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US4947033A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Voltage/frequency converter and its use in an optical wave guide transmission arrangement

Assignee: US Philips Corp
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Filing: 1988-12-16
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Granted: 1990-08-07
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Expires: 2008-12-16
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Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to a voltage/frequency converter which contains a first and second change-over switch (13, 20). The first change-over switch supplies in its first position a measurement voltage and in its second position a reference voltage to a first input (15) of a comparison circuit (16). The second change-over switch supplies in its first position a first signal to be integrated and in its second position a second signal to be integrated via an integrator (22, 34) to the second input of the comparison circuit. The comparison circuit generates pulses dependent on the measurement voltage and sets the two change-over switches into their first position when the voltage supplied by the integrator is equal to the reference voltage, and into their second position when the value supplied by the integrator is equal to the measurement voltage. In this arrangement, one of the signals to be integrated is derived from the measurement voltage.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jurgen Kordts
  • 👤 Gerald K. G. Finck

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 12:06
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01D; G01D5/00; G01D5/12; G01D5/244; G01D5/248; H; H03; H03K; H03K7/00; H03K7/06

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 145 words
Voltage/frequency converter with a first change-over switch (13) which supplies in its first position a measurement voltage and in its second position a reference voltage to a first input (15) of a comparison circuit (16), and with a second change-over switch (20) which supplies in its first position a first signal to be integrated and in its second position a second signal to be integrated via an integrator (22, 34) to the second input (26) of the comparison circuit which generates pulses dependent on the measurement voltage and which sets the two change-over switches into their first position when the voltage supplied by the integrator is equal to the reference voltage, and into their second position when the value supplied by the integrator is equal to the measurement voltage, characterized in that one of the signals to be integrated is derived from the measurement voltage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 145 words
Voltage/frequency converter with a first change-over switch (13) which supplies in its first position a measurement voltage and in its second position a reference voltage to a first input (15) of a comparison circuit (16), and with a second change-over switch (20) which supplies in its first position a first signal to be integrated and in its second position a second signal to be integrated via an integrator (22, 34) to the second input (26) of the comparison circuit which generates pulses dependent on the measurement voltage and which sets the two change-over switches into their first position when the voltage supplied by the integrator is equal to the reference voltage, and into their second position when the value supplied by the integrator is equal to the measurement voltage, characterized in that one of the signals to be integrated is derived from the measurement voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 44 words
Voltage/frequency converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the reference voltage is equal to earth potential, the first signal to be integrated is equal to the inverted measurement voltage and the second signal to be integrated is equal to a positive reference voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 47 words
Voltage/frequency converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the first signal to be integrated is equal to a negative reference current and that a voltage/current converter (30, 44) converts the measurement voltage into a measurement current which is equal to the second signal to be integrated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
Voltage/frequency converter according to claim 3, characterized in that the reference voltage is also derived from the measurement voltage.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 107 words
Use of a voltage/frequency converter according to one of the preceding claims in an arrangement for transmitting a measurement signal of an optical sensor (1) via an optical wave guide (2), in which an optical measurement signal is converted in an opto-electronic converter (4) into a current and the current is converted in a subsequent current/voltage converter (5) into the measurement voltage, and in which the pulses supplied by the voltage/frequency converter (6) are differentiated in a differentiating section (7) and the differentiated pulses are converted by means of an electronic-optical converter (8) into an optical signal which is radiated into the optical wave guide (FIG. 1).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 138 words
Use of a voltage/frequency converter according to claim 3 or 4 in an arrangement for transmitting two optical measurement signals of at least one optical sensor (1) via an optical wave guide (2), in which a first optical measurement signal is converted into a current in a first opto-electronic converter (4) and the current is converted in a subsequent current/voltage converter (5) into the measurement voltage and a second optical measurement signal is converted in a second opto-electronic converter (32) into the reference current which forms the first signal to be integrated, and in which the pulses supplied by the voltage/frequency converter (6) are differentiated in a differentiating section (7) and the differentiated pulses are converted by means of an electronic-optical converter (8) into an optical signal which is radiated into the optical wave guide (FIGS. 3, 4).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3968447A Cited
US4407056A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-08-06 1994-02-05 1994-08-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-08-06 1998-02-05 1998-08-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-08-06 2002-02-05 2002-08-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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