Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A system for controlling a plurality of machine tools comprising a central processor containing control programs for said machine tools, a plurality of tool controllers each operatively associated with a machine tool and under the control of said central processor through data instructions communicated from said central processor, and a multiple channel data bus connected between the central processor and each of the controllers for the communication of said data instructions and other data transactions between the processor and a controller by the transferring of parallel bits of data to and from the processor, each of said controllers comprising at least one tool control unit, adapted, in response to data instructions communicated from the central processor, to provide a digital output to the associated machine tool for controlling a tool function and/or for receiving from said tool, a digital input indicative of a tool condition, and means for completing a controlled tool function initiated by a data instruction transaction from the central processor after all data transactions are completed and the processor is no longer in communication with the tool controller.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
181 words
A system for controlling a plurality of machine tools comprising a central processor containing control programs for said machine tools, a plurality of tool controllers each operatively associated with a machine tool and under the control of said central processor through data instructions communicated from said central processor, and a multiple channel data bus connected between the central processor and each of the controllers for the communication of said data instructions and other data transactions between the processor and a controller by the transferring of parallel bits of data to and from the processor, each of said controllers comprising at least one tool control unit, adapted, in response to data instructions communicated from the central processor, to provide a digital output to the associated machine tool for controlling a tool function and/or for receiving from said tool, a digital input indicative of a tool condition, and means for completing a controlled tool function initiated by a data instruction transaction from the central processor after all data transactions are completed and the processor is no longer in communication with the tool controller.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said tool controller further includes means for stopping the controlled tool function upon receiving from the tool a digital input indicative of a preselected tool condition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
101 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said each of said controllers comprises at least one tool control unit adapted to provide a digital output to the associated machine tool for controlling a tool function and at least one tool control unit adapted to receive from said tool, a digital input indicative of a tool condition and the tool function is completed through the provision of said digital output to the associated machine tool in response to a received digital input indicative of a tool condition, said response being correlated in said tool control units without any communication with the central processor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 3 wherein a single tool control unit receives the said digital input, correlates the response and provides the digital output to complete the tool function.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The system of claim 3 wherein a first tool control unit receives said digital input indicative of the tool condition and a second tool control unit provides said digital output in response to said received input to complete the tool function, and said response is correlated by the interaction of both tool control units.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
178 words
A system for controlling a plurality of machine tools comprising a central processor containing control programs for said machine tools, a plurality of tool controllers each operatively associated with a machine tool and under the control of said central processor through data instructions communicated from said central processor, and a data bus connected between the central processor and each of the controllers for the communication of said data instructions and other data transactions between the processor and a controller by the transferring of bits of data to and from the processor, each of said controllers comprising at least one tool control unit, adapted, in response to data instructions communicated from the central processor, to provide a digital output to the associated machine tool for controlling a tool function and/or for receiving from said tool, a digital input indicative of a tool condition, and means for completing a controlled tool function initiated by a data instruction transaction from the central processor after all data transactions are completed and the processor is no longer in communication with the tool controller.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
178 words
A system for controlling a plurality of machine tools comprising a central processor containing control programs for said machine tools, a plurality of tool controllers each operatively associated with a machine tool and under the control of said central processor through data instructions communicated from said central processor, and a data bus connected between the central processor and each of the controllers for the communication of said data instructions and other data transactions between the processor and a controller by the transferring of bits of data to and from the processor, each of said controllers comprising at least one tool control unit, adapted, in response to data instructions communicated from the central processor, to provide a digital output to the associated machine tool for controlling a tool function and/or for receiving from said tool, a digital input indicative of a tool condition, and means for completing a controlled tool function initiated by a data instruction transaction from the central processor after all data transactions are completed and the processor is no longer in communication with the tool controller.