Method and apparatus for controlling increment type position control apparatus

An incremental type position control apparatus for controlling the position of an object being controlled through comparison of data concerning the present position of the object being controlled and data concerning a next commanded position, comprising:

• means for providing a command signal for calibrating data concerning an origin position;
• displacement means responsive to said command signal, for controllably displacing the object being controlled in a direction toward the origin position so as to pass said origin position;
• means for stopping the object being controlled when the object being controlled passes said origin position;
• said displacement means being responsive to said stopping and said displacement means displacing the object being controlled so as to pass said origin position for a second time;
• and
• means for resetting the data concerning the present position of the object being controlled to an initial condition in dependence upon the data concerning the origin position when the object being controlled passes said origin position for the second time.

A method for controlling an automatic position control apparatus including feedback pulse generating means for generating feedback pulses in dependence upon displacement of an object being controlled, counter means for counting the feedback pulses and for generating data representing the current position of the object being controlled, command data generating means for generating command data for controlling the displacement of the object being controlled, command data store means for receiving and storing the command data, and displacement driving means for comparing the current position data in the counter means and the command data in the command data store means and for displacing the object being controlled along a predetermined displacement axis having an origin point position, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a command signal when it is desired to return the object being controlled to the origin point position;
• generating and storing the command data in succession, wherein the command data represents displacement amount data corresponding to a predetermined displacement of the object being controlled as a function of the command signal;
• displacing the object being controlled in succession in the direction toward the origin point position;
• stopping the object being controlled when the object being controlled passes the origin point position;
• driving the object being controlled in a direction in dependence upon the command data such that the object being controlled passes the origin point position a second time;
• and
• resetting the counter means to an initial condition at the timing when the object being controlled passes the origin point position for the second time.

An automatic position control apparatus, for controlling the position of an object being controlled, comprising:

• feedback pulse generating means for generating feedback pulses as a function of displacement of the object being controlled;
• counter means for counting said feedback pulses and for generating current position data representing the current position of the object being controlled;
• command data generating means for generating command data representing the desired displacement of the object being controlled;
• command data store means for receiving and storing said command data;
• displacement driving means for comparing said current position data in said counter means and said command data in said command data store means, and for displacing the object being controlled along a displacement axis having a predetermined origin point position;
• means for providing a command signal when it is desired to return the object being controlled to said origin point position;
• origin point direction displacing means for successively displacing the object being controlled by every predetermined displacement amount in the direction toward said origin point position in dependence upon said command signal;
• object detecting means at said origin point position of said displacement axis, for detecting the presence of the object being controlled at said origin point position and for providing a detection signal;
• means responsive to said detection signal for stopping the displacement of the object being controlled in the direction toward said origin point position and for generating a stop signal;
• second displacement driving means responsive to said stop signal for displacing the object being controlled in the direction such that the object passes said origin point position for a second time;
• and
• resetting means for resetting said counter means to an initial condition in response to the detection signal provided by said object detecting means when the object being controlled passes said origin point position for the second time.