A.c. diode function generator

Claim 1

A FUNCTION GENERATING SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING, AS A FUNCTION OF AN ALTERNATING INPUT SIGNAL OF CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE MAGNITUDE AND REVERSIBLE PHASE APPLIED TO AN INPUT TERMINAL OF SAID SYSTEM, AN ALTERNATING OUTPUT SIGNAL HAVING THE SAME FREQUENCY AND WAVESHAPE AS SAID INPUT SIGNAL, SAID FUNCTION INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO INTERSECTING STRAIGHT LINES DEFINING DIFFERENT LINEAR INPUT-OUTPUT SIGNAL RELATIONS, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING AN AMPLIFIER HAVING AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT TERMINAL AND PRODUCING SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL, A BIAS NETWORK INCLUDING A FIRST AND A SECOND DIODE, THE CATHODE ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST DIODE AND THE ANODE ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND DIODE BEING DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO SAID AMPLIFIER INPUT TERMINAL, AND FURTHER INCLUDING MEANS FOR APPLYING THROUGH RESPECTIVE RESISTORS TO THE ANODE ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST DIODE AND THE CATHODE ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND DIODE RESPECTIVELY, AT LEAST ONE SET OF ALTERNATE AND BALANCED NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE TIME-VARYING UNIDIRECTIONAL BIAS SIGNALS WHICH HAVE WAVESHAPES ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS THE INPUT SIGNAL DURING ITS NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE HALF CYCLES RESPECTIVELY AND WHICH ARE OF THE SAME FREQUENCY AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID INPUT SIGNAL, A RESISTOR INTERCONNECTING SAID SYSTEM INPUT TERMINAL AND AMPLIFIER INPUT TERMINAL, AND TWO LIKE RESISTORS INTERCONNECTING SAID SYSTEM INPUT TERMINAL AND RESPECTIVELY, THE ANODE ELECTRODE OF SAID FIRST DIODE AND CATHODE ELECTRODE OF SAID SECOND DIODE, WHEREBY TO GENERATE ONE OR ANOTHER OF SAID STRAIGHT LINE RELATIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELATION OF MAGNITUDES OF SAID INPUT AND BIAS SIGNALS.