Automatic delay compensator

Claim 1

A communication system comprising: means for transmitting a multi-channel time division multiplex signal, wherein said means includes a source for the generation of a synchronization pattern for transmission on one channel of said signal; a receiver geographically separated from the transmitter; a signal path connecting said transmitter means and said receiver, the transmission delay over said path being variable with respect to time; a local pattern generator adjacent to the receiver, which generates a pattern identical to the received pattern; means for detecting a loss of synchronization by comparing the received pattern and said local pattern to detect a loss of alignment thereof, and means adjacent to said receiver and within said signal path, and responsive to said detecting means, for maintaining constant the transmission time delay between said transmitter means and said receiver by predictably adding and subtracting increments of delay to realign said received pattern with said locally generated pattern.