Synchronization verifying system

Claim 2

In an apparatus wherein discrete groups of pulses having a normal time interval between recurrence of the pulses within a group and wherein said groups recur with intervening time gaps greater than said normal time interval, means for determining whether or not said groups each contain an acceptable number of pulses comprising; counting means coupled to receive said pulses for counting said pulses as received, time-out means coupled to receive said pulses for responding thereto by producing an output signal indicative that a preselected time has passed since receipt of a given pulse without receipt of an intervening pulse, said preselected time being in excess of the said normal time interval but less than the time of said intervening gaps, means responsive to said time-out means output signal for inspecting the count contained in said counting means for producing a first output signal whenever said count is equivalent to other than the anticipated number of pulses in a group and a second output signal when said count is equivalent to the anticipated number of pulses in a group, and means responsive to said second output signal for resetting said counting means before the occurrence of the next pulse group.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 for handling predictable but acceptable abnormal pulse spacings within at least one of said groups which pulse spacing might cause said inspecting means to fail to produce proper output signals, said apparatus further including means for indicating that said abnormal pulse spacing is anticipated, and means responsive to said indicating means for preventing said inspecting means from producing an output signal until after said acceptable normal pulse spacing has occurred.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said preventing means responds to said indicating means for preventing said inspecting means from producing an output signal for at least the first two pulses in the first said pulse group received thereafter, whereby abnormal but acceptable pulse spacings in the initial pulse group of a series of pulse groups will not result in a false output signal from said inspecting means.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein said indicating means causes said preventing means to be operable for a series of said pulse groups having abnormal but acceptable time spacings between groups and to be inoperative when said group spacings have returned to normal, said apparatus further including means responsive to said preventing means and to said counting means for reconditioning said counting means for counting subsequently received pulses whenever said counting means contains a count equivalent to the anticipated number of pulses within a pulse group, whereby said counting means will be continuously operable despite insufficient time gaps between pulse groups to permit operation of said inspecting means but said inspecting means will be permitted to return to normal operation after the said abnormal pulse group spacings have ceased.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining that the correct number of pulses have occurred within each of a series of discrete pulse groups wHerein the gap between pulse groups is greater than the gap between any two consecutive pulses within a said group comprising counter means coupled for counting said pulses, time-out means coupled to receive said pulses and for producing a signal whenever the spacing between received said pulses exceeds the normal spacing within a group, logic circuit means coupled for inspecting and interpreting the count contained in said counter means, pulse generating means responsive to signals from said time-out means for enabling said logic circuit means to inspect and interpret the count contained in said counter, a latch circuit, clock means for sequentially producing first and second clock pulses, said logic circuit means being coupled to respond to said first clock pulse when enabled by said pulse generating means for setting said latch circuit whenever said counter means contains a count other than the anticipated count representative of the number of pulses in a said pulse group, and said logic circuit means responding to said second clock pulse when enabled by said pulse generating means for resetting said counter means preparatory to counting the pulses of the next occurring said pulse group.

Claim 7

Apparatus for determining that the correct number of pulses have occurred within each of a series of discrete pulse groups wHerein the gap between pulse groups is greater than the gap between any two consecutive pulses within a said group comprising counter means coupled for counting said pulses, time-out means coupled to receive said pulses and for producing a signal whenever the spacing between received said pulses exceeds the normal spacing within a group, logic circuit means coupled for inspecting and interpreting the count contained in said counter means, pulse generating means responsive to signals from said time-out means for enabling said logic circuit means to inspect and interpret the count contained in said counter, a latch circuit, clock means for sequentially producing first and second clock pulses, said logic circuit means being coupled to respond to said first clock pulse when enabled by said pulse generating means for setting said latch circuit whenever said counter means contains a count other than the anticipated count representative of the number of pulses in a said pulse group, and said logic circuit means responding to said second clock pulse when enabled by said pulse generating means for resetting said counter means preparatory to counting the pulses of the next occurring said pulse group.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 which includes means for indicating that the next received pulse group will contain a predictable number of initial pulses having abnormally long pulse spacings, and means responsive to said indicating means for preventing said pulse generating means from enabling said logic circuit means until after a sufficient time period has passed for said abnormally occurring pulses to have been counted by said counter means.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 6 wherein said preventing means is coupled for being deactuated by the presence of a predetermined count in said counter means.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 which includes means for providing a signal indicating that the spacing between pulse groups will be abnormally but acceptably short, means responsive to said indicating means signal for preventing said logic means from setting said latch circuit and for coupling reset signals to said counter means whenever said counter means contains a full count.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said preventing means is constructed and arranged so as to require both the absence of a signal from said indicating means and the presence of said first pulse thereafter from said time-out means before permitting said logic means to respond to a subsequent signal from said time-out means, whereby setting of said latch circuit after release of said preventing means will indicate a failure of the number of pulses in at least one of the pulse groups received while said preventing means was operational.