US4684897A — Frequency correction apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 113 words

In combination: (a) means for producing a plurality of successively time-delayed signals, each one having the same frequency and varying from a nominal frequency in accordance with variations in the operating environment of the producing means; and (b) means, responsive to a control signal representative of said variations in the operating environment of said producing means, for successively coupling each of the plurality of time-delayed signals to an output terminal at a predetermined coupling change rate, said predetermined coupling change rate being selected to provide a signal at the output terminal having a frequency substantially equal to the nominal frequency substantially independent of said variations in the operating environment of the producing means.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 113 words

In combination: (a) means for producing a plurality of successively time-delayed signals, each one having the same frequency and varying from a nominal frequency in accordance with variations in the operating environment of the producing means; and (b) means, responsive to a control signal representative of said variations in the operating environment of said producing means, for successively coupling each of the plurality of time-delayed signals to an output terminal at a predetermined coupling change rate, said predetermined coupling change rate being selected to provide a signal at the output terminal having a frequency substantially equal to the nominal frequency substantially independent of said variations in the operating environment of the producing means.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 56 words

The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the producing means comprises a delay line having a plurality of output taps distributed along the line from an input of such line, such plurality of time-delayed signals being produced at the output of the taps in response to an input signal fed to the input of the line.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein the delay line comprises a digital delay line.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

The apparatus recited in claim 3 wherein the digital delay line includes means for shifting samples of the input signal fed to the delay line and through the delay line at a predetermined clock rate, such clock rate being an integer multiple of the frequency of the input signal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 196 words

Frequency correction apparatus, comprising: (a) a delay line means having a plurality of output taps disposed along the delay line means; (b) means for producing an input signal and for coupling said input signal to an input of the delay line means, said input signal having an instantaneous frequency fs which varies from a nominal frequency f so by an amount ±f E as a function of the temperature of the input signal producing means; (c) said delay line means comprising means for producing at the plurality of output taps a plurality of time-delayed output signals, the signals having the frequency f s and being shifted in time one with respect to another a predetermined amount ΔT s ; and (d) means, repsonsive to the temperature of the input signal producing means and fed by the plurality of output signals, for coupling each one of the output signals to an output terminal at a coupling change rate equal to N T output taps per second, said coupling change rate N T being selected to produce a signal at the output terminal having a frequency f so =f s ∓f E where f E =(Δ T.sub.s)f.sub.s N.sub.T.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 196 words

Frequency correction apparatus, comprising: (a) a delay line means having a plurality of output taps disposed along the delay line means; (b) means for producing an input signal and for coupling said input signal to an input of the delay line means, said input signal having an instantaneous frequency fs which varies from a nominal frequency f so by an amount ±f E as a function of the temperature of the input signal producing means; (c) said delay line means comprising means for producing at the plurality of output taps a plurality of time-delayed output signals, the signals having the frequency f s and being shifted in time one with respect to another a predetermined amount ΔT s ; and (d) means, repsonsive to the temperature of the input signal producing means and fed by the plurality of output signals, for coupling each one of the output signals to an output terminal at a coupling change rate equal to N T output taps per second, said coupling change rate N T being selected to produce a signal at the output terminal having a frequency f so =f s ∓f E where f E =(Δ T.sub.s)f.sub.s N.sub.T.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 53 words

The apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein the delay line comprises a digital delay line and means responsive to the input signal, for shifting the input signal through the delay line to the output taps thereof at a clocking rate which is a predetermined multiple integer of the frequency of the input signal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 188 words

Apparatus for correcting the frequency of an input signal generated by a source, the input signal having a frequency f s varying from a nominal frequency f so by a predetermined amount ±f E in accordance with the temperature of the source, said apparatus comprising: (a) a delay line means having a plurality of output taps distributed in succession across the delay line means, the input signal being fed to the delay line, said delay line means delaying the input signal as it passes through the delay line means an amount ΔT s as the input signal passes between successive output taps; (b) means for producing a control signal corresponding to the temperature of the source; and (c) means, responsive to the control signal, for successively coupling the distributed output taps to an output terminal at a coupling change rate of N T output taps per second corresponding to the temperature of the source, the coupling change rate N T being equal to f E /(f s ΔT s ), to produce a signal at the output terminal having a frequency f so =f s ∓f E .

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 188 words

Apparatus for correcting the frequency of an input signal generated by a source, the input signal having a frequency f s varying from a nominal frequency f so by a predetermined amount ±f E in accordance with the temperature of the source, said apparatus comprising: (a) a delay line means having a plurality of output taps distributed in succession across the delay line means, the input signal being fed to the delay line, said delay line means delaying the input signal as it passes through the delay line means an amount ΔT s as the input signal passes between successive output taps; (b) means for producing a control signal corresponding to the temperature of the source; and (c) means, responsive to the control signal, for successively coupling the distributed output taps to an output terminal at a coupling change rate of N T output taps per second corresponding to the temperature of the source, the coupling change rate N T being equal to f E /(f s ΔT s ), to produce a signal at the output terminal having a frequency f so =f s ∓f E .

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 52 words

The apparatus recited in claim 7 wherein the delay line means includes an N stage digital shift register and means for shifting samples of the input signal through the delay line means at the rate 1/ΔT s where T s =1/Nf s ), N T =Nf E and N is an integer.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 162 words

A frequency correction system comprising: means for generating a reference signal having a predetermined, nominal frequency, the frequency of the reference signal varying from said predetermined, nominal frequency as a function of the temperature of the reference signal generating means; means for producing a control signal corresponding to the temperature of the reference signal generating means; delay line means, fed by the reference signal, for producing a plurality of successively time-delayed signals, each one of said successively time-delayed signals having the same frequency as that of the reference signal; and means, responsive to the control signal, for successively coupling each one of the plurality of time-delayed signals to an output terminal at a coupling change rate corresponding to the temperature of the reference signal generating means, said coupling change rate being selected to provide a signal at said output terminal having an frequency substantially equal to the predetermined, nominal frequency and substantially independent of the temperature of the reference signal generating means.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 162 words

A frequency correction system comprising: means for generating a reference signal having a predetermined, nominal frequency, the frequency of the reference signal varying from said predetermined, nominal frequency as a function of the temperature of the reference signal generating means; means for producing a control signal corresponding to the temperature of the reference signal generating means; delay line means, fed by the reference signal, for producing a plurality of successively time-delayed signals, each one of said successively time-delayed signals having the same frequency as that of the reference signal; and means, responsive to the control signal, for successively coupling each one of the plurality of time-delayed signals to an output terminal at a coupling change rate corresponding to the temperature of the reference signal generating means, said coupling change rate being selected to provide a signal at said output terminal having an frequency substantially equal to the predetermined, nominal frequency and substantially independent of the temperature of the reference signal generating means.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein the variations in the environment of the producing means comprise changes in the temperature of the producing means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-08-03	1991-02-02	1991-08-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-08-03	1995-02-02	1995-08-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-08-03	1999-02-02	1999-08-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Frequency correction apparatus

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