Process and apparatus for creating codified cartographic representations of variable quantities

Claim 2

A process for obtaining a coded cartographic representation of a phenomenon such as luminosity, temperature, and the like, susceptible of expression by a characteristic quantity and concerning a given superficial field which comprises scanning the field to generate a measurement signal characteristic of the intensity of the phenomenon, generating independently of the measurement signal a plurality of coding signals differing in form from each other, and selectively applying said coding signals one at a time to a common outlet in response to selected threshold values of the measurement signal, whereby each coding signal applied to the outlet is representative of a range or zone of measurement signal values between successive threshold values of the measurement signal.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 1, comprising the step of applying the coding signals on said outlet to the modulation control grid of a cathode ray tube to create hachures on the screen thereof.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 2 which comprises applying a pulse signal to said common outlet when the measurement signal attains a selected threshold value, whereby to create a contour line on the screen of the tube representative of said selected threshold value.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 2 comprising intermittently momentarily applying the measurement signal to the vertical deflection grid of the tube while applying a constant signal instead of the coding signals to the modulation control grid to create a contour line representative of the measurement signal values.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein the coding signals are cyclically generated in synchronism with the horizontal sweep signal applied to the horizontal deflection grid of the tube.

Claim 7

A process as defined in claim 5 wherein the division of the horizontal sweep signal cycle by the coding signal cycle results in a different remainder from one measurement signal zone to the next, whereby the inclination of the hachures created in successive sweep cycles is different for each zone of measurement signal values.

Claim 8

The process of creating a coded cartographic representation of a phenomenon, such as luminosity, temperature and the like, over a superficial field which includes the steps of transversely scanning the field successively along lines spaced longitudinally of the field, generating in response to said scanning an electrical measurement signal which varies in magnitude as the value of the phenomenon at the points of the field being scanned, generating independently of the measurement signal a plurality of alternating code signals differing in form, selectively supplying said code signals, one at a time, to the modulation control grid of a cathode ray tube having a memory screen in response to selected threshold values of said measurement signal, and supplying sawtooth signals to the horizontal and vertical deflection grids of said tube, whereby the tube functions as a picture tube.

Claim 9

The process of creating a coded cartographic representation of a phenomenon, such as luminosity, temperature and the like, over a superficial field which includes the steps of transversely scanning the field successively along lines spaced longitudinally of the field, generating in response to said scanning an electrical measurement signal which varies in magnitude as the value of the phenomenon at the points of the field being scanned, generating independently of the measurement signal a plurality of alternating code signals differing in form, selectively supplying said code signals, one at a time, to the modulation control grid of a cathode ray tube having a memory screen in response to selected threshold values of said measurement signal, and supplying sawtooth signals to the horizontal and vertical deflection grids of said tube, whereby the tube functions as a picture tube.

Claim 10

A process as defined in claim 7 comprising the step of momentarily interrupting the connections to the modulation control grid and the vertical deflection grid, and momentarily connecting the same to receive said measurement signal and a constant signal, respectively, whereby said tube functions momentarily as an oscilloscope to create a trace representing the magnitude of said measurement signal.

Claim 11

A process as defined in claim 8 wherein said momentary interruptions are effected in response to a selected magnitude of the sawtooth signal supplied to the vertical deflection grid.

Claim 12

A process as defined in claim 9 which comprises applying an additional electrical signal pulse to the modulation control grid of said tube whenever the value of the measurement signal attains a predetermined threshold value to thereby create a generally vertical trace on the memory screen.

Claim 13

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein said signal pulses are created by utilization of monostable oscillators connected to complementary outputs of a threshold amplifier responsive to a predetermined threshold value of the measurement signal.

Claim 14

A process as defined in claim 7 which includes controlling the connection between each code signal generator by means of an AND gate responsive to predetermined values of the measurement signal.

Claim 15

A process as defined in claim 12 which includes feeding code signals from said AND gates through a common mixer OR gate.

Claim 16

A process as defined in claim 12 comprising energizing complementary control terminals of pairs of said AND gates in response to the measurement signal through parallel connected threshold amplifiers each responsive to said measurement signal at different threshold values thereof and adapted to deliver complementary output signals to said control terminals.

Claim 17

Apparatus for creating a codified cartographic representation of a phenomenon such as luminosity, temperature and the like, which is susceptible of expression by a characteristic quantity and variable over a superficial field comprising a cathode ray tube having horizontal and vertical deflection grids, a modulation control grid and a memory screen, means for cyclically scanning said field successively along transverse longitudinally spaced lines and for generating an electrical measurement signal during each scanning cycle the magnitude of which varies in accordance with the magnitude of said phenomenon from point to point along said lines, a plurality of coding signal generators, the output signals of which are independent of the measurement signal, means responsive to the measurement signal at selected magnitude thresholds thereof for selectively connecting the outputs of said coding signal generators to said modulation control grid, and means for supplying a first sawtooth signal to said horizontal deflection grid and a second sawtooth signal to said vertical deflection grid in timed relation with the scanning means cycle.

Claim 18

Apparatus for creating a codified cartographic representation of a phenomenon such as luminosity, temperature and the like, which is susceptible of expression by a characteristic quantity and variable over a superficial field comprising a cathode ray tube having horizontal and vertical deflection grids, a modulation control grid and a memory screen, means for cyclically scanning said field successively along transverse longitudinally spaced lines and for generating an electrical measurement signal during each scanning cycle the magnitude of which varies in accordance with the magnitude of said phenomenon from point to point along said lines, a plurality of coding signal generators, the output signals of which are independent of the measurement signal, means responsive to the measurement signal at selected magnitude thresholds thereof for selectively connecting the outputs of said coding signal generators to said modulation control grid, and means for supplying a first sawtooth signal to said horizontal deflection grid and a second sawtooth signal to said vertical deflection grid in timed relation with the scanning means cycle.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the cycle of said first sawtooth signal is short in comparison with the cycle of said second sawtooth signal, whereby the cathode ray makes a plurality of transverse sweeps during each vertical sweep thereof.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 16 comprising means responsive to a selected magnitude of said second sawtooth signal for momentarily connecting the vertical deflection grid to receive only the measurement signal and simultaneously connecting the modulation control grid to receive a constant signal in lieu of the coding signals.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 15 comprising an AND gate for controlling the output of each coding signal generator, and a plurality of threshold amplifiers connected in parallel to receive the measurement signal and being responsive to selected threshold magnitudes of the latter, each said amplifier being capable of delivering one signal to a control terminal of one of said AND gates when the magnitude of the measurement signal is below a Selected value, and a complementary signal to a control terminal of another of said AND gates when the magnitude of the measurement signal is above said selected value.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 18 comprising means including a mixer OR gate for connecting said AND gates to a common output conductor.

Claim 23

Apparatus as defined in claim 18 comprising means responsive to the signals delivered by at least one of said amplifiers for applying a pulse to said modulation control grid whenever the measurement signal attains the selected threshold magnitude to which the amplifier is responsive.

Claim 24

In apparatus of the class described, means for generating a measurement signal characteristic of a variable phenomenon, a plurality of threshold amplifiers connected in parallel to said generating means, each said amplifier being responsive to a different threshold value of the measurement signal and being adapted to deliver two complementary signals on different outlets depending upon whether the value of the measurement signal is greater or less than the threshold value to which the amplifier is responsive, a plurality of coding signal pulse generators, means including an AND gate connected to the output of each coding signal generator for selectively connecting the latter to a common conductor, and means for connecting the output terminals of said amplifiers to control terminals of said AND gates, whereby a different AND gate is rendered conductive for each range of measurement signal values between the successive threshold values to which the amplifiers are responsive.

Claim 25

In apparatus of the class described, means for generating a measurement signal characteristic of a variable phenomenon, a plurality of threshold amplifiers connected in parallel to said generating means, each said amplifier being responsive to a different threshold value of the measurement signal and being adapted to deliver two complementary signals on different outlets depending upon whether the value of the measurement signal is greater or less than the threshold value to which the amplifier is responsive, a plurality of coding signal pulse generators, means including an AND gate connected to the output of each coding signal generator for selectively connecting the latter to a common conductor, and means for connecting the output terminals of said amplifiers to control terminals of said AND gates, whereby a different AND gate is rendered conductive for each range of measurement signal values between the successive threshold values to which the amplifiers are responsive.

Claim 26

Apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein the output terminals of said AND gates are connected to said common conductor through a mixer OR gate.

Claim 27

Apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein each of the output terminals of at least one of said threshold amplifiers is connected through a monostable oscillator and said mixer OR gate to said common conductor.

Claim 28

Apparatus as defined in claim 21 wherein said common conductor is connected to a recording device.

Claim 29

Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein the recording device is a cathode ray tube having a modulation control grid connected to said common conductor, and comprising means for supplying sawtooth signals to the horizontal and vertical deflection grids of said tube.

Claim 30

Apparatus as defined in claim 25 comprising means for superimposing a pulse signal on the coding signal applied to said modulation control grid whenever the measurement signal attains a preselected magnitude.