Peak sensing system employing sampling and logic circuits converting analog input topolarity-indicating digital output

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR ALTERNATELY INDICATING THE AMPLITUDE OF PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF A WAVEFORM, A SAMPLE-HOLD CIRCUIT; PROGRAMMING MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING ALTERNATING SAMPLE TIME PERIODS AND HOLD TIME PERIODS; SWITCHING MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID PROGRAMMING MEANS TO FEED SAID WAVEFORM TO SAID CIRCUIT ONLY DURING THE SAMPLE TIME PERIODS, WHEREBY SAID CIRCUIT FOLLOWS SAID WAVEFORM DURING EACH SAMPLE TIME PERIOD AND HOLDS, DURING EACH HOLD TIME PERIOD, THE VALUE OF THE WAVEFORM AT THE END OF THE PRECEDING SAMPLE TIME PERIOD; COMPARING MEANS HAVING TWO INPUT MEANS; MEANS TO FEED, AS INPUTS TO SAID INPUT MEANS, SAID WAVEFORM AND THE OUTPUT OF SAID CIRCUIT, RESPECTIVELY; SAID COMPARING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT OF ONE POLARITY WHEN ONE OF SAID INPUTS EXCEEDS THE OTHER AND AN OUTPUT OF OPPOSITE POLARITY WHEN THE OTHER OF SAID INPUTS EXCEEDS THE ONE; INDICATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CIRCUIT; AND MEANS FOR INITIATING AN OPERATION OF SAID INDICATING MEANS UPON EACH REVERSAL OF POLARITY OF THE OUTPUT OF SAID COMPARING MEANS, SO AS TO INDICATE, ALTERNATELY, THE PEAKS AND VALLEYS OF SAID WAVEFORM.