Phase measuring system

Claim 2

In an apparatus for measuring the difference in phase between an input signal and a periodic reference thE combination comprising: means for expanding the phase of said input signal applied thereto by a given amount, means coupled to said expanding means for altering the frequency and phase of said expanded input signal by dividing the frequency and phase of said expanded signal by said given amount for generating a first divided signal, means for altering the phase and frequency of said reference signal applied as an input thereto by dividing the frequency and phase of said reference signal by said given amount for generating a second divided signal, and phase measuring means responsive to said first and second divided signals and said reference signal applied as an input thereto for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals, the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals manifesting the difference in phase between said input signal and said reference signal.

Claim 3

second dividing means responsive to a reference input signal having a reference phase and repetition rate the same as said periodic input signal repetition rate, and

Claim 4

second dividing means responsive to a reference input signal having a reference phase and repetition rate the same as said periodic input signal repetition rate, and

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1 wherein said phase measuring means includes: a counter responsive to said reference signal for counting the periods of said reference applied thereto, and gating means for passing said reference signal to said counter, said gating means being enabled by said second divided signal at a given point on the waveform thereof and disabled by said first divided signal at a given point on the waveform thereof.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for measuring the difference in phase between an input signal and a periodic reference signal, the combination comprising: phase measuring means responsive to said reference signal applied thereto for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between a first signal input thereto and a second signal input thereto, a phase lock loop responsive to said input signal applied thereto and including a voltage controlled oscillator whose output has a given frequency harmonically related to said input signal, at least one integral divider and at least one multiplier for altering the phase of the voltage controlled oscillator output solely by dividing said output phase by the divisor of said divider while altering the frequency of said voltage controlled oscillator output by both dividing the frequency by said divisor and multiplying said frequency by an integer equal to said divisor such that the frequency and phase of said divided and multiplied signal is substantially the same as said input signal then being applied to said phase lock loop, a second integral divider responsive to said reference signal applied as an input thereto for altering the phase and frequency of said reference signal by dividing said reference signal by said integer, and means for applying said divided voltage controlled oscillator output signal as said first signal input to said phase measuring means, and said divided reference signal as said second signal input to said phase measuring means.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for measuring the difference in phase between an input signal and a periodic reference signal, the combination comprising: phase measuring means responsive to said reference signal applied thereto for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between a first signal input thereto and a second signal input thereto, a phase lock loop responsive to said input signal applied thereto and including a voltage controlled oscillator whose output has a given frequency harmonically related to said input signal, at least one integral divider and at least one multiplier for altering the phase of the voltage controlled oscillator output solely by dividing said output phase by the divisor of said divider while altering the frequency of said voltage controlled oscillator output by both dividing the frequency by said divisor and multiplying said frequency by an integer equal to said divisor such that the frequency and phase of said divided and multiplied signal is substantially the same as said input signal then being applied to said phase lock loop, a second integral divider responsive to said reference signal applied as an input thereto for altering the phase and frequency of said reference signal by dividing said reference signal by said integer, and means for applying said divided voltage controlled oscillator output signal as said first signal input to said phase measuring means, and said divided reference signal as said second signal input to said phase measuring means.

Claim 8

phase measuring means responsive to said first and second divided signals applied as inputs thereto for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals which manifest the difference in phase between said periodic input signal and said reference signal.

Claim 9

phase measuring means responsive to said first and second divided signals applied as inputs thereto for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals which manifest the difference in phase between said periodic input signal and said reference signal.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 3 wherein said one multiplier includes first mixing means for mixing the divided voltage controlled oscillator output with a third signal input, and signal deriving means for deriving said third signal input from said reference signal.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 4 wherein said signal deriving means includes second mixing means for mixing the reference signal with said divided reference signal to produce said third signal input.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 3 wherein said phase measuring means includes: a counter responsive to said reference signal for counting the periods of said reference signal applied thereto, and gating means for passing said reference signal to said counter, said gating means being enabled by said second signal input at a given point on the waveform thereof and disabled by said first signal input at a given point on the waveform thereof, the number of reference signal periods accumulated in said counter manifesting the phase angle between said first and second signal inputs.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for measuring the difference in phase between a periodic input signal having a given repetition rate and a periodic reference signal, the combination comprising: signal deriving means responsive to said input signal for deriving as an output thereof a signal whose repetition rate is the same as that of said periodic input signal and whose phase is a multiple factor of said periodic input signal, means responsive to said derived output signal for dividing the frequency and phase of said derived output signal by an amount equal to said multiple factor for generating a first divided output signal, means for dividing by an amount equal to said multiple factor the phase and frequency of said reference signal for generating a second divided output signal such that the repetition rate thereof is the same as said first divided output signal, phase measuring means for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between first and second signal inputs thereto, and input means for applying said first divided signal as said first signal input to said phase measuring means and said second divided signal as said second signal input to said phase measuring means, the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals manifesting the difference in phase between said periodic input and reference signals.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for measuring the difference in phase between a periodic input signal having a given repetition rate and a periodic reference signal, the combination comprising: signal deriving means responsive to said input signal for deriving as an output thereof a signal whose repetition rate is the same as that of said periodic input signal and whose phase is a multiple factor of said periodic input signal, means responsive to said derived output signal for dividing the frequency and phase of said derived output signal by an amount equal to said multiple factor for generating a first divided output signal, means for dividing by an amount equal to said multiple factor the phase and frequency of said reference signal for generating a second divided output signal such that the repetition rate thereof is the same as said first divided output signal, phase measuring means for generating an output signal manifesting the difference in phase between first and second signal inputs thereto, and input means for applying said first divided signal as said first signal input to said phase measuring means and said second divided signal as said second signal input to said phase measuring means, the difference in phase between said first and second divided signals manifesting the difference in phase between said periodic input and reference signals.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 7 wherein said signal deriving means includes, a phase detector for generating an error signal manifesting the difference in phase between a first signal input thereto and a second signal input thereto, a voltage controlled oscillator for generating as an output thereof said derived signal in response to said error signal applied as an input thereto, first mixing means for mixing said first divided signal with a third signal input thereto for providing an output signal having a phase and repetition rate substantially the same as said periodic input signal, and input means for applying said periodic signal as said first signal input and said mixing means output signal as said second signal input.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 8 further including means for generating said third signal as an output thereof including second mixing means for mixing a fourth signal input with a fifth signal input, and second input means for applying said second divided output signal as said fourth signal input and said reference signal as said fifth signal input.

Claim 17

In combination:

Claim 18

In combination: