Patent US3835384A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3835384A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Tuning system
Assignee: General Dynamics Corp
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Filing: 1972-12-20
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Granted: 1974-09-10
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Expires: 1992-12-20
Abstract
Abstract A radio receiver is described, which is capable of being turned to any frequency in the low through the high frequency bands. A number corresponding to the desired frequency is set into a counter having several decade counter stages each for a separate digit of the frequency. A manually operable control generates pulses at a rate depending upon the speed at which the control is actuated. These pulses are inputted to the first or subsequent stages of the counter depending upon the pulse rate; thus providing automatically and continuously variable tuning rate. The counts stored in the counter are simultaneously applied to a digitally controlled synthesizer and to a digital readout which indicates the frequency to which the receiver is tuned while tuning is being carried out. The output of the digital synthesizer determines the frequency which is received by the receiver which will be accepted by the intermediate frequency stages thereof and thereby controls the tuning of the receiver. The tuning of the receiver may also be preset by applying direct digital inputs simultaneously to each of the counter stages.
Inventors
- 👤 R Liff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 21:25
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03L; H03L7/00; H03L7/06; H03L7/16; H03L7/22; H03L7/23; H03J; H03J5/00; H03J5/02; H03J5/0245; H03J5/0272
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A radio system for handling signals having any frequency contained in a band of frequencies, said system comprising a. means for tuning said system to any said frequency over said band, b. means for controlling said tuning means including i. a plurality of counters connected in cascade to each other, ii. means for entering counts selectively into the inputs of different ones of said counters, and c. means coupled to said tuning means for utilizing the signals of the frequency to which said system is tuned by said tuning means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A radio system for handling signals having any frequency contained in a band of frequencies, said system comprising a. means for tuning said system to any said frequency over said band, b. means for controlling said tuning means including i. a plurality of counters connected in cascade to each other, ii. means for entering counts selectively into the inputs of different ones of said counters, and c. means coupled to said tuning means for utilizing the signals of the frequency to which said system is tuned by said tuning means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controlling means further includes means responsive to changes in said frequency for operating said entering means to enter said counts into other than the first of said cascade connected counters.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein said change responsive means includes means responsive to the rate of said changes in said frequency for operating said entering means to enter said counts into the second and third of said counters in sequence corresponding to the magnitude of said rate of change.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein said entering means comprises means for generating a train of electrical pulses corresponding to the change in said frequency, and means for applying said pulses to the first of said counters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein said generating means comprises an electro-optical means including a light source, and manually operable means for interrupting the light from said source to produce said pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
The invention as set forth in claim 5 wherein said manually operable means comprises a member having alternate transparent and opaque regions, said member being disposed in the path of the light from said source, manually operable means for moving said member to interrupt said light, and an electro-optical transducer in the path of said interrupted light.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention as set forth in claim 5 including means coupled to said counters for displaying numerals representing the numbers corresponding to said frequency as stored therein while said manually operable means are operated whereby to indicate the frequency to which said system is tuned.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
92 words
The invention as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said counters includes means for counting in opposite senses, and saId manually operable means includes means for interrupting said light from said source to provide said pulses on different output lines in accordance with the direction of operation of said manual operation, and means for applying said pulses from said different lines to the first of said counters whereby to cause said counters to count in opposite senses depending upon the one of said lines on which said pulses are provided.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
125 words
The invention as set forth in claim 8 wherein said manually operable means includes a member having a pair of tracks including alternate opaque and transparent sections, the like sections on different ones of said tracks being offset from each other by a distance equal to less than the length thereof, a source of light and a pair of electro-optical transducers on opposite sides of said member, each transducer being in the path of the light from said source which extends through a different one of said tracks, a shaft coupled to said member for moving said member in opposite directions, and circuit means coupled to said transducers for providing said pulses on different said lines depending upon the direction of rotation of said shaft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention as set forth in claim 4 including means responsive to the rate of change of said frequency for applying said pulses to one of said counters subsequent to said first counter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The invention as set forth in claim 4 including means responsive to the rate of change of said frequency for applying said pulses to at least one of a plurality of said counters subsequent to said first counter, the spacing of said one counter from said first counter depending upon the magnitude of said rate of change.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention as set forth in claim 11 wherein said pulse generating means comprises a manually operable electro-optical transducer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
102 words
The invention as set forth in claim 12 including a plurality of said pulse generating means for generating separate trains of said pulses respectively at different pulse repetition rates for like speed of manual operation, means for applying said train having the higher pulse repetition rate to enter counts in said first counter and to said rate of change responsive means, and means for applying said train having the lower repetition rate to enter counts into one of said counters at the end of the chain of said cascade connected counters near the end of said chain opposite from said first counter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
70 words
The invention as set forth in claim 11 wherein said rate responsive means includes frequency detector means connected to said pulse generating means for providing a plurality of outputs each after the repetition rate of said pulses exceeds a successively higher rate, and a plurality of switch means each separately operated by different ones of said outputs for applying said pulses to different ones of said plurality of subsequent counters.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The invention as set forth in claim 14 wherein said frequency detector comprises a plurality of integrators, a plurality of Schmitt trigger circuits coupled separately to said integrators and adapted to be triggered when the level of the integrated pulses exceeds a certain threshold, said Schmitt triggers provided said switch operating outputs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention as set forth in claim 11 wherein said counters each correspond to a different digit of said frequency of said signals in said band, said first counter corresponding to the lowest order digit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The invention as set forth in claim 16 wherein said counters are decade counters.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
The invention as set forth in claim 17 including a numeric readout display for each of said digits of said frequency, and a plurality of code converter means for applying the count from each counter separately to the numeric display for the digit corresponding thereto.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention as set forth in claim 16 wherein said tuning means includes a digitally controlled frequency synthesizer connected to said counters.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention as set forth in claim 19 whereIn said digitally controlled synthesizer includes a plurality of counters each corresponding to a different one of said counters in said controlling means, and means for transferring the counts in said controlling means counters to said synthesizer counters corresponding thereto.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
106 words
The invention as set forth in claim 20 wherein said tuning means includes a frequency translating means, means for applying the output of said synthesizer to said translating means, said translating means having an intermediate frequency signal terminal and also having a terminal for said signals to be handled by said system, and means for applying one of said intermediate frequency signals and said signal to be handled at the frequency to which said system is tuned to the one of the terminals therefor and deriving the other of said intermediate frequency signals and said signal to be handled to the other of said terminals therefor.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
90 words
The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein said tuning means further comprises a plurality of circuits each tuned to transmit said signals to be handled which lie in a different portion of said band, and means responsive to the count stored in a plurality of said counters for selectively connecting different ones of said circuits to said translating means terminal for said signal to be handled when the count in said counters and the portion of said band which said different circuits are tuned correspond to each other.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
77 words
The invention as set forth in claim 22 including means responsive to digital input data corresponding to said frequency to which said system is to be tuned for converting said input data into a plurality of digital words each corresponding to a different digit of said frequency, and addressing means for applying said words separately to the counters for the digits to which each of said word corresponds and presetting counters to the value of said words.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
163 words
The invention as set forth in claim 21 wherein said radio system is operative to receive signals, means for applying said received signals, as the signal to be handled, to said one terminal of said translating means and deriving said intermediate frequency signal from said other terminal, means responsive to said intermediate frequency signal for detecting the information in said received signals, a second plurality of counters connected in cascade, a second mutually operated pulse generating means for applying pulses to the input of the first of said second plurality of counters, and means responsive to the count contained in said second counters for generating a second signal having a frequency at least the lower order digits of which correspond to the digits of the count in said second counters, and means for injecting said second signal into said detecting means to beat with said intermediate frequency responsive signal therein for detecting any single sideband and CW signal components of said received signals.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
50 words
The invention as set forth in claim 24 further comprising means responsive to the rate of said pulses from said second pulse generating means for applying said last named pulses to a counter of said second plurality of counters subsequent to the first counter of said second plurality of counters.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
59 words
The invention as set forth in claim 25 including readout means for displaying the digits of the count stored in said first plurality of counters, and means for selectively applying the counts stored in said second plurality of counters to those said readout means which display like digits of the frequency of said received signal and said second signal.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
212 words
A frequency synthesizer for generating an output signal, having a frequency within a band of frequencies, from a reference frequency signal, said synthesizer comprising a plurality of counters, each corresponding to a different digit of a multi-digit number representing the frequencies in said band, said counters being connected to each other in cascade in the order of the digits in which they coRrespond, means for applying pulses to the one of said counters for the lowest order digit of said frequency for setting said counters to a count corresponding to the frequency of the signal to be generated, means responsive to said reference frequency signal and the count of each said counters for translating said signal into a signal having a frequency, the value of each digit of which corresponds to the value of the count in the counter corresponding thereto, said translated signal providing said generated signal, a manual frequency selection control, said pulse applying means comprises means for generating said pulses when and only when said frequency selection control is operated, and means responsive to the rate of change of the repetition rate of said pulses for applying said pulses to an input of said counters corresponding to digits of said code of higher order than said lowest order digit.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
212 words
A frequency synthesizer for generating an output signal, having a frequency within a band of frequencies, from a reference frequency signal, said synthesizer comprising a plurality of counters, each corresponding to a different digit of a multi-digit number representing the frequencies in said band, said counters being connected to each other in cascade in the order of the digits in which they coRrespond, means for applying pulses to the one of said counters for the lowest order digit of said frequency for setting said counters to a count corresponding to the frequency of the signal to be generated, means responsive to said reference frequency signal and the count of each said counters for translating said signal into a signal having a frequency, the value of each digit of which corresponds to the value of the count in the counter corresponding thereto, said translated signal providing said generated signal, a manual frequency selection control, said pulse applying means comprises means for generating said pulses when and only when said frequency selection control is operated, and means responsive to the rate of change of the repetition rate of said pulses for applying said pulses to an input of said counters corresponding to digits of said code of higher order than said lowest order digit.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
43 words
The invention as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means responsive to said pulse repetition rate of change includes switching means operative to apply said pulses to successively higher order digit corresponding counters as said pulse repetition rate exceeds successively higher magnitudes.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
89 words
The invention as set forth in claim 28 wherein said manual frequency selection control includes a knob which rotates a shaft and said pulse generating means includes an opto-electric transducer having a light interrupter operated upon rotation of said shaft, and means for generating said pulses on different ones of a pair of lines depending upon the direction or rotation of said shaft, and wherein said counters are each up-down counters, said lines being connected respectively to the up and down inputs of said lowest order digit corresponding counter.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
41 words
The invention as set forth in claim 29 including a numeric readout means for displaying visually each digit of said frequency, and means for inputting said counter counts to said display means for providing said display while said control is operated.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
81 words
The invention as set forth in claim 27 wherein said translating means includes a plurality of phase locked loops each including a separate chain of a plurality of cascade counters, and means connecting said first named counter separately to different ones of said first named counters, for presetting different ones of said phase locked loop counters to the counts stored in said first named counter, and means responsive to the output signals from said loop for providing said synthesizer output signal.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
77 words
In a tuning system, the combination comprising a counter having a plurality of stages each corresponding to a successively higher digit of a frequency representing number, means for generating a train of pulses while tuning, means for applying said pulses to the inputs of successive ones of said counters depending upon the repetition rate of said pulses, and a digitally controlled tuning network, and means for coupling said counters to said network for controlling the tuning thereof.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
77 words
In a tuning system, the combination comprising a counter having a plurality of stages each corresponding to a successively higher digit of a frequency representing number, means for generating a train of pulses while tuning, means for applying said pulses to the inputs of successive ones of said counters depending upon the repetition rate of said pulses, and a digitally controlled tuning network, and means for coupling said counters to said network for controlling the tuning thereof.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-09 | 1978-03-11 | 1978-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-09 | 1982-03-11 | 1982-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-09 | 1986-03-11 | 1986-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |