US3753119A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Digital tuning indicator
Assignee: Philips North America LLC
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Filing: 1971-04-07
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1991-04-07
Abstract
Abstract A digital tuning indicator for a multiple band heterodyne type receiving device is disclosed which is capable of displaying the frequency to which the receiving device is tuned for AM and FM reception in kilohertz to the nearest kilohertz and in megahertz to the nearest one-tenth megahertz respectively, and of displaying the channel to which the device is tuned when receiving UHF television. The indicating system comprises a counter, the contents of which are periodically displayed. The counter contents are preset to a value which reflects the intermediate frequency of the particular band and a submultiple of the corresponding local oscillator frequency is gated into the counter for a prescribed time interval whereby the resultant sum in the counter at the end of the prescribed time interval reflects the actual received frequency or the corresponding channel number.
Inventors
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Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:27
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03J; H03J1/00; H03J1/02; H03J1/04; H03J1/045; H03J1/047; H03J1/048
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
In a heterodyne receiving system having a digital tuning indicator which displays the frequency to which the system is tuned by ratioing a local oscillator output frequency by a predetermined factor, gating the thus ratioed frequency into a preset counter for a prescribed interval of time, and energizing a digital display device in response to the resultant count stored in said counter, the improved method of visibly indicating a channel number on said display device comprising the steps of: preratioing a local oscillator output frequency by a second predetermined amount, and presetting said counter to a count different from both the receiving system intermediate frequency and the complement thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a heterodyne receiving system having a digital tuning indicator which displays the frequency to which the system is tuned by ratioing a local oscillator output frequency by a predetermined factor, gating the thus ratioed frequency into a preset counter for a prescribed interval of time, and energizing a digital display device in response to the resultant count stored in said counter, the improved method of visibly indicating a channel number on said display device comprising the steps of: preratioing a local oscillator output frequency by a second predetermined amount, and presetting said counter to a count different from both the receiving system intermediate frequency and the complement thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The improved method of claim 1 wherein the heterodyne receiving system comprises an FM broadcast receiver and a UHF television receiver, the digital tuning indicator normally providing a display of the FM broadcast frequency to which the system is tuned, the step of preratioing comprising the step of dividing by six the output frequency of the UHF television local oscillator and substituting that preratioed signal for the FM local oscillator output.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improved method of claim 1 wherein said digital tuning indicator displays four digits, said improved method further comprising the step of suppressing two of said four digits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improved method of claim 2 wherein said digital tuning indicator displays four digits, said improved method further comprising the step of suppressing two of said four digits.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a multiple band heterodyne receiving device having at least one local oscillator, an improved digital tuning indicator comprising: a source of signals having the same frequency as said local oscillator; divider means responsive to said signal source for providing an output having a frequency which is a submultiple of said local oscillator frequency; counter means having an input and an output and adapted to increment by one for each cycle of a signal at said input; means coupled to said divider means and to said counter input for supplying said submultiple frequency signal to said counter input for a predetermined time interval, said predetermined time interval being the same for different bands; and indicator means responsive to said counter output to provide a visual display of the count stored in said counter means at the end of said predetermined time interval.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
142 words
In a multiple band heterodyne receiving device having at least one local oscillator, an improved digital tuning indicator comprising: a source of signals having the same frequency as said local oscillator; divider means responsive to said signal source for providing an output having a frequency which is a submultiple of said local oscillator frequency; counter means having an input and an output and adapted to increment by one for each cycle of a signal at said input; means coupled to said divider means and to said counter input for supplying said submultiple frequency signal to said counter input for a predetermined time interval, said predetermined time interval being the same for different bands; and indicator means responsive to said counter output to provide a visual display of the count stored in said counter means at the end of said predetermined time interval.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The improved digital tuning indicator of claim 5 wherein said receiving device is a multiple band receiver comprising a plurality of local oscillators and wherein said divide means comprises a plurality of discrete divider units selectively inter-connectable so as to provide different submultiple frequencies for different bands.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The improved digital tuning indicator of claim 6 further comprising means for periodically resetting said counter means to a nonzero initial value, said nonzero initial value being different from both the receiving system intermediate frequency and the complement thereof for at least one band.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The improved digital tuning indicator of claim 6 further comprising means for suppressing at least one digital position of said indicator means when said receiver is operating on a specified one of said multiple bands.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
123 words
In a multiple band heterodyne receiving system having a digital tuning indicator operative on at least one of said bands to display the frequency to which the system is tuned by ratioing the local oscillator output frequency for said one band by a predetermined factor, gating the thus ratioed frequency into a preset counter for a prescribed interval of time, and energizing a digital display means in response to the resultant count stored in said counter, the improvement comprising means for suppressing at least one decimal position in said digital display means when said receiver is operating on a band distinct from said one band whereby frequency is displayed for said one band whereas channel numbers may be displayed for said distinct band.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
123 words
In a multiple band heterodyne receiving system having a digital tuning indicator operative on at least one of said bands to display the frequency to which the system is tuned by ratioing the local oscillator output frequency for said one band by a predetermined factor, gating the thus ratioed frequency into a preset counter for a prescribed interval of time, and energizing a digital display means in response to the resultant count stored in said counter, the improvement comprising means for suppressing at least one decimal position in said digital display means when said receiver is operating on a band distinct from said one band whereby frequency is displayed for said one band whereas channel numbers may be displayed for said distinct band.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
134 words
A digital tuning indicator for a heterodyne type receiver comprising: a first plurality of decimal digit display means arranged in series and having a highest order digit position and a lower order digit position; counter means having a second plurality of digital positions which is greater than said first plurality; means for setting said counter means to a count indicative of said receiver tuning including a register for transferring on command to said counter means a number which corresponds to one of the receiver intermediate frequency and the complement thereof in its said first plurality of most significant digit positions and differs therefrom in at least one other digit position; and means for selectively energizing each said display means to display the count in a number of counter positions equal to said first plurality.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
134 words
A digital tuning indicator for a heterodyne type receiver comprising: a first plurality of decimal digit display means arranged in series and having a highest order digit position and a lower order digit position; counter means having a second plurality of digital positions which is greater than said first plurality; means for setting said counter means to a count indicative of said receiver tuning including a register for transferring on command to said counter means a number which corresponds to one of the receiver intermediate frequency and the complement thereof in its said first plurality of most significant digit positions and differs therefrom in at least one other digit position; and means for selectively energizing each said display means to display the count in a number of counter positions equal to said first plurality.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
The digital tuning indicator of claim 10 wherein the highest order digit position selectively displays only a one and the lack thereof in response to the state of the corresponding highest order counter digital position, said corresponding counter position comprising a single flip-flop, the remaining counter positions and the remaining display positions being ten state devices, each state corresponding to one of the decimal digits zero through nine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The digital tuning indicator of claim 10 wherein said first plurality is four and said second plurality is five.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The digital tuning indicator of claim 10 further comprising means for suppressing at least the highest order digit position and the lowest order digit position of said display means whereby channel numbers rather than frequency may be displayed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3244983A
Cited
US3509484A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |