US4602243A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system for an optical analyzing instrument
Assignee: NIR INSTRUMENTS COMPANY A CORP OF
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Filing: 1983-04-27
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Granted: 1986-07-22
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Expires: 2003-04-27
Abstract
Abstract In an optical instrument which provides an analog signal representing the intensity of the reflected light from a sample, the sample is irradiated with narrow band wavelength light with the wavelength being repeatedly swept through a range of values to produce a repeating analog signal. Sampling pulses are produced simultaneously with the repeating analog signal to determine a sampling interval. An analog-to-digital converter is connected to receive the analog signal and converts the analog signal to a binary value several times in response to each sampling pulse. The binary values produced in response to each sampling signal are averaged and fed to a digital computer. In the digital computer, the received values are again averaged with other values produced in response to the sampling pulse produced at the same point in the scan of the wavelength irradiating the sample.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth P. Von Bargen
- 👤 Kenneth A. Taschner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 09:28
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03M; H03M1/00; H03M1/06; H03M1/0617; H03M1/0634; H03M1/0656; H03M1/0658; G; G01; G01J; G01J3/00; G01J3/28; G01J3/12; G01J2003/1226; G01J2003/123; G01J2003/283; G01J2003/2853; H03M1/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system comprising a source of variable analog signals, a source of repeating sampling signals produced simultaneously with said analog signal, means responsive to each sampling signal to perform a plurality of successive analog-to-digital conversions on said analog signal prior to the next sampling signal produced by said source of sampling signals, and accumulator means to determine the sum of the successive conversions of each plurality of conversions produced in response to each sampling signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system comprising a source of variable analog signals, a source of repeating sampling signals produced simultaneously with said analog signal, means responsive to each sampling signal to perform a plurality of successive analog-to-digital conversions on said analog signal prior to the next sampling signal produced by said source of sampling signals, and accumulator means to determine the sum of the successive conversions of each plurality of conversions produced in response to each sampling signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said means responsive to each sampling signal performs said conversions in rapid succession with each successive conversion being started immediately upon the completion of the preceeding conversion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
83 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein there is provided data processing means including storage means having a multiplicity of storage locations, each operable to store a digital value, means to apply to said data processing means a digital value corresponding to the sum produced by said accumulator means from each plurality of conversions to said data processing means, said data processing means operating to register the applied digital values in different storage locations of said storage means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system as recited in claim 3, wherein said analog signal is cyclically repeated and said source of sampling signals produces said sampling signals in synchronism with said repeating analog signal so that each sampling signal occurs at the same point in said repeating analog signal and wherein said data processing means accumulates in each storage location the sum of a set of digital values obtained in response to sampling signals produced at the same point in each repeating analog signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
87 words
An optical analyzing instrument comprising an analog-to-digital converson and averaging system as recited in claim 4, and including an optical system for irradiating a sample with a narrow band wavelength which is scanned throughout a range of wavelengths and photodetecting means to receive light from said sample in response to the irradiation of said sample by said optical system, said photodetecting means comprising said source of an analog signal and producing said analog signal in response to the light received by said photodetecting means from said sample.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
86 words
An optical analyzing instrument comprising an analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system as recited in claim 1, and including an optical system for irradiating a sample with narrow band wavelength light which is scanned through a range of wavelength and photodetecting means to receive light from said sample in response to irradiation of said sample by said optical system, said photodetecting means comprising said source of said analog signal and producing said analog signal in response to the light received by said photodetecting means from said sample.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
117 words
An optical analyzing system as recited in claim 6, further comprising data processing means including a multiplicity of storage locations, means to apply to said data processing means a digital value corresponding to the sum produced by said accumulator means from each plurality of conversions produced by said conversion means in response to each sampling signal wherein a plurality of sets of digital values are applied to said data processing means, each set of digital values corresponding to a different narrow wavelength band with which said optical system irradiates said sample, said data processing means operating to accumulate the sum of digital values of each of said sets in a different storage location of said storage means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means to generate a time varying stimulus, said source of analog signals producing said analog signals in response to said time varying stimulus, said source of repeating sampling signals producing each of said sampling signals in a predetermined synchronism with said time varying stimulus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
A system as recited in claim 8, wherein said means to produce a time varying stimulus comprises means for irradiating a sample with a narrow band wavelength, which is scanned throughout a range of wavelengths, and wherein said source of analog signals comprises photodetecting means to receive light from said sample in response to the irradiation of said sample by said irradiating means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the time intervals between adjacent ones of said sampling signals have a plurality of different durations.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
116 words
An analog-to-digital conversion and averaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein said accumulator means comprises a register operable to store a digital number, means responsive to each sampling signal to set the value in said register to zero, and means to add each analog-to-digital conversion to the value stored in said register, said system further comprising a second register operable to store a digital number and circuit means to store the value in said first register in said second register after said accumulator means has determined the sum of the successive conversions in response to a sampling signal prior to said first register being set to zero in response to the next said sampling signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
A system as recited in claim 11, wherein said circuit means comprises counting means to count the analog-to-digital conversions produced by said analog to digital convertor following each sampling signal and means storing the value accumulated in said first register into said second register in response to the count in said counting means reaching a predetermined value greater than 1.
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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) | 1989-07-21 | 1990-01-20 | 1990-07-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-07-21 | 1994-01-20 | 1994-07-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-07-21 | 1998-01-20 | 1998-07-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |