PULSE TRAIN SORTER

• US 3,743,948 A
• Filed: 12/04/1969
• Issued: 07/03/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harold J. Arnold, Hugh M. Cleland, Robert B. Lyon, Robert K. Dahlin, Robert W. Polkinghorn
• Original Assignee: Harold J. Arnold, Hugh M. Cleland, Robert B. Lyon, Robert K. Dahlin, Robert W. Polkinghorn
• Inventors: Dahlin, Robert K., Arnold, Harold J., Cleland, Hugh M., Lyon, Robert B., Polkinghorn, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hubler, Malcolm F.
• Application Number:
  US04/881,974
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 343/5DP 328/105,157,37,56,119 333/29
• US Class Current: 327/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals

Abstract

A plurality of incoming electrical signals is to be analyzed in order to sort out pulse-trains of interest. This is achieved by directing the signals along a transmission-device that has a number of readout-points, so that individual pulse-signals travel past these readout-points; resultant status-signals at the readout-points indicating the instantaneous presence or absence of pulse-signals at these points. When the status-signals indicate the presence of a pulse-train of interest, segments of the electrical-signal are routed to a suitable utilization device.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting at least one given series of pulses having a given frequency, said apparatus comprising:

a transmission-device having an input-point and a plurality of readout-points which are arranged into a plurality of groups containing more than one readout-point;

means for applying a series of randomly time-spaced pulses which includes said given series to said input-point of said transmission-device;

said transmission-device causing each pulse of said random series to produce an individual pulse-signal that is transmitted along said transmission-device, the resultant series of pulse-signals in said transmission-device moving along said transmission-device with the same randomly timespaced separation characteristic that the pulses in said random series have;

means for obtaining a set of status-signals from one of said groups of said readout-points of said transmission-device, for indicating the presence of individual pulses at each readout point in a selected one of said groups, each of said groups having more than one readout-point and less than all of the readout points;

the simultaneous presence of similar status signals at all the readout-points of said one of said groups of readout-points being indicative of the presence of the given series of pulses having the given frequency; and

coincidence means, energized by the set of similar statussignals for producing a trigger signal.

2. The combination of claim 1 including:

indicating means, associated with said trigger -signal, for producing an indicaTion of the presence of said given series.

3. The combination of claim 1 including:

selection means, associated with said trigger -signal, for selecting the pulse of said given series at said input point; and

means for applying said selected pulse to a utilization-device -whereby a relatively undistorted pulse of said given series is sorted-out.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said selection means includes:

an electronic-switch; and

means, associated with said trigger-signal, for energizing said electronic-switch for directing said selected pulse of said given series from said input-point to said utilization device.

5. The combination of claim 1 including:

additional means for obtaining a second set of status-signals from a second group of readout-points; and

additional coincidence means, energized by said second set of status-signals, for producing a second trigger-signal at the simultaneous occurrence of similar status-signals at said second group of readout-points; and

means for causing said second trigger-signal to sort-out a pulse of a second series of pulses having a second frequency.

6. The combination of claim 1 including:

means for causing a harmonic-frequency of said pulse-train signal to produce a negate -signal; and

means for causing said negate-signal to negate the effect of said trigger-signal.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said coincidence means includes mode-switch means for producing said triggering-signal in the absence of one of said positive status-signals.

8. The combination of claim 1 including indicating-means comprising:

a plurality of indicators; and

means, associated with said trigger-signal, for energizing selected indicators at the presence of said given series of pulses.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein each said groups of readout-points comprises:

a buffer; and

a plurality of wires connecting individual readout-points of each of said groups to a respective buffer.

10. Apparatus for detecting at least one given series of pulses having a given frequency comprising:

a shift-register type transmission-device having an input-point and a plurality of readout-points which are arranged into a plurality of groups;

means for applying a series of randomly time-spaced pulses which includes said given series to said input-point of said transmission-device;

said shift-register type transmission -device causing each pulse of said random series to produce an individual digital -type pulse-signal that is transmitted along said transmission-device, the resultant series of pulse-signals in said transmission-device moving along said transmission-device with the same randomly time-spaced separation characteristic that pulses in said random series have;

means for obtaining a set of digital status -signals from one of said groups of said readout-points of said transmission -device, for indicating the presence of individual pulse-signals at said group of readout-points;

the simultaneous presence of a set of similar status -signals at all the readout-points of a said one group of readout-points being indicative of the presence of a given series of pulses of interest;

a like plurality of buffers;

means for connecting individual readout -points of one of said groups to respective ones of said buffers;

means, energized by a set of output-signals from said buffer, for producing an indication signal; and

indicating means, associated with said indicating-signal, for producing an indication of the presence of a given series of interest.

11. The combination of claim 10 including:

selection means, associated with said indicating -signal, for selecting the pulse of said given series at said input point; and

means for applying said selected pulse to a utilization-device -whereby relatively undistorted pulse of said given series of interest are sorted-out from said random series.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein said selection means includes:

an electronic-switch; and

means, associated with said indicating-signal, for energizing said electronic-switch for directing said selected pulse of said given series from said input.

13. The combination of claim 10 including:

means, comprising said plurality of buffers, for obtaining a second given series of pulses;

means, energized by a second given series of pulses from said buffers, for producing a second indicating -signal; and

means, associated with said second indicating -signal, for causing said second indicating -signal to produce an indication of the presence of a second given series of interest.

14. The combination of claim 10 including:

means, comprising an additional buffer, for causing a harmonic-frequency of said given series to produce a negate-signal; and

means for causing said negate-signal to negate the effect of said indicating-signal.

15. The combination of claim 10 including:

mode-switch means for producing said indicating-signal in the absence of an intermediate one of said pulses in said given series.