Ranging amplifier systems

Claim 2

A ranging amplifier system providing automatic suppression of an external signal with respect to a pre-established reference level, said system comprising input amplifier means to receive an external signal having a slowly varying D.C. component establishing a base line value and a more rapidly varying dynamic component, and where said more rapidly varying component is a higher frequency A.C. signal, a high rate of change D.C. signal, or a combination thereof, means for creating a pair of preestablished threshold levels within a pair of channel boundaries, integrating means operatively associated with said input amplifier means for receiving the external signal and integrating the relative magnitudes of the base line value and the dynamic component of the external signal to generate an effective average of the signal, analog comparison means for comparing the average of the signal to the pair of preestablished threshold levels and determining if the average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels, offset means cooperatively associated with said comparison means for adding a D.C. offset signal to the average of said slowly varying component to shift the base line value toward said reference level, if said average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels to thereby maintain the external signal within said preestablished threshold levels, a summing node operatively interposed between said input amplifier means and said integrating means to receive a D. C. offset signal and add said D. C. offset signal to the average of the slowly varying component at said summing node, and said input amplifier means being adapted and arranged for amplifying the dynamic component of said signal with respect to the slowly varying component, whereby the system will suppress the base line value of the slowly varying D. C. component with respect to said preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplify the dynamic component of said external signal.

Claim 3

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that the offset signal is a zero suppression signal.

Claim 4

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that means is provided in said ranging amplifier system to render a digital output signal representing said added offset signal.

Claim 5

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that parallel storage means is operatively associated with said ranging amplifier system to enable generation of a parallel binary output.

Claim 6

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that parallel storage means is operatively associated with said ranging amplifier system to enable generation of a parallel binary output.

Claim 7

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that parallel storage means is operatively associated with said ranging amplifier system to enable generation of a parallel binary output, and converter means is operatively connected to said storage means to enable generation of a serial binary output.

Claim 8

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that output means is provided for rendering an output of a zero suppression voltage with respect to the base level and the sign thereof.

Claim 9

The ranging amplifier system of claim 1 further characterized in that filter means is provided to track said electrical signal and filter electrical nose contained therein.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 further characterized in that the method comprises visually displaying in digital format the electrical signal with the introduced offset signal.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 further charcterized in that the method comprises the providing of a binary output and a serial output.

Claim 14

A ranging amplifier system capable of providing automatic suppression of an external signal having a slowly varying D. C. component establishing a base line value and a more rapidly varying dynamic component with respect to a preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplifying the dynamic component, and where said more rapidly varying component is a higher frequency A. C. signal, a high rateof change D. C. signal, or a combination thereof; said ranging amplifier system comprising input amplifier means to receive the external signal, operational amplifier means operatively connected to said input amplifier means to retain resolution established by said input amplifier means, means for creating a pair of preestablished threshold levels within a pair of channel boundaries, integrating means operatively associated with said operational amplifier means for integrating the relative magnitudes of the base line value and the dynamic component of the external signal to generate an effective average of the signal, analog comparison means for comparing the average of the signal to the pair of preestablished threshold levels and determining if the average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels, offset means cooperatively associated with said comparison means for generating and adding a D. C. offset signal to the average of said slowly varying component to shift the base line value toward said reference level, if said average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels to thereby maintain the external signal within said preestablished threshold levels, a summing node operatively interposed between said input amplifier means and said integrating means to receive the D. C. offset signal and add said D.C. offset signal to the average of the slowly varying component at said summing node, polarity determination means forming part of said offset means to provide an offset level to said summing node, and said input amplifier means being also adapted to amplify the dynamic component of said sIgnal with respect to the slowly varying component.

Claim 15

A ranging amplifier system capable of providing automatic suppression of an external signal having a slowly varying D. C. component establishing a base line value and a more rapidly varying dynamic component with respect to a preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplifying the dynamic component, and where said more rapidly varying component is a higher frequency A. C. signal, a high rateof change D. C. signal, or a combination thereof; said ranging amplifier system comprising input amplifier means to receive the external signal, operational amplifier means operatively connected to said input amplifier means to retain resolution established by said input amplifier means, means for creating a pair of preestablished threshold levels within a pair of channel boundaries, integrating means operatively associated with said operational amplifier means for integrating the relative magnitudes of the base line value and the dynamic component of the external signal to generate an effective average of the signal, analog comparison means for comparing the average of the signal to the pair of preestablished threshold levels and determining if the average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels, offset means cooperatively associated with said comparison means for generating and adding a D. C. offset signal to the average of said slowly varying component to shift the base line value toward said reference level, if said average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels to thereby maintain the external signal within said preestablished threshold levels, a summing node operatively interposed between said input amplifier means and said integrating means to receive the D. C. offset signal and add said D.C. offset signal to the average of the slowly varying component at said summing node, polarity determination means forming part of said offset means to provide an offset level to said summing node, and said input amplifier means being also adapted to amplify the dynamic component of said sIgnal with respect to the slowly varying component.

Claim 16

The ranging amplifier system of claim 12 further characterized in that visual display means is provided to render a visual display of the signal with the introduced offset signal.

Claim 17

The ranging amplifier system of claim 12 further characterized in that parallel storage means is operatively associated with said ranging amplifier system to enable generation of a parallel binary output, and converter means is operatively connected to said storage means to enable generation of a serial binary output representing said added offset signal.

Claim 18

The ranging amplifier system of claim 12 further characterized in that output means is provided for rendering an output of a zero suppression voltage with respect to the base level and the sign thereof.

Claim 19

A ranging amplifier system capable of providing automatic suppression of an analog external signal having a slowly varying D.C. component establishing a base line value and a more rapidly varying dynamic component with respect to a preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplifying the dynamic component, and where said more rapidly varying component is a higher frequency A.C. signal, a high rate of change D.C. signal, or a combination thereof; said ranging amplifier system cmprising input means to receive said analog external signal, means for creating a pair of preestablished threshold levels within a pair of channel boundaries, integrating means operatively connected to said input means for integrating the relative magnitudes of the base line value and the dynamic component of the external signal to generate an effective average of the signal, analog comparison means for comparing the average of the signal to the pair of preestablished threshold levels and determining if the average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels, offset means cooperatively associated with said comparison means for adding a D.C. offset signal to the average of said slowly varying component to shift the base line value toward said reference level, if said average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels to thereby maintain the external signal within said preestablished threshold levels, means for amplifying the dynamic component of said signal with respect to the slowly varying component to provide an analog output of the external signal, parallel storage means also receiving the D.C. offset signal to enable generation of a parallel binary output, and converter means operatively connected to said parallel storage means to enable generation of a serial binary output representative of the D.C. offset signal, whereby said ranging amplifier system will suppress the base line value of the slowly varying D.C. component with respect to the preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplify the dynamic component of said external signal and simultaneously provide a binary output of any added D.C. offset signal.

Claim 20

A ranging amplifier system capable of providing automatic suppression of an analog external signal having a slowly varying D.C. component establishing a base line value and a more rapidly varying dynamic component with respect to a preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplifying the dynamic component, and where said more rapidly varying component is a higher frequency A.C. signal, a high rate of change D.C. signal, or a combination thereof; said ranging amplifier system cmprising input means to receive said analog external signal, means for creating a pair of preestablished threshold levels within a pair of channel boundaries, integrating means operatively connected to said input means for integrating the relative magnitudes of the base line value and the dynamic component of the external signal to generate an effective average of the signal, analog comparison means for comparing the average of the signal to the pair of preestablished threshold levels and determining if the average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels, offset means cooperatively associated with said comparison means for adding a D.C. offset signal to the average of said slowly varying component to shift the base line value toward said reference level, if said average thereof tends to traverse said preestablished threshold levels to thereby maintain the external signal within said preestablished threshold levels, means for amplifying the dynamic component of said signal with respect to the slowly varying component to provide an analog output of the external signal, parallel storage means also receiving the D.C. offset signal to enable generation of a parallel binary output, and converter means operatively connected to said parallel storage means to enable generation of a serial binary output representative of the D.C. offset signal, whereby said ranging amplifier system will suppress the base line value of the slowly varying D.C. component with respect to the preestablished reference level and simultaneously amplify the dynamic component of said external signal and simultaneously provide a binary output of any added D.C. offset signal.

Claim 21

The ranging amplifier system of claim 16 further characterized in that visual display means is also provided to render a visual display of the electrical signal with the introduced offset signal.

Claim 22

The ranging amplifier system of claim 16 further characterized in that a summing node is operatively interposed between the input means and the integrating means for summing the external signal with a D.C. offset signal to prevent a traversal of the electrical signal with respect to the preestablished threshold limits.

Claim 23

The ranging amplifier system of claim 16 further characterized in that said comparison means comprises a first threshold detector to determine if the electrical signal tends to traverse one of the preestablished threshold limits and a second threshold detector to determine if the electrical signal tends to traverse the other of the preestablished threshold limits.

Claim 24

The ranging amplifier system of claim 19 further characterized in that the threshold detectors are analog comparators. 21. The ranging amplifier system of claim 16 further characterized in that said comparison means comprises a first threshold detector to determine if the external signal tends to traverse one of the preestablished threshold limits and a second threshold detector to determine if the electrical signal tends to traverse the other of the preestablished threshold limits, pulse generation means operatively connected to said threshold detectors and controllable thereby to generate either an increment pulse or a decrement pulse to enable a shifting of the threshold limits with respect to the external signal.

Claim 25

The ranging amplifier system of claim 18 further characterized in that polarity determination means is operatively connected to said summing node and forms part of said offset means to provide an offset level to the summing node and thereby counteract any base line shift of the external signal.

Claim 26

The ranging amplifier system of claim 16 further characterized in that binary output conditioner means forms part of said system and is provided to condition the output thereof so that the output is available in a plurality of formats.