Apparatus for dividing an arbitrary waveform into equal-amplitude steps

Claim 1

Apparatus for deriving a given signal indicative of the occurrence of each fixed incremental change, in at least a certain one of positive and negative directions, of the instantaneous amplitude of an input signal having an arbitrary waveform; said apparatus comprising: sample and hold means responsive to an applied control pulse for sampling the then-existing instantaneous amplitude of said signal input applied thereto to continuously derive a fixed output level substantially equal in amplitude to said sampled instantaneous amplitude, a difference circuit for deriving an output having an instantaneous amplitude substantially proportional to the difference in the instantaneous amplitudes of respective first and second inputs thereto, wherein said difference circuit comprises a differential amplifier, first coupling means for applying said arbitrary-waveform input signal as said signal input to said sample and hold means and also as said first input to said difference circuit, second coupling means for applying said fixed level output from said sample and hold means as said second input to said difference circuit, a signal level fixed increment detector responsive to the instantaneous amplitude of a signal input thereto achieving a fixed increment in level, with at least said certain one of positive and negative polarities, for producing said given signal, wherein said signal level fixed increment detector includes at least one comparator for comparing the instantaneous amplitude of the output of said differential amplifier with a fixed amplitude of a reference signal of said certain one of said polarities to produce as said given signal a waveform having a characteristic indicative of the instantaneous amplitude of the output of said differertial amplifier becoming substantially equal to said fixed amplitude of said reference signal, third coupling means for applying said output from said difference circuit as said signal input to said signal level fixed increment detector, a control pulse generator having said given signal applied as an input thereto for generating control pulse whenever a fixed incremental change, in at least said certain one of said positive and negative directions, of the instantaneous amplitude of said arbitrary waveform input signal occurs, and fourth coupling means for applying control pulses from said control pulse generator to said sample and hold means.