Analog-digital converter employing an asymmetrical multivibrator

Claim 1

AN ANALOG-DIGITAL CONVERTER COMPRISING: AN OUTPUT COUNTER; MEANS PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE STREAM OF PULSES; MEANS CONNECTED FOR GATING PULSES INTO SAID OUTPUT COUNTER; BISTABLE MEANS SETTABLE FOR ENABLING, AND RESETTABLE FOR DISABLING, SAID GATING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR SETTING AND THEREAFTER RESETTING SAID BISTABLE MEANS TO ENABLE AND GATING MEANS FOR A MEASURED TIME TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF PULSES GATED INTO SAID OUTPUT COUNTER, INCLUDING: FIRST AND SECOND TIME-MEASURING COUNTERS EACH PRODUCING AN OUTPUT WHEN THE COUNT THEREOF REACHES A SELECTED MODULUS; SAID FIRST TIME-MEASURING COUNTER BEING CONNECTED FOR SAID OUTPUT THEREOF TO SET SAID BISTABLE MEANS TO START SAID MEASURED TIME; SAID SECOND TIME-MEASURING COUNTER BEING CONNECTED FOR SAID OUTPUT THEREOF TO RESET SAID BISTABLE MEANS TO END SAID MEASURED TIME; MEANS CONNECTED FOR GATING PULSES HAVING A SELECTED REPETITION RATE INTO SAID FIRST TIME-MEASURING COUNTER DURING A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL; MEANS CONNECTED FOR GATING PULSES HAVING SAID SELECTED REPETITION RATE INTO SAID SECOND TIME-MEASURING COUNTER DURING A TIME INTERVAL SHORTER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL BY AN AMOUNT PROPORTIONAL TO A GIVEN VALUE OF A VARIABLE QUANTITY SO THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE COUNTS ENTERED INTO SAID FIRST AND SECOND TIME-MEASURING COUNTERS IS ALSO PROPORTIONAL TO SAID GIVEN VALUE; AND MEANS CONNECTED FOR THEREAFTER GATING A STREAM OF PULSES INTO BOTH OF SAID TIME-MEASURING COUNTERS UNTIL BOTH ATTAIN SAID SELECTED MODULUS, WHEREBY SAID MEASURED TIME IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE COUNTS PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO SAID TIME-MEASURING COUNTERS.