US3737633A
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Pulse count correction method and apparatus
Assignee: Coulter Electronics Inc
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Filing: 1971-05-07
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Granted: 1973-06-05
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Expires: 1991-05-07
Abstract
Abstract By comparing the voltage analog of the mean frequency of a part of a small pulse sample of a pulse train with each of a plurality of voltages that define a predetermined law, such as particle coincidence in a Coulter type of electronic particle analyzer, count correction pulses are derived for each pulse sample and are then added thereto to eliminate counting errors.
Inventors
- 👤 C Collineau
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:28
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K21/00; H03K21/02; G; G01; G01N; G01N15/00; G01N15/10; G01N15/1031; G01N15/12; G01N15/131; G01N15/132
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for correcting the counting of a train of pulses, as a function of a predetermined law, such train of pulses having an irregular recurrence and expressing a pulse type physical phenomenon, said method comprising: periodically sampling the pulse train, dividing each sample into at least two sample parts, measuring the mean frequency of the pulses which form a first of said sample parts, comparing of the result of said mean frequency measurement with a signal permanently expressing said predetermined law, selecting, during the sequence of the pulses corresponding to said second sample part and as a function of said comparison, a number of the pulses of said sequence as count correcting pulses, and adding to said correcting pulses the pulses of said train of pulses for forming a corrected count total.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for correcting the counting of a train of pulses, as a function of a predetermined law, such train of pulses having an irregular recurrence and expressing a pulse type physical phenomenon, said method comprising: periodically sampling the pulse train, dividing each sample into at least two sample parts, measuring the mean frequency of the pulses which form a first of said sample parts, comparing of the result of said mean frequency measurement with a signal permanently expressing said predetermined law, selecting, during the sequence of the pulses corresponding to said second sample part and as a function of said comparison, a number of the pulses of said sequence as count correcting pulses, and adding to said correcting pulses the pulses of said train of pulses for forming a corrected count total.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising: delaying the pulses employed as correcting pulses for a predetermined period prior to said adding with respect to the pulses of said pulse train.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as defined in claim 1 in which said dividing of said sample forms a third sample part, and said method further comprises the cancelling of the result of said frequency measurement during said third sample part.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method as defined in claim 3 in which said periodic sampling defines continuous samples from the train of pulses, with said third sample part of one such pulse sample being interposed between the second sample part of a preceding sample and the first sample part of said one such pulse sample.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as defined in claim 4 in which said sampling and dividing are accomplished by a digitalized processing of each pulse of said train of pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as defined iN claim 1 wherein said mean frequency measurement is accomplished by integration of a reference voltage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method as defined in claim 6 further comprising: generating said train of pulses for purpose of counting particles in a fluid suspension, and in which said reference voltage is made adjustable, such that said integration is independent of any fluid pressure and viscosity parameters of the particle suspension.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method as defined in claim 7 in which the particles in suspension are detected by means of an aperture tube of the Coulter type, and the voltage to be integrated is made adjustable and proportional to the diameter of the aperture of the aperture tube.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as defined in claim 1 in which said predetermined law is defined by a plurality of discrete voltage values, each representing a different digit value of correcting pulses.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as defined in claim 9 in which said plurality of discrete voltage values relate to a hyperbolic curve.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as defined in claim 10 in which said hyperbolic curve represents the occurrence of particle coincidence in a particle detector of the Coulter type.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
243 words
A device for correcting the counting of a train of pulses as a function of a predetermined law, such train of pulses having an irregular recurrence coming from a source of pulses and expressing a pulse type physical phenomenon, said device comprising: a sampling and control circuit connected to receive a train of irregularly recurring pulses and including means which define at least two sample parts of the pulse train, which sample parts are provided at outputs established by said sampling and control circuit; a frequency meter connected to said sampling and control circuit for receiving a first sample part and for delivering at its output an analog signal which is a function of the mean frequency of the series of pulses from that first sample part; a regulating circuit connected to receive the analog signal output of said frequency meter and having means for generating an analog signal permanently expressing said predetermined law and means to make for each pulse sample a comparison between the analog signal from the frequency meter and the analog signal expressing said law, and thereupon to furnish a number of count correcting pulses as a function of said comparison; and an adding circuit connected to said pulse train source and to the output of said regulating circuit for adding together the pulses of said train of pulses and the correcting pulses from the regulating circuit, the output of said adding circuit forming the output of said device.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
243 words
A device for correcting the counting of a train of pulses as a function of a predetermined law, such train of pulses having an irregular recurrence coming from a source of pulses and expressing a pulse type physical phenomenon, said device comprising: a sampling and control circuit connected to receive a train of irregularly recurring pulses and including means which define at least two sample parts of the pulse train, which sample parts are provided at outputs established by said sampling and control circuit; a frequency meter connected to said sampling and control circuit for receiving a first sample part and for delivering at its output an analog signal which is a function of the mean frequency of the series of pulses from that first sample part; a regulating circuit connected to receive the analog signal output of said frequency meter and having means for generating an analog signal permanently expressing said predetermined law and means to make for each pulse sample a comparison between the analog signal from the frequency meter and the analog signal expressing said law, and thereupon to furnish a number of count correcting pulses as a function of said comparison; and an adding circuit connected to said pulse train source and to the output of said regulating circuit for adding together the pulses of said train of pulses and the correcting pulses from the regulating circuit, the output of said adding circuit forming the output of said device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device as defined in claim 12 in which said sampling and control circuit is coupled to deliver to said regulating circuit a series of pulses corresponding to a second sample part, and said regulating circuit includes circuitry utilizing said second sample part pulses for generating said correcting pulses.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The device as defined in claim 13 which further comprises a delay circuit coupled to the regulating circuit for delaying the receipt by the adding circuit of the correcting pulses, whereby the pulses of said second sample part can be added digitally to the correcting pulses which originate from pulses of said second sample part.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device as defined in claim 12 in which said sampling and control circuit includes means for forming a third sample part, and said frequency meter includes reset means responsive to the receipt of said third sample part for resetting said frequency meter to eliminate its analog signal output value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
The device as defined in claim 15 in which said sampling and control circuit is constructed and arranged to operate cyclically, such that the pulse train is divided into equal and continuous samples, and in which said third sample part of one sample precedes the first sample part of that sample.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
67 words
The device as defined in claim 12 in which said sampling and control circuit includes digitalized pulse count deCoding and gating circuitry which receives the train of pulses and cyclically divides it into pulse samples of equal size and divides each sample into first, second and third sample parts, the cyclic operation being arranged to define especially small samples with respect to the number of such samples.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
44 words
The device as defined in claim 12 in which said frequency meter comprises an integrator coupled to a source of reference voltage by way of a first switch that is closed by control from said sampling and control circuit during said first sample part.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
47 words
The device as defined in claim 18 in which said frequency meter further comprises a discharge path that includes a second switch which shunts said integrator, and said second switch is closed for reset purposes by said sampling and control circuit, subsequent to said first sample part.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
73 words
The device as defined in claim 18 which further comprises means for generating the train of pulses in a manner which is related to the counting of particles in a fluid suspension, there being one pulse for each particle, said frequency meter including first circuitry for adjusting the reference voltage, as seen by the integrator, to cause integration to be independent of the parameters of fluid pressure and viscosity of the particle suspension.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
59 words
The device as defined in claim 20 in which said pulse generating means comprises a particle detector of the Coulter type, having an aperture tube, and said frequency meter further includes second circuitry for adjusting the reference voltage, as seen by the integrator, to cause integration to be independent of the diameter of the aperture of said aperture tube.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device as defined in claim 12 in which said regulating circuit includes means for defining a plurality of discrete voltage values which values, taken as a group, express said predetermined law.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device as defined in claim 22 in which said voltage means is arranged to define a group of voltage values which express the mathematic parameters of a hyperbolic curve which is representative of said predetermined law.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device as defined in claim 22 in which the predetermined law expressed by said voltage defining means represents a law of occurrence of particle coincidence in a particle detector of the Coulter type.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device as defined in claim 22 in which each said discrete voltage value is electrically associated with a different correcting pulse data processing channel, and each said channel includes a comparator element having as one input its associated discrete voltage value, all said comparator elements comprising said comparison means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
89 words
The device as defined in claim 25 in which each data processing channel terminates with a gate that is responsive to its comparator element in the manner that, when said comparator element is dominated by its discrete voltage value rather than the analog value from said frequency meter, a correcting pulse is generated by said channel and passes from said gate for ultimate receipt by said adding circuit, the number of such dominated gates for any one pulse sample determining the number of correcting pulses generated for such sample.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-04 | 1976-12-04 | 1977-06-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-04 | 1980-12-04 | 1981-06-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-04 | 1984-12-04 | 1985-06-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |