Numerical controller

Abstract

A numerical controller in which similar icons are created without applying major load onto a memory. Among icon definition data displayed in areas F1 . . . , G1 . . . , H1 . . . , on frames A, B and C, the data that can be expressed by conversions, such as rotation, horizontal mirror image, vertical mirror image, horizontal-and-vertical mirror image, magnification/contraction retaining horizontal/vertical ratio, magnification/contraction varying horizontal/vertical ratio, black/white reversal, display in red, blue, yellow and green, with respect to one parent icon, are substituted with data indicating the conversion contents. It is possible to display many icons with a small storage capacity. The definition data of each icon can be previously written in a ROM and copied to a RAM when the power is turned on to be used for display.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a numerical controller that controls a machine tool to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing storage areas of a memory in an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a data input frame for icon conversion in the embodiment;

FIGS. 4 a to 4f are views showing examples of icons created by subjecting icons selected in FIG. 3 to “rotation”, “horizontal mirror image”, “vertical mirror image”, “horizontal-and-vertical mirror image”, “magnification/contraction retaining horizontal/vertical ratio”, and “magnification/contraction varying horizontal/vertical ratio”, respectively;

FIGS. 5 a to 5c are views showing examples of display frames of frames A, B and C; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing that is implemented for icon display at the time of frame selection.

Claims

1. A numerical controller having a function of selectively displaying one of different frames, each including at least one icon display area, on a display screen, said numerical controller comprising: storage means for storing icon definition data for defining different icons, and icon designation data for designating ones of the different icons to be respectively displayed in the icon display areas of the different frames, said different icons including a child icon to be acquired by subjecting a parent icon that is another of the different icons to one of conversions of changing display configuration, changing a display size and changing a display color, and said icon definition data for the child icon including designation of a parent icon of the child icon and contents of the one of the conversions to which the parent icon is to be subjected;determining means for determining one of the different icons to be displayed in each icon display area of selected one of the different frames according to the icon designation data stored in said storage means, and reading icon definition data of each of the determined icons from said storage means; anddisplaying means for displaying each of the icons determined to be displayed in the corresponding icon display area of the selected frame based on the icon definition data determined by said determining/reading means, wherein said displaying means displays the child icon by subjecting the parent icon of the child icon to the one of the conversions according to the designations in the icon definition data for the child icon.

2. A numerical controller according to claim 1, further comprising input means for an operator to designate the icon definition data for the child icon.

3. A numerical controller according to claim 1, wherein said storage means comprises a ROM storing the icon definition data.