Ac to dc converter circuit

Claim 2

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitude, said circuit comprising: AC input means, a pair of clamping circuit means having input terminals coupled to said AC input means and output terminals for producing a resultant signal of only one polarity and each including a DC component proportional to the amplitude of said AC signal and an AC component following the waveform of the AC signal, one of said DC and AC components of saId clamped signals being of the same sense and the other of same being of the opposite sense, and a combining circuit coupled to said output terminals for providing at the output thereof an output signal where the AC components are substantially cancelled or reduced and the DC components are added together.

Claim 3

The converter circuit of claim 1 with the addition of output filtering means coupled to the output of said combining circuit.

Claim 4

The converter circuit of claim 1 in combination with an audio amplifier circuit including a gain control portion having a gain control input to which a DC control signal is to be fed for reducing the AC signal output of the audio amplifier circuit in proportion to the magnitude of increase of the DC control signal, the output of said audio amplifier circuit being the AC signal source for said converter circuit, and means for feeding said added DC components at the output of said converter circuit to said gain control input of said audio amplifier circuit.

Claim 5

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitude, said DC signal being proportional to the amplitude of said AC signal, said circuit comprising: AC signal input means, AC phase splitting means for converting said AC input signal into two signal components each of which is placed in opposition to the other, a pair of clamping circuit means for respectively providing at the output thereof said AC signal components clamped to a given reference level so that the clamped signals contain DC components of the same polarity and AC components of opposite phase, and a combining circuit including means for isolating the outputs of said clamping circuits from a common output terminal and for combining said clamped signals together to substantially cancel or reduce the AC components and provide the addition of the DC components at said common output terminal.

Claim 6

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitude, said DC signal being proportional to the amplitude of said AC signal, said circuit comprising: AC signal input means, AC phase splitting means for converting said AC input signal into two signal components each of which is placed in opposition to the other, a pair of clamping circuit means for respectively providing at the output thereof said AC signal components clamped to a given reference level so that the clamped signals contain DC components of the same polarity and AC components of opposite phase, and a combining circuit including means for isolating the outputs of said clamping circuits from a common output terminal and for combining said clamped signals together to substantially cancel or reduce the AC components and provide the addition of the DC components at said common output terminal.

Claim 7

The converter circuit of claim 4 with the addition of a pair of impedance transforming means coupled between said CC phase splitting means and said clamping means for driving the inputs to said clamping circuit means from a low impedance source.

Claim 8

The converter circuit of claim 4 with the addition of output filtering means coupled to said common output terminal further reducing any residual AC component of said DC output signal.

Claim 9

The converter circuit of claim 4 wherein the isolating means include DC amplifying means and said output terminal being at a common load circuit of said amplifier means.

Claim 10

The converter circuit of claim 5 with the addition of output filtering means coupled to said common output terminal further reducing any residual AC component of said DC output signal.

Claim 11

The converter circuit of claim 4 in combination with an audio amplifier circuit including a gain control portion having a gain control input to which a DC control signal is to be fed for reducing the AC signal output of the audio amplifier circuit in proportion to the magnitude of increase of the DC control signal, the output of said audio amplifier circuit being the AC signal source for said converter circuit, and means for feeding said added DC components at the output of said converter circuit to said gain control input of said audio amplifier circuit.

Claim 12

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitudes, said DC signal being proportional to the amplitude of said AC signal, said circuit comprising: AC signal input means, a pair of clamping means having inputs coupled to said AC signal input means, said clamping means producing clamped signals at the outputs thereof which have DC components of opposite polarity and in-phase AC components following said AC signals, and differential amplifier means having two input terminals respectively DC coupled to the outputs of said clamping means and an output terminal, said differential amplifier means providing at said output tErminal an amplified signal which is functional of the difference of said signal components at said input terminals thereof.

Claim 13

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitudes, said DC signal being proportional to the amplitude of said AC signal, said circuit comprising: AC signal input means, a pair of clamping means having inputs coupled to said AC signal input means, said clamping means producing clamped signals at the outputs thereof which have DC components of opposite polarity and in-phase AC components following said AC signals, and differential amplifier means having two input terminals respectively DC coupled to the outputs of said clamping means and an output terminal, said differential amplifier means providing at said output tErminal an amplified signal which is functional of the difference of said signal components at said input terminals thereof.

Claim 14

The converter circuit of claim 10 with the addition of impedance transforming means coupled between said AC signal input means and said clamping means for driving said pair of clamping means from a low impedance source.

Claim 15

The converter circuit of claim 10 wherein the coupling means between said clamping circuits and said differential amplifier means are attenuating means to prevent overload of said differential amplifier means.

Claim 16

The converter circuit of claim 10 with the addition of output filtering means coupled to said output terminal of said differential amplifier means reducing any AC components thereat.

Claim 17

The converter circuit of claim 10 in combination with an audio amplifier circuit including a gain control portion having a gain control input to which a DC control signal is to be fed for reducing the AC signal output of the audio amplifier circuit in proportion to the magnitude of increase of the DC control signal, the output of said audio amplifier circuit being the AC signal source for said converter circuit, and means for coupling the output terminal of said differential amplifier means of said converter circuit to said gain control input of said audio amplifier circuit.

Claim 18

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitude, said DC signal being proportional to the value of the AC signal, said circuit comprising, in combination: AC phase splitting means for converting an AC signal input into two signal components each of which is phased in opposition to the other, a pair of current control devices each having a signal input terminal and load terminals wherein the current output is a DC current whose value is a function of the difference between the instantaneous value of a resultant signal fed to the signal input terminal thereof and a current cut-off value, means for establishing a quiescent operating point of the current control devices, a pair of clamping means for respectively clamping said AC signal components to a given reference level so the clamped signals do not vary in polarity but vary only in the direction needed to produce an increase in current output from said current control devices when fed to the signal input terminals thereof, means coupling the signal input terminals of said current control devices respectively to the outputs of said clamping means so that said clamped phase opposed signals are fed thereto, and signal combining means connected to the load terminals of said current control device so the clamped AC signal derived components thereof cancel and the DC components threof add, and output terminal means for coupling said added DC components to another circuit.

Claim 19

A converter circuit for producing a varying DC signal from an AC signal of varying amplitude, said DC signal being proportional to the value of the AC signal, said circuit comprising, in combination: AC phase splitting means for converting an AC signal input into two signal components each of which is phased in opposition to the other, a pair of current control devices each having a signal input terminal and load terminals wherein the current output is a DC current whose value is a function of the difference between the instantaneous value of a resultant signal fed to the signal input terminal thereof and a current cut-off value, means for establishing a quiescent operating point of the current control devices, a pair of clamping means for respectively clamping said AC signal components to a given reference level so the clamped signals do not vary in polarity but vary only in the direction needed to produce an increase in current output from said current control devices when fed to the signal input terminals thereof, means coupling the signal input terminals of said current control devices respectively to the outputs of said clamping means so that said clamped phase opposed signals are fed thereto, and signal combining means connected to the load terminals of said current control device so the clamped AC signal derived components thereof cancel and the DC components threof add, and output terminal means for coupling said added DC components to another circuit.

Claim 20

The converter circuit of claim 15 with the addition of impedance transforming means coupled between said AC phase splitting means and the clamping means for driving the clamping means from a low impedance source.

Claim 21

The converter circuit of claim 15 with the addition of output filtering means coupled to the input of said signal reducing any residual AC component of said DC output signal.

Claim 22

The converter circuit of claim 15 in combination with an audio amplifier circuit including a gain control portion having a gain control input to which a DC control signal is to be fed for reducing the AC signal output of the audio amplifier circuit in proportion to the magnitude of increase of the DC control signal, the audio output of said audio amplifier circuit being the AC signal source for said converter circuit, and means for feeding said added DC components of said converter circuit to said gain control input of said audio amplifier circuit.