Method and apparatus for controlling tracking path of working point of

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the tracking path of a working element so that the working element moves along a path having a predetermined positional relationship with a working object by adjusting the relative positional relationship between the working element and the working object through the movement of individually movable at least one moving element. The method and apparatus allot individual coordinate systems each having a discriminator to the working element, the working object and the moving elements to provide coordinate systems with the corresponding discriminators, set as a coordinate system expressing the data for controlling the movement of the working element a first coordinate system selected from the coordinate systems, describe, using a second coordinate system selected from the coordinate systems, the data representing the positions of the working element corresponding to specific points on the tracking path along which the working element is to move on the basis of a prescribed working schedule, store these data together with the discriminators representative of the corresponding coordinate systems, decide in executing a real work if or not the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system are the same from their discriminators, and, if both coordinate systems are different coordinate systems, converts the position data of the working element corresponding to the specific points into the data expressed in the first coordinate system, and control the movement of the working element on the basis of the converted data.