DATA HANDLING SYSTEM

• US 3,602,902 A
• Filed: 11/12/1969
• Issued: 08/31/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph J. Madden
• Original Assignee: Joseph J. Madden
• Inventors: Madden, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chapuran, Ronald F.
• Application Number:
  US04/875,823
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 340/172.5,146.3 346/25,31 178/18 235/92
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 11/00 Methods or arrangements for graph-reading or for converting the pattern of mechanical parameters, e.g. force or presence, into electrical signal feelers for copying devices on machine tools B23Q35/00; arrangements for measuring areas G01B; measuring force G01L; adapted as input devices to computers G06F3/00; combined with pattern recognition G06F18/00; arrangements for image or video recognition or understanding G06V10/00; character recognition, recognising digital ink or document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; systems for transmitting the position of an object with respect to a predetermined reference system, e.g. tele-autographic system, G08C21/00

Abstract

A system for collecting data from engineering or architectural drawings to prepare estimates includes an output tape punch which records material descriptions and quantities in conjunction with job identifications. The material descriptions are supplied by manually actuated selecting keys which provide code marking to an output steering circuit coupled to the tape punch. Certain of the selectors control a chart drive which selectively positions a group of legend bearing loops to supply proper descriptive legends adjacent others of the selectors to assist the operator. Material quantities are supplied by detectors which are movable relative to the drawings and which are selectively enabled by the material selections. The system includes a scale selector to provide a proper detector input for drawings of different scale. A manual keyboard can also enter quantities and other information. The quantity information is accumulated in a storage register and transferred to the recorder through the output steering circuit. The value in the storage register can be increased or decreased by either the keyboard or the detectors and transferred to the recorder as positive or negative values.

Claims

1. A data collecting system for recording in code data derived from and related to graphic records, comprising:

a recorder, a storage register for storing a quantity and coupled to the recorder for controlling its operation, a detecting means movable relative to a graphic record and operable to supply signals representing a quantity, a control circuit operable to a first setting for applying the signals form the detecting mans to the storage register to increase the quantity in the storage register and operable to a second setting to decrease the quantity in the storage register.

2. The data collecting system set forth in claim 1 in which:

the control circuit is normally in said first setting and includes manually operable means for placing said control circuit in said second setting.

3. The data collecting system set forth in claim 1 in which:

the control circuit includes means controlled by the value of the quantity stored in the storage register for changing the control circuit between its first and second settings.

4. A data collecting system for recoding in code data derived from and related to graphic recordS, comprising:

a recorder, a storage register for storing a quantity and coupled to the recorder for controlling its operation, said storage register including a bidirectional counter, detecting means movable relative to the graphic record and operable to provide signals representing a quantity, a control circuit coupled to the storage register and operable to control both the direction of operation of the bidirectional counter and the operation of the counter in the selected direction by said signals, and manually operable means coupled to the control circuit and operable to different settings to control the selection of the direction of operation of the bidirectional counter.

5. The data collecting system set forth in claim 4 including:

keyboard means for supplying keyboard signals for entering a quantity into said storage register, and control means coupled to the control circuit for controlling the control circuit to select the direction of operation of the bidirectional counter independent of the setting of the manually operable means and for supplying said keyboard signals to the counting circuit.

6. The data collecting system set forth in claim 4 in which:

the detecting means includes both a plurality of separate detectors and selecting means for rendering different ones or combinations of the detectors effective to supply said signals.

7. A data collecting system for recording in code data derived from and related to graphic records, comprising:

a recorder, a storage register for storing a quantity and coupled to the recorder for controlling its operation, a detecting means movable relative to a graphic record and operable to supply signals representing a quantity, manually operable keyboard means for supplying signals representing a quantity, a control circuit coupled to the detecting means, the keyboard means, and the storage register for coupling the signals from the detecting means and the keyboard mean to the storage register to selectively increase or decrease the quantity in the storage register on successive operations to provide a resultant quantity, and a manually operable record control means coupled to the recorder for placing the recorder in operation to record the resultant quantity in the storage register.

8. The data collecting system set forth in claim 7 including:

a sign detecting circuit controlled by the storage register and operable to control the recorder to provide an indication of the positive or negative character of a resultant quantity recorded by the recorder.

9. A data collecting system for use with graphic records comprising:

a storage register for storing a value, detecting means coupled to the storage register and movable relative to a graphic record for providing value representing signals for operating the storage register, a keyboard means for providing value representing signals, a keyboard register for storing in value representing signals from the keyboard means, a control circuit coupled to the keyboard register and the storage register for transferring a value form the keyboard register to the storage register, the storage register being operated to a resultant value in accordance with the value representing signals from either or both of the keyboard means and the detecting means, a sign detecting means controlled by the storage register means to represent the positive or negative sign of the resultant value, and recording means controlled by the storage register and the sign detecting means for recording the resultant value and its sign.

10. The data collecting system set forth in claim 9 including:

manually operable input means selectively operable to settings representing material identification, and means controlled by said input means for recording the selected material identification in conjunction with each recorded value and sign.

11. The data collecting system set forth in claim 9 in which:

the storage register includes a bidirectional counter, and direction controlling means are provided for controlling the direction of counting of the counter in accordance with the value representing signals.

12. The data collecting system set forth in claim 11 in which:

the keyboard register includes a plural stage countdown register supplied with a value by the keyboard means, and a common clock pulse source is provided coupled to the countdown register and the bidirectional counter for operating the countdown register to decrement the value stored therein while the bidirectional counter is incrementally operated in its selected direction.

13. A data collecting system for use with graphic material having representations of different items therein comprising:

selecting means manually operable to select different ones of said items and to provide coded representations of the selected items, a plurality of detecting means each independently moveable relative to the graphic material for supplying a quantity or value related to the items, control means controlled by the selective operation of the selecting means for rendering different ones of the detecting means effective to supply a quantity of value in dependence on the item selected by the selecting means, and a recorder controlled by the selecting means and the detecting means for recording the selected and coded item representation and the supplied quantity or value.

14. The data collecting system set forth in claim 13 including:

alarm means, and means controlled by the control means for operating the alarm means when an attempt is made to supply a quantity or value using a detecting means that has not been enabled by the control means.

15. In a system for compiling and storing data relating to a graphic record:

recording means for storing digital data, storage means for storing data, output control means for coupling the storage means to the recording means to transfer data from the storage means to the recoding means, a plurality of detecting means movable relative to the graphic record and each operable to supply data to the storage means, a plurality of manually operable selectors each adapted to supply data to the output control for transfer to the recoding means to identify the data to be stored in the storage means, and inhibiting means coupled to the plurality of detecting means and controlled by the selectors for rendering different ones of the detecting means effective to supply data to the storage means in accordance with the operated one of the selectors.

16. The system set forth in claim 15 including:

at least one visual display means operable to provide a plurality of different visual displays, and means controlled by the selectors in accordance with the operated selector for controlling the visual display means to provide a given one of the different visual displays.

17. The system set forth in claim 16 in which:

the visual display means includes an elongated web moveable in the direction of its elongation and motor means for moving the elongated web to a position determined by the operated selector.

18. A system for compiling data from a graphic recording comprising:

a recorder for storing data in coded form;

a keyboard unit for manually entering digital data, detecting means movable relative to the graphic record for entering input data, storage means for storing digital data, input control means coupled to the keyboard unit, the detecting means, and the storage means for transferring data from the keyboard unit and the detecting means into the storage unit, output control means coupled between the storage means and the recorder for transferring data from the storage means to the recorder, and programming means coupled to the input and output control means for inhibiting the transfer of data to the recorder derived from the detecting means until at least one entry derived from the keyboard has been transferred to the recorder.

19. The system set forth in claim 18 including:

a plurality of said detecting means each adapted to supply input data, a number of different manually operable selectors for supplying data to the recorder through the output control means identifying the data supplied by the detecting means, and inhibiting means controlled by the selectors for selectively rendering different ones or combinations of the detecting means operable to supply data in accordance with the operated one of the selectors.

20. A data collecting system for use with graphic material having item representations therein comprising:

first selector means operable to select one of a number of broad classes of items and to provide a representation thereof, at least one second selector means operable to select identifying data from one of a number of groups of such data and to provide corresponding identifying data representations, each group of data being related to one of said broad classes, at least one elongated loop of web material bearing thereon a number of groups of legends, each group of legends corresponding to one of said groups of data, legend display means disposed adjacent the second selector means, drive means for moving the loop relative to the legend display means in either of two opposite directions, control means coupled to the drive means and controlled by the first selector means for operating the drive means to move the legends corresponding to the selected class of items to the legend display means by operating the drive means in the direction resulting in the shortest movement of the loop, and recording means controlled by the first and second selectors for recording the representation of the selected class and identifying data.

21. A data collecting system for use with scaled graphic illustrations comprising:

register mean including a signal responsive counter, detecting means movable relative to the illustration and operable to supply a signal for use unit of relative movement between the detecting means and the illustration, a scale selector operable to a plurality of different scale settings, a control circuit supplied with the signals from the detecting means and controlled by the scale selector for supplying the counter with a number of operating signals corresponding to the true length represented by the relative movement between the detecting means and the illustration, said control circuit including signal multiplying means for generating a selected number of signals for each signal received from the detecting means when the selected scale has a unity ratio and signal dividing means supplied with the signals from the multiplying means and providing the counter operating signals when the selected scale is not a unity ratio.