Method and apparatus for controlling one oscillator by another

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, in which the attainment of the peak value of said parameter is achieved by sensing the attainment of the mean value of a conjugate parameter of the said parameter.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1 including applying an output signal of the first oscillator to prevent constraint of said parameter whenever the first oscillator is at said datum position.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 2 including applying an output signal of the first oscillator to prevent constraint of said parameter whenever the first oscillator is at said datum position.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 3, comprising applying said output signal to prevent said constraint of said parameter for approximately half a cycle of oscillation of the first oscillator.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 4, comprising applying said output signal to prevent said constraint of said parameter for approximately half a cycle of oscillation of the first oscillator.

Claim 8

An electrical circuit arrangement according to claim 12, in which said controllable means is arranged to be maintained in said second state by said second sensing means to prevent the application of said constraint whenever the first oscillator is at its datum point.

Claim 9

An electrical circuit arrangement according to claim 7, in which the second sensing means is arranged to maintain the controllable means in said second state for approximately half a cycle of oscillation of the first oscillator.

Claim 10

An electrical circuit arrangement according to claim 12 in which the first sensing means is arranged to sense the attainment of the peak value of said parameter by sensing the mean value of a conjugate parameter of the said parameter.

Claim 11

An electrical circuit arrangement according to claim 12, in which said first sensing means comprises an electrical trigger circuit for producing an electrical pulse whenever said parameter attains its peak value, said controllable means comprises a transistor which responds to said pulse to supply an electrical current to maintain said parameter at its peak value, and said second sensing means is arranged to apply a signal to said transistor to cause said electrical current to cease.

Claim 12

An electrical circuit arrangement according to claim 12, in which said first oscillator is a crystal-controlled oscillator and said second oscillator is an oscillator with a natural frequency of less than 2500 cycles per second.

Claim 13

An electrical circuit arrangement for providing oscillation at a frequency integrally related to a higher frequency; comprising a first oscillator for providing oscillation at said higher frequency; a second oscillator having a substantially sinusoidal mode of oscillation at a frequency lower than that of the first oscillator; controllable means coupled to said second oscillator and controllable to operate in either of two states selectively, said controllable means when in a first of said two states applying a constraint to an oscillating parameter of the second oscillator to retard the phase of the oscillation of the second oscillator; first sensing means coupled to said second oscillator to sense the attainment of a peak value of said parameter, said first sensing means including means for controlling said controllable means to operate in said first state when attainment of said value is sensed; and second sensing means coupled to said first oscillator to sense the condition in which the first oscillator reaches a datum position in its cycle of operation, said second sensing means including means for controlling said controllable means to change its operation from said first state to said second state in response to the sensing of said condition.

Claim 14

An electrical circuit arrangement for providing oscillation at a frequency integrally related to a higher frequency; comprising a first oscillator for providing oscillation at said higher frequency; a second oscillator having a substantially sinusoidal mode of oscillation at a frequency lower than that of the first oscillator; controllable means coupled to said second oscillator and controllable to operate in either of two states selectively, said controllable means when in a first of said two states applying a constraint to an oscillating parameter of the second oscillator to retard the phase of the oscillation of the second oscillator; first sensing means coupled to said second oscillator to sense the attainment of a peak value of said parameter, said first sensing means including means for controlling said controllable means to operate in said first state when attainment of said value is sensed; and second sensing means coupled to said first oscillator to sense the condition in which the first oscillator reaches a datum position in its cycle of operation, said second sensing means including means for controlling said controllable means to change its operation from said first state to said second state in response to the sensing of said condition.