Machine tool control system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a machine tool comprising:
- providing a machine tool controller adapted to receive commands from an input source and provide control instructions to a machine tool based at least in part on the commands;
providing an operator interface for inputting commands to the controller, the interface including a display screen having images thereon of command functions, the command functions including single operations and compound operations having a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence initially provided and visible on a menu portion of the display screen, the images being selectable on the screen to place into a sequence of command functions selected by an operator, the interface further including a sequence generator to indicate sequential ordering of the command functions represented by the sequence of images on the screen;
selecting a plurality of images representing the command functions that the operator desires to have performed by the machine tool, the command functions including at least one compound operation containing a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence;
copying the selected images from the menu portion of the display screen onto a working portion of the screen;
designating a sequence of the images on the working portion of the screen representing the order in which the operator desires the machine tool to perform the selected command functions, the working portion of the screen including an indication that the at least one compound operation contains a defined sequence of single operations without showing in the sequence of images on the working portion of the screen the defined sequence of single operations in the at least one compound operation; and
using the operator controller sequence generator, translating the designated sequence of selected images into a sequence of commands and inputting the sequence of commands into the controller to control the machine tool to perform the selected command functions in the order designated by the operator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A machine tool control system. A machine tool controller is provided to receive commands from an input source and provide control instructions to a machine tool based at least in part on the commands. An operator interface is provided for inputting commands to the controller. The interface includes a display screen having images of individual command functions, the images being selectable on the screen to place into a sequence of command functions selected by an operator. A sequence generator indicates sequential ordering of the command functions represented by the sequence of images on the screen, such that a sequence of images on the screen selected by the operator is translated by the operator controller sequence generator into a sequence of commands to be inputted into the controller. The operator interface may include one or more images each representing a plurality of individual command functions in a defined sequence.
77 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a machine tool comprising:
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providing a machine tool controller adapted to receive commands from an input source and provide control instructions to a machine tool based at least in part on the commands; providing an operator interface for inputting commands to the controller, the interface including a display screen having images thereon of command functions, the command functions including single operations and compound operations having a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence initially provided and visible on a menu portion of the display screen, the images being selectable on the screen to place into a sequence of command functions selected by an operator, the interface further including a sequence generator to indicate sequential ordering of the command functions represented by the sequence of images on the screen; selecting a plurality of images representing the command functions that the operator desires to have performed by the machine tool, the command functions including at least one compound operation containing a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence; copying the selected images from the menu portion of the display screen onto a working portion of the screen; designating a sequence of the images on the working portion of the screen representing the order in which the operator desires the machine tool to perform the selected command functions, the working portion of the screen including an indication that the at least one compound operation contains a defined sequence of single operations without showing in the sequence of images on the working portion of the screen the defined sequence of single operations in the at least one compound operation; and using the operator controller sequence generator, translating the designated sequence of selected images into a sequence of commands and inputting the sequence of commands into the controller to control the machine tool to perform the selected command functions in the order designated by the operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16)
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13. A control system for a machine tool comprising:
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a machine tool controller adapted to receive commands from an input source and provide control instructions to a machine tool based at least in part on the commands; and an operator interface for inputting commands to the controller, the interface including a display screen having images thereon of individual command functions, the command functions including single operations and compound operations having a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence initially provided and visible on a menu portion of the display screen, the images being selectable on a working portion of the screen to place into a sequence of command functions selected by an operator, the working portion of the screen including an indication that the at least one compound operation contains a defined sequence of single operations without showing in the sequence of images on the working portion of the screen the defined sequence of single operations in the at least one compound operation, the interface further including a sequence generator to indicate sequential ordering of the command functions represented by the sequence of images on the screen, whereby a sequence of images on the screen selected by the operator is translated by the operator controller sequence generator into a sequence of commands to be inputted into the controller. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of controlling a machine tool comprising:
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providing a machine tool controller adapted to receive commands from an input source and provide control instructions to a machine tool based at least in part on the commands; providing an operator interface for inputting commands to the controller, the interface including a display screen having images thereon of command functions, the command functions including single operations and compound operations having a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence, the images being selectable on the screen to place into a sequence of command functions selected by an operator, the interface further including a sequence generator to indicate sequential ordering of the command functions represented by the sequence of images on the screen; selecting a plurality of images representing the command functions that the operator desires to have performed by the machine tool, the command functions including at least one compound operation containing a plurality of single operations in a defined sequence; designating a sequence of the images on a portion of the screen representing the order in which the operator desires the machine tool to perform the selected command functions, the screen including an indication that the at least one compound operation contains a defined sequence of single operations without showing in the sequence of images on the working portion of the screen the defined sequence of single operations in the at least one compound operation; providing on the operator interface an image of a command function having a true-false decision operation; selecting the image of a command function having a true-false decision operation; inserting the image of a command function having a true-false decision operation into a designated sequence of images on the screen representing the order of selected command functions; by default generating connector lines visible on the display screen, representing true and false branches, to connect to an image of a command function immediately following the image of the command function having the true-false decision operation; and moving at least one of the connector lines representing true and false branches from the immediately following command function image to an earlier or later command function image in the designated sequence of images on the screen; and using the operator controller sequence generator, translating the designated sequence of selected images into a sequence of commands and inputting the sequence of commands into the controller to control the machine tool to perform the selected command functions in the order designated by the operator. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification