aforesaid plots appearing in said successive frames on said display screen so as to provide a microfilm record thereof.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 1, in which said source comprises a magnetic tape unit including a magnetic tape, on which said characters are recorded in binary form across said tape and in respective channels thereof.

Claim 6

A digital incremental plotting system including: a magnetic tape unit constituting a source of digital data for producing a succession of groups of coded instructions, each such instruction containing a first character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along one axis and A second character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along a second axis, said tape unit including a magnetic tape on which said characters are recorded across said tape in respective channels thereof; incremental plotting means including a cathode-ray tube having a display screen, said cathode-ray tube including means for developing a cathode-ray beam therein which is deflectable across said display screen along a first axis and a second axis; generating means coupled to said magnetic tape unit and to said incremental plotting means and responsive to said first character in each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected across said screen through said first-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said first axis, and responsive to said second character in each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected across said screen through said second-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said second axis, so as to display the plots corresponding to the aforesaid incremental steps in successive frames on said display screen; and a microfilm camera mounted in said system and optically coupled to said display screen in position to photograph the aforesaid plots appearing in said successive frames on said display screen so as to provide a microfilm record thereof.

Claim 7

A digital incremental plotting system including: a magnetic tape unit constituting a source of digital data for producing a succession of groups of coded instructions, each such instruction containing a first character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along one axis and A second character coded to represent a predetermined number of incremental steps along a second axis, said tape unit including a magnetic tape on which said characters are recorded across said tape in respective channels thereof; incremental plotting means including a cathode-ray tube having a display screen, said cathode-ray tube including means for developing a cathode-ray beam therein which is deflectable across said display screen along a first axis and a second axis; generating means coupled to said magnetic tape unit and to said incremental plotting means and responsive to said first character in each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected across said screen through said first-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said first axis, and responsive to said second character in each such instruction to cause said cathode-ray beam to be deflected across said screen through said second-mentioned predetermined number of incremental steps along said second axis, so as to display the plots corresponding to the aforesaid incremental steps in successive frames on said display screen; and a microfilm camera mounted in said system and optically coupled to said display screen in position to photograph the aforesaid plots appearing in said successive frames on said display screen so as to provide a microfilm record thereof.

Claim 8

The system defined in claim 3, in which each of said groups of instructions is designated by a predetermined address and in which each such address is identified by a distinctive identifier, both said address and said identifier being recorded as multi-bit binary characters across said tape and in respective channels thereof; and which includes address register means; sensing means coupled to said tape; and control circuit means including address decoder circuit means coupled to said identifier for enabling said sensing means to introduce successive addresses sensed from said tape into said address register means.