Power-saving device for digital circuitry

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH AN INPUT PULSE SOURCE AND A DIGITAL COUNTER FOR ELECTRICAL PULSES, SAID COUNTER HAVING A POWER INPUT TERMINAL AND AN ACTUATING-PULSE TERMINAL, SAID COUNTER REQUIRING A MINIMUM COUNTING VOLTAGE VC AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL TO ENABLE SAID COUNTER TO COUNT PULSES APPLIED TO SAID ACUTAING-PULSE TERMINAL, SAID COUNTER REQUIRING A MINIMUM MEMORY VOLTAGE VM AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL TO ENABLE SAID COUNTER TO RETAIN IN ITS MEMORY PULSES THAT HAVE BEEN COUNTED, VM BEING LESS THAN VC, AN IMPROVEMENT FOR REDUCING THE AVERAGE POWER REQUIRED FOR OPERATION OF SAID COUNTER, SAID IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: (A) A POWER SUPPLY HAVING AN OUTPUT TERMINAL AND A CONTROL TERMINAL, SAID OUTPUT TERMINAL CONNECTED TO SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL; (B) SAID POWER SUPPY APPLYING A QUIESCENT VOLTAGE TO SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL OF AT LEAST VM BUT LESS THAN VC; (C) SAID POWER SUPPLY BEING ADAPTED, IN RESPONSE TO VOLTAGE INFORMATION APPLIED TO SAID CONTROL TERMINAL, TO INCREASE THE VOLTAGE AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL TO A VALUE AT LEAST EQUAL TO VC FOR A PERIOD AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO PERMIT SAID COUNTER TO RESPOND TO AN ACTUATING PULSE APPLIED TO SAID ACTUATING PULSE TERMINAL AND TO THEREAFTER REDUCE THE VOLTAGE AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL TO SAID QUIESCENT VALUE; (D) FIRT MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT PULSE SOURCE AND SAID CONTROL TERMINAL FOR SUPPLYING VOLTAGE INFORMATION TO SAID CONTROL TERMINAL IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT PULSE FROM SAID INPUT PULSE SOURCE; AND (E) SECOND MEANS CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID INPUT PULSE SOURCE AND SAID ACTUATING-PULSE TERMINAL FOR SUPPLYING A SLIGHTLY DELAYED ACTUATING PULSE TO SAID ACTUATING-PULSE TERMINAL IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT PULSE FROM SAID INPUT PULSE SOURCE; (F) WHEREBY IN RESPONSE TO AN INPUT PULSE FROM SAID INPUT PULSE SOURCE THE VOLTAGE AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL IS RAISED TO A VALUE AT LEAST EQUAL TO VC FOR A LIMITED PERIOD AND AN ACTUATING PULSE IS RECEIVED AT SAID ACTUATING PULSE TERMINAL AND COUNTED BY SAID COUNTER DURING SAID LIMITED PERIOD, THE VOLTAGE AT SAID POWER INPUT TERMINAL THEREAFTER RETURNING TO ITS QUIESCENT VALUE.