Method and apparatus for setting variable to desired value
First Claim
1. A method of operating an instrument having a display means for displaying a cursor at a position that depends on current value of a variable and an interface means for controlling the position of the cursor by adjusting the current value of the variable within a range, said method comprising:
- selecting a desired value for the variable, corresponding to a desired position of the cursor, the desired value being different from an initial current value, corresponding to an initial position of the cursor, and being such that the range extends beyond the desired value in two directions;
storing the desired value;
employing the interface means to continuously provide data of a first polarity such as to modify the current value of the variable in a first direction, said first direction being such as to reduce difference between the initial current value of the variable and the desired value;
comparing the current value of the variable with the desired value; and
when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value, responding to the data of the first polarity by continuously reducing the difference between the current value of the variable and the desired value, and when the current value of the variable is equal to the desired value, taking a pause for a pause period during which the current value of the variable remains fixed, whereby the cursor remains at the desired position, while the interface means continues to provide data of said first polarity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variable under operator control is set to a desired value by taking a pause when the value of the variable has been modified such that it would surpass the desired value. Upon meeting the desired value, the value of the variable is set to the desired value for the duration of a pause period, during which the value of the variable remains fixed regardless of further attempts to modify the variable. Therefore, even if the operator is careless, the variable does not pass over the desired values. The variable may represent a voltage or current, or the position of a cursor.
13 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of operating an instrument having a display means for displaying a cursor at a position that depends on current value of a variable and an interface means for controlling the position of the cursor by adjusting the current value of the variable within a range, said method comprising:
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selecting a desired value for the variable, corresponding to a desired position of the cursor, the desired value being different from an initial current value, corresponding to an initial position of the cursor, and being such that the range extends beyond the desired value in two directions; storing the desired value; employing the interface means to continuously provide data of a first polarity such as to modify the current value of the variable in a first direction, said first direction being such as to reduce difference between the initial current value of the variable and the desired value; comparing the current value of the variable with the desired value; and when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value, responding to the data of the first polarity by continuously reducing the difference between the current value of the variable and the desired value, and when the current value of the variable is equal to the desired value, taking a pause for a pause period during which the current value of the variable remains fixed, whereby the cursor remains at the desired position, while the interface means continues to provide data of said first polarity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating an instrument having a display means for displaying a cursor at a position that depends on current value of a variable and an interface means for controlling the position of the cursor by adjusting the current value of the variable within a range, said method comprising:
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selecting a desired value of the variable, corresponding to a desired position of the cursor, the desired value being different from an initial current value, corresponding to an initial position of the cursor, and being such that the range extends beyond the desired value in two directions; storing the desired value; employing the interface means to continuously provide data of a first polarity such as to modify the current value of the variable in a first direction, said first direction being such as to reduce difference between the initial current value of the variable and the desired value; comparing the current value of the variable with the desired value; and when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value by an amount of at least one modification step, responding to the data of the first polarity by continuously reducing the difference between the current value and the desired value, and when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value by an amount that is greater than zero and less than one modification step, setting the variable to a value less than one modification step preceding the desired value and taking a pause for a given pause period, whereby the cursor remains at its then current position, while the interface means continues to provide data of said first polarity. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for setting a variable to a desired value that is within a range and is such that the range extends beyond the desired value in first and second directions, said apparatus comprising:
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a display means for displaying a cursor at a position that depends on current value of the variable; interface means for producing first data for controlling the position of the cursor by adjusting the current value of the variable and second data for setting the desired value of the variable, corresponding to a desired position of the cursor, said first data having either a first polarity or a second polarity; a memory means for storing the desired value set by the interface means; converting means for receiving the first data from the interface means and modifying the current value of the variable in the first or second direction according to polarity of said first data; and comparing means for comparing the current value of the variable with the desired value, and when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value and the interface means continuously produces first data of the first polarity, which is such as to reduce the difference between the current value and the desired value, causing the converting means to respond to the first data by modifying the current value so as to continuously reduce the difference between the current value and the desired value, and when the current value of the variable meets the desired value in response to the interface means producing first data of said first polarity, causing the converting means to take a pause and stop further modifications of the value of the variable, whereby the cursor remains at the desired position, for a period of time while the interface means continues to provide data of said first polarity. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for setting a variable to a desired value that is within a range and is such that the range extends beyond the desired value in first and second directions, said apparatus comprising:
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a display means for displaying a cursor at a position that depends on current value of the variable; interface means for producing first data for controlling the position of the cursor by adjusting the current value of the variable and second data for setting the desired value of the variable, corresponding to a desired position of the cursor, said first data having either a first polarity or a second polarity; a memory means for storing the desired value set by the interface means; converting means for receiving the first data from the interface means and modifying the current value of the variable in the first or second direction according to polarity of said first data; comparing means for comparing the current value of the variable with the desired value and, when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value by an amount of at least one modification step and the interface means continuously produces first data of the first polarity, which is such as to reduce the difference between the current value and the desired value, causing the converting means to respond to the first data by modifying the current value so as to continuously reduce the difference between the current value and the desired value, and when the current value of the variable differs from the desired value by an amount that is greater than zero and less than one modification step in response to the interface means producing first data of said first polarity, setting the variable to a value less than one modification step preceding the desired value and disabling the converting means from further modifying the value of the variable for a given period of time, whereby the cursor remains in its then current position, while the interface means continues to provide data of said first polarity, thereby effecting a pause. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification