Electronic multiplier for terrain avoidance radar system

Claim 1

IN A MONOPULSE RECEIVER SYSTEM WHICH GENERATES A PERIODIC VIDEO SIGNAL HAVING A TIME-PHASE RELATIVE TO A PERIODIC SYSTEM TRIGGER SIGNAL, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE GAIN OF SAID VIDEO SIGNAL AS A FUNCTION OF SAID TIME PHASE, COMPRISING: AN INPUT TERMINAL SUBJECTED TO SAID VIDEO SIGNAL FROM THE SOURCE THEREOF, AN OUTPUT TERMINAL, A PLURALITY OF ATTENUATING NETWORKS COMMONLY INTERCONNECTING SAID INPUT TERMINAL AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL, THE OUTPUT GAIN WEIGHTING OF EACH SUCCESSIVE ATTENUATING NETWORK BEING LARGER THAN PRECEDING ONES OF SAID ATTENUATING NETWORKS, A SUMMING RESISTOR INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OUTPUT OF EACH OF SAID NETWORKS AND SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL, A SWITCH INTERPOSED IN CIRCUIT CONTROLLING THE ACTUATION OF EACH SAID ATTENUATING NETWORK, CLOCK MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID PERIODIC TRIGGER SIGNAL FOR SELECTIVELY TURNING ON AND OFF SAID SWITCHES IN A PREDETERMINED MANNER DURING A PERIODIC TIME INTERVAL, WHEREBY THE VIDEO GAIN AT SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL IS VARIED IN DISCRETE INCREMENTS RESEMBLING A PERIODIC STAIRCASE FUNCTION.