US3886527A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Piezoelectric delay line for storing high frequency signals
Assignee: Thales SA
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Filing: 1973-12-26
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Granted: 1975-05-27
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Expires: 1993-12-26
Abstract
Abstract A device for storing high frequency signals. High frequency electrical signals to be stored are applied to a piezoelectric delay line, where they are transduced into an acoustical wave traveling along a surface of the delay line. An electron beam sweeps this surface and interacts with the line and the wave stimulating emission of secondary electrons which form an electrostatic image of the acoustical waves along this surface, thereby recording the signal or wave. Read out is accomplished by a subsequent beam sweep of the surface. The beam write and readout sweeps may be identical, or different in time, direction, or variable, to compress/expand, reverse, or modulate the signal when read-out.
Inventors
- 👤 Alain Bert
- 👤 Gerard Kantorowicz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:12
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11C; G11C13/00; G11C13/04; G11C13/047; G11C21/00; G11C21/02; G11C21/023; G11C27/00; G11C27/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
158 words
A device for storing travelling surface waves comprising, inside a vacuum tight enclosure; a delay line made of an elongated block of piezoelectric material producing secondary electrons when struck by primary electrons; two transducers, each one being mounted at an extremity of said elongated block, for transducing high frequency electrical signals into acoustic waves and vice-versa, said acoustic waves propagating between said two transducers along a propagation path defining a substantially rectangular work surface; an electron gun for emitting a thin beam of primary electrons towards said work surface, said electron gun being designed and controlled for providing for said electron beam a substantially rectangular cross-section smaller than said work surface, in such a way that said electron-beam strikes said work surface along a substantially rectangular impact surface which is a narrow band of said work surface; and deflection means for deflecting said electron beam so that said beam substantially sweeps the whole surface of said work surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
158 words
A device for storing travelling surface waves comprising, inside a vacuum tight enclosure; a delay line made of an elongated block of piezoelectric material producing secondary electrons when struck by primary electrons; two transducers, each one being mounted at an extremity of said elongated block, for transducing high frequency electrical signals into acoustic waves and vice-versa, said acoustic waves propagating between said two transducers along a propagation path defining a substantially rectangular work surface; an electron gun for emitting a thin beam of primary electrons towards said work surface, said electron gun being designed and controlled for providing for said electron beam a substantially rectangular cross-section smaller than said work surface, in such a way that said electron-beam strikes said work surface along a substantially rectangular impact surface which is a narrow band of said work surface; and deflection means for deflecting said electron beam so that said beam substantially sweeps the whole surface of said work surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said electron gun is so designed and controlled that the rectangular impact surface on said work surface of the thin beam it delivers has its longest side parallel to the direction of acoustical wave propagation on said work surface, said deflecting means displacing said beams so that said impact surface sweeps said work surface perpendicular to the direction of acoustical wave propagation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
A device, according to claim 2, wherein one of said transducers includes means for receiving the high frequency electric signals to be stored, said deflecting means displacing said beam so said impact surface sweeps said work surface while the acoustic wave from said high frequency electric signal is propagating thereon, and for subsequently displacing said beam in an identical sweep restoring said acoustic wave, whereby the electric signals delivered by the other transducer being substantially the same as those applied to said one transducer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
A storage device, according to claim 2, wherein one of said transducers includes means for receiving the high frequency electric signals to be stored, said deflecting means for displacing said beam so said impact surface sweeps said work surface while the acoustic wave is propagating thereon, and for subsequently displacing said beam in a reverse sweep restoring said acoustic wave, whereby the electric signals delivered by said one transducer being reversed from those applied to said one transducer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
A storage device according to claim 1 in which the said electron gun delivers a thin beam whose surface of impact on the said work surface is rectangular, its length being perpendicular to the direction of acoustical wave propagation on said work surface, said deflection means displacing the beam so said impact surface on the said work surface sweep parallel to the said direction of acoustical wave propagation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein the deFlection means displacing said beam in a reverse direction to the direction of the propagation of acoustical waves on the said work surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein the deflecting means displacing said beam in the same direction as the direction of acoustical wave propagation on the said work surface, with the speed of this sweep being variable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
A storage device according to claim 5 wherein one of said transducers includes means for receiving the electrical signals to be stored, and the other of the transducers includes means for delivering the restored electrical signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
101 words
A storage device, according to claim 8, wherein said deflecting means for displacing said beam so said impact surface sweeps said work surface while the acoustic wave is propagating thereon and in the same direction as the direction of the propagation of acoustical waves on the said work surface, with the speed of this sweep being superior to the speed of the said propagation of acoustical waves; and for subsequently displacing said beam in an identical sweep restoring said acoustic wave, whereby the electric signals delivered by the other transducer are substantially the same as those applied to said one transducer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3662355A
Cited
US3750043A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-26 | 1978-11-25 | 1979-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-26 | 1982-11-25 | 1983-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-26 | 1986-11-25 | 1987-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |