Electronic arbitrary function generator

Claim 1

AN ARBITRARY FUNCTION GENERATOR FOR GENERATING A PREDETERMINED OUTPUT FUNCTION F(X) IN RESPONSE TO AN APPLIED INPUT SIGNAL X, SAID FUNCTION GENERATOR COMPRISING: A SUMMING LEAD, MEANS FOR APPLYING AN ADJUSTABLE CONSTANT D.-C. SIGNAL TO SAID SUMMING LEAD, A FIRST FUNCTION GENERATING UNIT FOR APPLYING TO SAID SUMMING LEAD A SIGNAL WHICH VARIES LINERALY AT AN ADJUSTABLE RATE WHEN THE INPUT SIGNAL X IS BETWEEN PREDETERMINED POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE VALUES, A PLURALITY OF OTHER FUNCTION GENERATING UNITS, EACH OF SAID OTHER UNITS ADAPTED TO APPLY TO SAID SUMMING LEAD A SIGNAL WHICH VARIES LINEARLY AT AN ADJUSTABLE RATE WITH THE INPUT SIGNAL X ONLY BETWEEN ADJUSTABLE VALUES OF LIKE POLARITY THEREOF, EACH OF SAID OTHER FUNCTION GENERATING UNITS COMPRISING AN INPUT POINT TO WHICH A SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INPUT SIGNAL X IS FED, A FIRST JUNCTION POINT, A SECOND JUNCTION POINT, A RESISTOR INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS AN OUTPUT JUNCTION POINT, AN ADJUSTABLE RESISTANCE THROUGH WHICH SAID OUTPUT JUNCTION POINT IS CONNECTED TO SAID SUMMING LEAD, A FIRST DIODE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT AND SAID FIRST JUNCTION POINT, A SECOND DIODE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID OUTPUT AND SAID SECOND JUNCTION POINT, THE POLING OF SAID FIRST DIODE FROM SAID INPUT TO SAID FIRST JUNCTION POINT BEING THE SAME AS THE POLING OF SAID SECOND DIODE FROM SAID OUTPUT TO SAID SECOND JUNCTION POINT, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING BIAS VOLTAGES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS, THE BIAS VOLTAGES APPLIED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS BEING RESPECTIVELY NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE WHEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND DIODES ARE POLED TO PERMIT POSITIVE CURRENT FLOW FROM SAID INPUT AND OUTPUT POINTS TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS RESPECTIVELY, AND RESPECTIVELY POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WHEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND DIODES ARE POLED TO PERMIT NEGATIVE CURRENT FLOW FROM SAID INPUT AND OUTPUT POINTS TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS RESPECTIVELY, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE BIAS VOLTAGES APPLIED TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND JUNCTION POINTS DETERMINING THE PREDETERMINED RANGE OF VALUES OF LIKE POLARITY OF THE SIGNAL APPLIED TO SAID INPUT POINT WHICH WILL APPLY A PROPORTIONAL OUTPUT SIGNAL TO SAID SUMMING LEAD, THE AMOUNT OF WHICH IS ADJUSTED BY MEANS OF SAID ADJUSTABLE RESISTANCE, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SUMMING LEAD FOR SUMMING THE OUTPUTS OF SAID UNITS.