Patent US1859528A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3846191A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4644513A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4644513A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrical circuits for timing signals

Assignee: Sonic Tape Plc
•
Filing: 1984-12-24
•
Granted: 1987-02-17
•
Expires: 2004-12-24
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract From a first aspect this invention provides a missing pulse detector for determining the true termination time of a sequence of pulses in a signal of an assumed predetermined length having a rising edge and a trailing edge which may include pulses which do not reach a predetermined threshold, the detector including a counter connected to count pulses exceeding said threshold, up to a predetermined number, an oscillator for producing pulses at twice the frequency of the pulses in the signal and an enabling circuit for allowing pulses from the oscillator to pass to the counter only after the termination of a sequence of threshold-exceeding pulses from the signal.

Inventors

  • 👤 Stanislaw B. Czajkowski

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 06:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S15/00; G01S15/02; G01S15/06; G01S15/08; G01S15/10; G01S15/14; G01S7/00; G01S7/52; G01S7/523; G01S7/526; G01S7/527

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 104 words
A missing pulse detector for determining the true termination time of a sequence of pulses in a signal of an assumed predetermined length having a rising edge and a trailing edge, which sequence may include pulses which do not reach a predetermined threshold, the detector including a counter connected to count pulses exceeding said threshold, up to a predetermined number, an oscillator for producing pulses at twice the frequency of the pulses in the signal and an enabling circuit for allowing pulses from the oscillator to pass to the counter only after the termination of a sequence of threshold exceeding pulses from the signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 104 words
A missing pulse detector for determining the true termination time of a sequence of pulses in a signal of an assumed predetermined length having a rising edge and a trailing edge, which sequence may include pulses which do not reach a predetermined threshold, the detector including a counter connected to count pulses exceeding said threshold, up to a predetermined number, an oscillator for producing pulses at twice the frequency of the pulses in the signal and an enabling circuit for allowing pulses from the oscillator to pass to the counter only after the termination of a sequence of threshold exceeding pulses from the signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
A missing pulse detector according to claim 1, including a latch-controlled unit which is connected to receive the sequence of threshold-exceeding pulses from the signal, and wherein the connection of the oscillator to the counter for the supply of double frequency pulses is through the latch-controlled unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
A missing pulse detector according to claim 2, wherein the latch-controlled unit includes a counter which will produce an output to set the latch only after receipt of three pulses from the oscillator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
A missing pulse detector according to claim 1, including a latch connected to be set by the first threshold-exceeding pulse received in said signal to initiate operation of the oscillator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 137 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit including a missing pulse detector for determining the true termination time of a sequence of pulses in a signal of an assumed predetermined length having a rising edge and a trailing edge, which sequence may include pulses which do not reach a predetermined threshold, the detector including a counter connected to count pulses exceeding said threshold, up to a predetermined number, an oscillator for producing pulses at twice the frequency of the pulses in the signal and an enabling circuit for allowing pulses from the oscillator to pass to the counter only after the termination of a sequence of threshold exceeding pulses from the signal, the measuring circuit also incorporating a circuit for transmitting a sequence of pulses and receiving any reflection of that sequence for supply to the missing pulse detector.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 137 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit including a missing pulse detector for determining the true termination time of a sequence of pulses in a signal of an assumed predetermined length having a rising edge and a trailing edge, which sequence may include pulses which do not reach a predetermined threshold, the detector including a counter connected to count pulses exceeding said threshold, up to a predetermined number, an oscillator for producing pulses at twice the frequency of the pulses in the signal and an enabling circuit for allowing pulses from the oscillator to pass to the counter only after the termination of a sequence of threshold exceeding pulses from the signal, the measuring circuit also incorporating a circuit for transmitting a sequence of pulses and receiving any reflection of that sequence for supply to the missing pulse detector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 36 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit according to claim 5, including combined resetting inputs to the counter and to any latches in the circuit which will receive a resetting signal upon initiation of transmission of said sequence.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 32 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit according to claim 6, including a delayed re-set circuit wherein the output from the counter is connected to the combined re-setting inputs through the delayed re-set circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 66 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit according to claim 5, including a calculation and display unit for determining the time between the transmission of the sequence of pulses and the provision of an output from said counter upon receipt of said predetermined number of pulses and converting the time to an indication of distance travelled by the reflected sequence of pulses for display on the display unit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 76 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit according to claim 5 and provided with at least one circuit selected from an amplifier circuit having a variable gain which is highly linear with respect to an input gain control signal, the variable gain linear amplifier circuit preferably being connected in series with a pair of fixed gain band pass amplifier circuits, and a comparator circuit which compares the output of the band pass amplifiers with a predetermined threshold level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 24 words
A reflected signal measuring circuit according to claim 5, wherein the majority of the circuit components are carried by a single integrated circuit chip.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3447155A Cited
US3824464A Cited
GB2059590A Cited
US4420824A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-02-16 1990-08-18 1991-02-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-02-16 1994-08-18 1995-02-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-02-16 1998-08-18 1999-02-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag