Time-shared bidirectional pulse counter

Claim 2

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring groups of pulses, which are spaced apart in time, comprising a backward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of pulses, an input for said backward counter to which all of the pulses of said groups of pulses are applied, a bidirectional counter that can store a number of individuallydifferent counts, the pulses in each group of pulses being applied to said input for said backward counter to cause said backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter to preset the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the peRiod between said groups of pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is not receiving any of said groups of pulses, and second means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the residual count in said backward counter at the end of each group of said pulses for updating the count in said bidirectional counter, said second means sensing said residual count in said backward counter while said backward counter is at rest and being activated to apply signals to said bidirectional counter that correspond to said residual count in said backward counter and that update said count in said bidirectional counter.

Claim 3

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring groups of pulses, which are spaced apart in time, comprising a forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said forward counter is exceeded, an input for said forward counter to which all of the pulses of said groups of pulses are applied, a backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals from said forward counter and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each group of pulses being applied to said input for said forward counter to cause said forward counter to produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said forward counter is exceeded, each said overflow signal produced by said forward counter being applied to said backward counter to cause said backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said backward counter and said first bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is not receiving any of said overflow signals from said forward counter, and second means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the residual count in said backward counter at the end of each group of said pulses for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter.

Claim 4

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring groups of pulses, which are spaced apart in time, comprising a forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said forward counter is exceeded, an input for said forward counter to which all of the pulses of said groups of pulses are applied, a backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals from said forward counter and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each group of pulses being applied to said input for said forward counter to cause said forward counter to produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said forward counter is exceeded, each said overflow signal produced by said forward counter being applied to said backward counter to cause said backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said backward counter and said first bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is not receiving any of said overflow signals from said forward counter, and second means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the residual count in said backward counter at the end of each group of said pulses for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein logic circuitry couples the input of a second bidirectional counter to the output of said first bidirectional counter, and wherein said logic circuitry applies overflows from said first bidirectional counter to said input of said second bidirectional counter.

Claim 6

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring groups of pulses, which are spaced apart in time, comprising a backward counter that can count a plurality of pluses and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of pulses, an input for said backward counter to which all of the pulses of said groups of pulses are applied, a bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each group of pulses being applied to said input for said backward counter to cause said backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter to preset the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of saId pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is not receiving any of said groups of pulses, second means coupled to the output of said backward counter that senses the residual count in said backward counter to develop an updating signal to update the count in said bidirectional counter in accordance with said residual count in said backward counter at the end of each group of said pulses, and third means coupled to said bidirectional counter and responsive to said updating signal developed by said second means for updating the count in said bidirectional counter, said second means sensing said residual count in said backward counter while said backward counter is at rest and being activated to apply signals to said bidirectional counter that correspond to said residual count in said backward counter and that update said count in said bidirectional counter.

Claim 7

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring groups of pulses, which are spaced apart in time, comprising a backward counter that can count a plurality of pluses and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of pulses, an input for said backward counter to which all of the pulses of said groups of pulses are applied, a bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each group of pulses being applied to said input for said backward counter to cause said backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said backward counter and said bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter to preset the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of saId pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is not receiving any of said groups of pulses, second means coupled to the output of said backward counter that senses the residual count in said backward counter to develop an updating signal to update the count in said bidirectional counter in accordance with said residual count in said backward counter at the end of each group of said pulses, and third means coupled to said bidirectional counter and responsive to said updating signal developed by said second means for updating the count in said bidirectional counter, said second means sensing said residual count in said backward counter while said backward counter is at rest and being activated to apply signals to said bidirectional counter that correspond to said residual count in said backward counter and that update said count in said bidirectional counter.

Claim 8

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring first groups of pulses, which are spaced-apart in time, comprising a first forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said first forward counter is exceeded, an input for said first forward counter to which all of the pulses of said first groups of pulses are applied, a first backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each of said first groups of pulses being applied to said input for said first forward counter to produce a first overflow signal when the maximum count of said first forward counter is exceeded, each said first overflow signal being applied to the input of said first backward counter to cause said first backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said first backward counter and said first bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said first backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said first pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is no receiving said groups of said first pulses, second means coupled to the output of said first backward counter that senses the residual count in said backward counter to develop a first updating signal for said first bidirectional counter in accordance with said residual count in said first backward counter at the end of each group of said first pulses, and third means coupled to said first bidirectional counter and responsive to said first updating signal developed by said second means for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter.

Claim 9

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring first groups of pulses, which are spaced-apart in time, comprising a first forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said first forward counter is exceeded, an input for said first forward counter to which all of the pulses of said first groups of pulses are applied, a first backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses in each of said first groups of pulses being applied to said input for said first forward counter to produce a first overflow signal when the maximum count of said first forward counter is exceeded, each said first overflow signal being applied to the input of said first backward counter to cause said first backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said first backward counter and said first bidirectional counter that can be activated to respond to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said first backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said first pulses and thereby presetting the count in said backward counter to the value of the count in said bidirectional counter during a time when said backward counter is no receiving said groups of said first pulses, second means coupled to the output of said first backward counter that senses the residual count in said backward counter to develop a first updating signal for said first bidirectional counter in accordance with said residual count in said first backward counter at the end of each group of said first pulses, and third means coupled to said first bidirectional counter and responsive to said first updating signal developed by said second means for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein logic circuitry couples the input of a second bidirectional counter to the output of said first bidirectional counter, and wherein said logic circuitry applies overflows from said first bidirectional counter to said input of said second bidirectional counter.

Claim 11

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring first groups of pulses and in recurring second groups of pulses comprising a first forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said first forward counter is exceeded, a first backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses of said first groups of pulses being applied to said first forward counter to produce a first overflow signal when the maximum count of said first forward counter is exceeded, each said first overflow signal being applied to the input of said first backward counter to cause said first backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said first backward counter and said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said first backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said first pulses, second means coupled to said first backward counter for producing a first updating signal in accordance with the residual count in said first backward counter at the end of each group of said first pulses, third means coupled to said first bidirectional counter and responsive to said first updating signal produced by said second means for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter, a second forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce a second overflow signal when the maximum count in said second forward counter is exceeded, a second backward counter that can count a plurality of second overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of second overflow signals, a second bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, said recurring second groups of pulses being applied to said second forward counter to produce a second overflow signal when the maximum count in said second forward counter is exceeded, said first and second groups of pulses occurring substantially simultaneously, each said second overflow signal being applied to said second backward counter to cause said second backward counter to count backward from a preset value, fourth means coupled between said second backward counter and said second bidirectional counter to preset the count in said second backward counter to the value of the count in said second bidirectional counter, said fourth means being activated in the period between said second groups of pulses, and fifth means coupled to said second backward counter for producing a second updating signal in accordance with the residual count in said second backward counter at the end of each group of said second groups of pulses, said third means successively coupling said first updating signal produced by said second means and said second updating signal produced by said fifth means to said bidirectional counters to update the counts in said bidirectional counters, whereby the count in said first bidirectional counter is updated to correspond to said first updating signal produced by said second means and the count in said second bidirectional counter is updated to correspond to said second updating signal provided by said fifth means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for counting the number of pulses in recurring first groups of pulses and in recurring second groups of pulses comprising a first forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce an overflow signal when the maximum count in said first forward counter is exceeded, a first backward counter that can count a plurality of overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of overflow signals, a first bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, the pulses of said first groups of pulses being applied to said first forward counter to produce a first overflow signal when the maximum count of said first forward counter is exceeded, each said first overflow signal being applied to the input of said first backward counter to cause said first backward counter to count backward from a preset value, first means coupled between said first backward counter and said first bidirectional counter to preset the count in said first backward counter to the value of the count in said first bidirectional counter, said first means being activated in the period between groups of said first pulses, second means coupled to said first backward counter for producing a first updating signal in accordance with the residual count in said first backward counter at the end of each group of said first pulses, third means coupled to said first bidirectional counter and responsive to said first updating signal produced by said second means for updating the count in said first bidirectional counter, a second forward counter that can count a plurality of pulses and produce a second overflow signal when the maximum count in said second forward counter is exceeded, a second backward counter that can count a plurality of second overflow signals and store a value corresponding to the difference between a preset value and said plurality of second overflow signals, a second bidirectional counter that can store a number of individually-different counts, said recurring second groups of pulses being applied to said second forward counter to produce a second overflow signal when the maximum count in said second forward counter is exceeded, said first and second groups of pulses occurring substantially simultaneously, each said second overflow signal being applied to said second backward counter to cause said second backward counter to count backward from a preset value, fourth means coupled between said second backward counter and said second bidirectional counter to preset the count in said second backward counter to the value of the count in said second bidirectional counter, said fourth means being activated in the period between said second groups of pulses, and fifth means coupled to said second backward counter for producing a second updating signal in accordance with the residual count in said second backward counter at the end of each group of said second groups of pulses, said third means successively coupling said first updating signal produced by said second means and said second updating signal produced by said fifth means to said bidirectional counters to update the counts in said bidirectional counters, whereby the count in said first bidirectional counter is updated to correspond to said first updating signal produced by said second means and the count in said second bidirectional counter is updated to correspond to said second updating signal provided by said fifth means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further including a third bidirectional counter coupled to the output of said first bidirectional counter, and a fourth bidirectional counter coupled to the output of said second bidirectional counter.