Method of operating a virtual mechanical module which simulates a mechanical device

A method of operating, on the basis of address control and implemented on a computer, a virtual mechanical module connected to a virtual input device and a virtual output device, comprising the steps of:

• reading input position address information corresponding to a position of the virtual input device in accordance with connection information;
• calculating a position address of the virtual input device from said input position address information within a predefined input movement range;
• determining whether said position address is within a range of valid addresses;
• operating on an operational expression of said virtual mechanical module using said input position address information and said position address calculated in said calculating step to produce an operation result indicating an output position address, wherein said output position address corresponds to a position of the virtual output device;
• defining said input position address information as a preceding value;
• storing said preceding value in an input preceding value address area;
• storing said operation result in an output address area;
• outputting said operation result stored in said output address area to the virtual output device for controlling a machine;
• and
• controlling the machine, based on said operation result, thereby causing movement of the machine.

A method of operating a virtual mechanical module, implemented on a computer, on the basis of address control, comprising the steps of:

• reading input position address information in accordance with connection information;
• calculating a position address from said input position address information within a predefined input movement range;
• determining whether said position address is within a range of valid addresses;
• operating on an operational expression of said virtual mechanical module using said input position address information and said position address calculated in said calculating step to produce an operation result corresponding to an output position address;
• defining said input position address information as a preceding value;
• storing said preceding value in an input preceding value address area;
• storing said operation result in an output address area;
• and
• causing, based on said operation result, movement of a machine.

A method of operating a virtual mechanical module, implemented on a computer, on the basis of address control, comprising the steps of:

• reading input position address information in accordance with connection information;
• calculating a position address from said input position address information within a predefined input movement range;
• determining whether said position address is within a range of valid addresses;
• operating on an operational expression of said virtual mechanical module using said input position address information and said position address calculated in said calculating step to produce an operation result corresponding to an output position address;
• defining said input position address information as a preceding value;
• storing said preceding value in an input preceding value address area;
• storing said operation result in an output address area;
• outputting said operation result stored in said output address area to a virtual output device for controlling a machine;
• and
• controlling the machine, based on said operation result, thereby causing movement of the machine.

A software module for simulating a mechanical device, embodied in a tangible medium, operated on the basis of address control, comprising:

• means for reading input position address information in accordance with connection information;
• means for calculating a position address from said input position address information within a predefined input movement range;
• means for determining whether said position address is within a range of valid addresses;
• means for operating on an operational expression of said software module using said input position address information and said position address calculated in said calculating step to produce an operation result corresponding to an output position address;
• means for defining said input position address information as a preceding value;
• means for storing said preceding value in an input preceding value address area;
• means for storing said operation result in an output address area;
• and
• means for causing, based on said operation result, movement of a machine.

A software module for simulating a mechanical device, embodied in a tangible medium, operated on the basis of address control, comprising:

• means for reading input position address information in accordance with connection information;
• means for calculating a position address from said input position address information within a predefined input movement range;
• means for determining whether said position address is within a range of valid addresses;
• means for operating on an operational expression of said software module using said input position address information and said position address calculated in said calculating step to produce an operation result corresponding to an output position address;
• means for defining said input position address information as a preceding value;
• means for storing said preceding value in an input preceding value address area;
• means for storing said operation result in an output address area;
• means for outputting said operation result stored in said output address area to a virtual output device for controlling a machine;
• and
• means for controlling the machine, based on said operation result, thereby causing movement of the machine.

A method of operating a transmission software module representing a gear in a virtual positioning apparatus having input and output memory locations for storing input and output position information, respectively, for controlling a motor comprising the steps of:

• inputting present input position information stored in the input memory location;
• operating on said input position information with a predetermined operation expression based on a predetermined ratio, thereby producing a result which corresponds to a change in the output position information stored in the output memory location based on said present input position information and said predetermined ratio;
• defining said present input position information as a preceding value;
• storing said preceding value in an input preceding value area;
• storing in the output memory location as present output position information said result of said operating step;
• and
• causing, based on said result, movement of the motor.