System for defining graphic patterns for a numerical control apparatus

Claim 1

A system for defining graphic patterns for an NC apparatus, comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses identifying data for defining a graphic pattern; data setting means for setting known data corresponding to the addresses displayed on said display means and indicative of the desired graphic pattern, said display control means, when known data corresponding to less than all of said displayed addresses are set, continuing to display the addresses of unknown data not set by said data setting means, with the display adjacent each unknown data address indicating, e.g., by means of a blank display area, that said each address corresponds to unknown data; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for operating on said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movements of a machine tool.

Claim 2

A system for defining graphic patterns for an NC apparatus, comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses identifying data for defining a graphic pattern; data setting means for setting known data corresponding to the addresses displayed on said display means and indicative of the desired graphic pattern, said display control means, when known data corresponding to less than all of said displayed addresses are set, continuing to display the addresses of unknown data not set by said data setting means, with the display adjacent each unknown data address indicating, e.g., by means of a blank display area, that said each address corresponds to unknown data; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for operating on said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movements of a machine tool.

Claim 11

A system for defining a graphic pattern for an NC apparatus, said pattern comprising a planar pattern composed of a straight line, an arc or combinations thereof, said system comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses corresponding to data for identifying said graphic pattern, said addresses comprising designations for a straight line, an arc, the coordinates of an end point of the graphic pattern, a vector angle of said straight line, a radius of said arc, vector components of said straight line, arc center coordinates and a modifier specifying the position of an intersection or a point of contact of the graphic pattern; data setting means for setting known data using said addresses displayed on said display means and respresenting the desired graphic pattern; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for operating on said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movements of a machine tool.

Claim 12

A system for defining a graphic pattern for an NC apparatus, said pattern comprising a planar pattern composed of a straight line, an arc or combinations thereof, said system comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses corresponding to data for identifying said graphic pattern, said addresses comprising designations for a straight line, an arc, the coordinates of an end point of the graphic pattern, a vector angle of said straight line, a radius of said arc, vector components of said straight line, arc center coordinates and a modifier specifying the position of an intersection or a point of contact of the graphic pattern; data setting means for setting known data using said addresses displayed on said display means and respresenting the desired graphic pattern; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for operating on said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movements of a machine tool.

Claim 14

A system for defining graphic patterns of groups of points for an NC apparatus, said groups of points including a point, a row of points, a rhombus, a grid-like rhombus, a circle, an arc, and a chord, said system comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses corresponding to said graphic patterns of groups of points, said addresses including addresses corresponding to coordinates of a reference point, an angle with respect to a reference axis indicating a first direction, an angle with respect to said reference axis or said first direction and indicating a second direction, one of a pitch, an entire length or a radius in said first direction, one of a pitch or an entire length in said second direction, the number of points in said first direction, the number of points in said second direction, and modifiers; data setting means for selecting one of said graphic patterns and setting known data corresponding to addresses displayed on said display means and associated with the selected graphic pattern, said data setting means including means for setting data by selecting a pitch or an entire length for the patterns of a row of points, rhombus, and a grid-like rhombus using one of said modifiers, and for setting data by selecting an angle formed between two adjacent points or an angle formed between the reference axis or the straight line in the first direction and a final point for the pattern of an arc, using one of said modifiers; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for computing said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data corresponding to some of said displayed addresses which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movement of a machine tool.

Claim 15

A system for defining graphic patterns of groups of points for an NC apparatus, said groups of points including a point, a row of points, a rhombus, a grid-like rhombus, a circle, an arc, and a chord, said system comprising: display means; display control means for controlling said display means to display addresses corresponding to said graphic patterns of groups of points, said addresses including addresses corresponding to coordinates of a reference point, an angle with respect to a reference axis indicating a first direction, an angle with respect to said reference axis or said first direction and indicating a second direction, one of a pitch, an entire length or a radius in said first direction, one of a pitch or an entire length in said second direction, the number of points in said first direction, the number of points in said second direction, and modifiers; data setting means for selecting one of said graphic patterns and setting known data corresponding to addresses displayed on said display means and associated with the selected graphic pattern, said data setting means including means for setting data by selecting a pitch or an entire length for the patterns of a row of points, rhombus, and a grid-like rhombus using one of said modifiers, and for setting data by selecting an angle formed between two adjacent points or an angle formed between the reference axis or the straight line in the first direction and a final point for the pattern of an arc, using one of said modifiers; a memory for storing said addresses, the data set by said data setting means, and mathematical formulas; computing means for computing said set data stored in said memory according to said formulas to determine the values of unknown data corresponding to some of said displayed addresses which have not been given numerical values by said data setting means; central processing means for controlling said computing means and said memory to store the results of computations effected by said computing means; and output control means responsive to the set data and computed data stored in said memory for controlling the movement of a machine tool.