US3728625A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Digital indicator with pulse multiplier for providing continous full scale resolution
Assignee: BLH Electronics Inc
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Filing: 1970-11-24
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Granted: 1973-04-17
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Expires: 1990-11-24
Abstract
Abstract An analog-to-digital converter of a dual-slope integrating voltage-to-proportional-count device cooperates with a pulse multiplier to control full-scale resolution of measurements for different transducer inputs, the fixed-rate pulse output of the converter alternately being coupled to a binary-coded decimal counter for a preselected count interval during first predetermined integrating periods while an unknown transducer input is sampled, and being in synchronized control of the supply of pulses to the same counter at selected multiplied rates during second periods while a reference potential is referred to; a visual readout operated by the counter indicates the measurements with a resolution improved by the pulse-multiplication.
Inventors
- 👤 D Senour
- 👤 J Kobel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 10:59
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/12; H03M1/50; H03M1/52
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
265 words
An electronic digital indicator system comprising integrator/comparator means cyclically integrating applied electrical input signal during first predetermined periods of time and determining the magnitudes of said input signal in terms of second periods of time which it takes for the integrated signal to assume a predetermined relation to a reference condition, timing means for producing periodic bursts of pulses at a predetermined repetition rate, said timing means comprising a master clock oscillator producing pulses at said predetermined rate, and an auxiliary clock oscillator responsive to said master oscillator pulses producing pulses at a repetition rate sufficiently higher than said predetermined rate for a relatively large number of pulses to be produced by said auxiliary oscillator for each pulse produced by said master oscillator, means synchronizing the commencement of the first and last burst of pulses of each of said periodic bursts of pulses with the beginning and end, respectively, of each of said second periods of time, means for selectably varying the number of pulses produced in each of said bursts of pulses by said timing means, said means for selectably varying said number of pulses comprising a programmable divider controlling the number of pulses produced by said auxiliary oscillator at said higher rate in response to each pulse produced by said master oscillator, and means providing a digital display characterizing the total number of pulses produced by said timing means during each of said second periods of time, the selective variations in the number of pulses produced in each of said bursts of pulses providing for adjustment or measurement resolution by said display means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
265 words
An electronic digital indicator system comprising integrator/comparator means cyclically integrating applied electrical input signal during first predetermined periods of time and determining the magnitudes of said input signal in terms of second periods of time which it takes for the integrated signal to assume a predetermined relation to a reference condition, timing means for producing periodic bursts of pulses at a predetermined repetition rate, said timing means comprising a master clock oscillator producing pulses at said predetermined rate, and an auxiliary clock oscillator responsive to said master oscillator pulses producing pulses at a repetition rate sufficiently higher than said predetermined rate for a relatively large number of pulses to be produced by said auxiliary oscillator for each pulse produced by said master oscillator, means synchronizing the commencement of the first and last burst of pulses of each of said periodic bursts of pulses with the beginning and end, respectively, of each of said second periods of time, means for selectably varying the number of pulses produced in each of said bursts of pulses by said timing means, said means for selectably varying said number of pulses comprising a programmable divider controlling the number of pulses produced by said auxiliary oscillator at said higher rate in response to each pulse produced by said master oscillator, and means providing a digital display characterizing the total number of pulses produced by said timing means during each of said second periods of time, the selective variations in the number of pulses produced in each of said bursts of pulses providing for adjustment or measurement resolution by said display means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
An electronic digital indicator system As set forth in claim 1 wherein said master clock oscillator controls said first periods of time in said integrator/comparator means, and wherein said programmable divider controls said auxiliary oscillator to produce an integral number of pulses at said higher rate within the periods of time between commencements of successive pulses from said master clock oscillator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
125 words
An electronic digital indicator system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said input signal is a voltage, wherein determining the magnitude of said input signal involves measuring the times for the integrated input voltage to discharge to a lower predetermined reference level, wherein said means providing a visual display includes a counter, and wherein said timing includes gating means coupling pulses developed by said master clock oscillator to said counter, means controlling the duration of said first periods of time in said integrator/comparator means in accordance with counts by said counter of a predetermined number of pulses developed by said master clock oscillator, and means controlling said gating means to couple to said counter the selectably-varied number of pulses in said bursts of pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
An electronic digital indicator system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said auxiliary clock oscillator comprises a gated oscillator, means applying said pulses produced by said master oscillator during said second periods to gate said auxiliary oscillator on, and means applying signals from said divider to gate said auxiliary oscillator off when the selected number of pulses is produced by said auxiliary oscillator responsive to each pulse from said master oscillator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
108 words
An electronic digital indicator system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said gating means includes a first And gate for coupling to said counter pulses developed by said master oscillator during said first periods, means cyclically applying an enabling signal to said first And gate to enable said coupling during said first periods, a second And gate for coupling to said counter the selectably-varied numbers of pulses in said bursts of pulses, and means cyclically enabling said latter coupling during said second periods each commencing with the ends of said first periods and ending with the last of pulses from said master oscillator during said second periods.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
257 words
An electronic digital indicator system with adjustable full-scale resolution comprising a digital pulse clock for generating pulses at a predetermined rate, means for cyclically integrating an unknown input voltage during first predetermined periods of time as controlled by generations of a predetermined number of pulses by said clock, and means for cyclically measuring the second periods of time for the integrated voltage to assume a predetermined relation to a reference potential, said last-named means including a counter, means sensing occurrences of said predetermined relationship, pulse-multiplication means for producing a selected number of pulses which is an integral multiple of each of pulses generated by said clock, gate means passing to said counter the pulses from said pulse-multiplication means during said second periods of time as determined by the ends of said first periods and the sensing of said occurrences by said sensing means, and means displaying readouts related to the counts of multiplied pulses in said counter, said pulse-multiplication means including a pulse generator producing pulses at a significantly higher repetition rate than said predetermined rate in response to each of the pulses generated by said clock during said second periods, said higher repetition rate occasioning production by said pulse generator of all of a desired selectable number of pulses within the span of each of said clock pulses, and said pulse-multiplication means including a modulo-n divider programmable to apply to said gate means a selected number of the total number of pulses produced by said generator in response to each clock pulse during said second periods.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
257 words
An electronic digital indicator system with adjustable full-scale resolution comprising a digital pulse clock for generating pulses at a predetermined rate, means for cyclically integrating an unknown input voltage during first predetermined periods of time as controlled by generations of a predetermined number of pulses by said clock, and means for cyclically measuring the second periods of time for the integrated voltage to assume a predetermined relation to a reference potential, said last-named means including a counter, means sensing occurrences of said predetermined relationship, pulse-multiplication means for producing a selected number of pulses which is an integral multiple of each of pulses generated by said clock, gate means passing to said counter the pulses from said pulse-multiplication means during said second periods of time as determined by the ends of said first periods and the sensing of said occurrences by said sensing means, and means displaying readouts related to the counts of multiplied pulses in said counter, said pulse-multiplication means including a pulse generator producing pulses at a significantly higher repetition rate than said predetermined rate in response to each of the pulses generated by said clock during said second periods, said higher repetition rate occasioning production by said pulse generator of all of a desired selectable number of pulses within the span of each of said clock pulses, and said pulse-multiplication means including a modulo-n divider programmable to apply to said gate means a selected number of the total number of pulses produced by said generator in response to each clock pulse during said second periods.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
FR1564758A
Cited
US3617885A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-16 | 1976-10-16 | 1977-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-16 | 1980-10-16 | 1981-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-16 | 1984-10-16 | 1985-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |