ELECTRONIC SCANNING SWITCH

• US 3,846,745 A
• Filed: 06/07/1973
• Issued: 11/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eugene Emerson Hill, Marvin Seymour Scrimshaw
• Original Assignee: Eugene Emerson Hill, Marvin Seymour Scrimshaw
• Inventors: Hill, Eugene Emerson, Scrimshaw, Marvin Seymour
• Primary Examiner(s): Farley, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/367,751
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 340/6R,16R 343/16LS,1SA,118 307/242,243 328/97,104,154
• US Class Current: 367/122
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/345 using energy switching from one active element to another

Abstract

An electronic scanning switch adapted to sequentially scan a plurality of signal sources and provide interpolated output signals at the output terminals thereof. The scanning switch comprises a switching means and an interpolator adapted to sequentially connect each output line to a plurality of transducer signals through constantly varying intervals.

Claims

1. An electronic interpolator means including a first input conductor adapted to carry a first input signal;

a second input conductor adapted to carry a second input signal;

an output conductor;

electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor;

said switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately;

said switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of said first input signal and said second input signal in selected proportions, means adapted to alter the proportions of said first and said second input signals carried by said output conductor to thereby alter the degree of interpolation of said first and said second input signals in said output signal.

2. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 1 including means adapted to decrease the proportion of said first input signal and to correspondingly increase the proportion of said second input signal, carried by said output conductor, at a constant rate;

to provide an output signal wherein the degree of interpolation between said first input signal and said second input signaL changes at a constant rate.

3. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 2 including means for cyclically repeating said change in the degree of interpolation between said first input signal and said second input signal, in said output signal;

wherein, during each cycle, the proportion of said first input signal in said output signal varies at a constant rate from maximum to minimum and the proportion of said second input signal in said output signal varies at a constant rate from minimum to maximum.

4. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 1 including means for selecting values for the relative proportions of said first and second portions of said interpolation intervals and for maintaining the relative proportions of said first and second portions at said selected values.

5. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 1 including filter means connected to said output conductors adapted to smooth said interpolated output signal.

6. An electronic interpolator means including a first input conductor adapted to carry a first input signal;

a second input conductor adapted to carry a second input signal;

an output conductor;

electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor;

said switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately;

said switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of said first input signal and said second input signal in selected proportions;

control means connected to said switching means;

said control means including timing means adapted to continuously measure interpolation intervals consisting of successive time intervals of a fixed duration;

said timing means including means for dividing each of said interpolation intervals into a first portion and a second portion, said control means being adapted to provide electrical pulses to operate said switch means so that said output signal conducting means is connected to said first input signal conducting means during said first portion of each of said interpolation intervals and is connected to said second input signal conducting means during said second portion of each of said interpolation intervals, means for varying the relative durations of said first and said second portions of said interpolation intervals by a constant amount with each successive interpolation interval, whereby during each interpolation cycle which consists of an integral number of interpolation intervals, said first portion of said interpolation interval varies from maximum duration to minimum duration and said second portion of said interpolation interval varies correspondingly from minimum duration to maximum duration.

7. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 6 including a plurality of input conductors, a plurality of output conductors, first and second control conductors;

said switching means including first and second sets of transistors;

each of said transistors including a gate terminal, a source terminal and a drain terminal;

said gate terminal of each of said transistors in said first set being connected to said first control conductor;

said gate terminal of each of said transistors in said second set being connected to said second control conductor;

whereby said first set of transistors is adapted to be rendered conductive together and said second set of transistors is adapted to be rendered conductive together.

8. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said input conductors is connected to the source terminal of one of said transistors;

each of said output conductors is connected to the drain terminal of one of said transistors of said first set and to the emitter terminal of one of said transistors of Said second set;

said switching means being adapted to provide simultaneous switching of each of said output lines between the input line connected to the transistor in said first set of transistors and the input line connected to the transistor in said second set of transistors.

9. An electronic interpolator means in accordance with claim 6 wherein said control means includes a bistable driver means connected to said control conductors;

said timing means including counter means connected to said bistable driver means and an oscillator connected to said counter means;

said timing means being adapted to provide triggering pulses to said bistable driver means.

10. An electronic scanning switch including electronic interpolator means, a plurality of scanning switch input conductors adapted to carry individual input signals, a selector means for connecting a contiguous group of said scanning switch input conductors to said interpolator means;

said interpolator means including a first input conductor adapted to carry a first input signal, a second input conductor adapted to carry a second input signal, an output conductor, electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor, said switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately;

said switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of said first input signal and said second input signal in selected proportions, said interpolator means being adapted to repeat its operation during successive interpolation cycles, each of said interpolation cycles comprising an integral number of equal interpolation intervals;

said interpolator means being adapted to connect said output line to said first input line for a first fraction of said interpolation interval and to connect said output line to said second input line for a second fraction of said interpolation interval;

the sum of said first fraction and said second fraction being unity;

said first fraction decreasing by a constant amount each successive interpolation interval.

11. An electronic scanning switch including electronic interpolator means;

a plurality of scanning switch input conductors adapted to carry individual input signals;

a selector means for connecting a contiguous group of said scanning switch input conductors to said interpolator means;

control means adapted to control operation of said interpolator means and said selector means, said interpolator means including a first input conductor adapted to carry a first input signal, a second input conductor adapted to carry a second input signal, an output conductor, electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor, said switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately, said switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of said first input signal and said second input signal in selected proportions, said control means being adapted to control operation said interpolator switching means whereby said interpolated output signal consists of a gradually decreasing proportion of said first input signal and a gradually increasing proportion of the said second input signal.

12. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 11, wherein said control means includes an oscillator, first and second counters, a count comparator and a bistable driver, said oscillator being connected to said first counter, said first counter connected to said bistable driver said count comparator and said second counter, said count comparator connected to said bistable driver.

13. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 12 wherein said control means further includes a third counter connected to said second counter and a first decoder means connected to said third counter to provide control signals for said selector means.

14. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 13 wherein said control signal generator further includes a fourth counter, a second decoder means connected to said third counter, to provide control signals for said selector means.

15. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 11 including means whereby said control means may be caused to operate in a storage mode to thereby cause the scanning switch to scan a selected portion of said scanning switch input lines.

16. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 11 wherein said scanning switch includes preamplifiers connected in said scanning switch input lines.

17. A scanning switch in accordance with claim 11 including filter means connected to said output conductor of said interpolator means.

18. A scanning switch in accordance with claim 11 including a plurality of input conductors to said interpolator means and a plurality of output conductors from said interpolator means;

means connected to said output conductors of said interpolator means to delay at least certain of the output signals carried in said output lines and means to combine said output signals to form a beam.

19. An electronic scanning switch including electronic interpolator means;

a plurality of scanning switch input conductors adapted to carry individual input signals;

a selector means for connecting a contiguous group of said scanning switch input conductors to said interpolator means;

said interpolator means including a first input conductor adapted to carry a first signal, a second input conductor adapted to carry a second input signal, an output conductor, electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor, said switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately, said switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of said first input signal and said second input signal in selected proportions, said selector means including an electronic switching matrix, said switching matrix including a plurality of matrix input conductors and a plurality of matrix output conductors, each of said matrix input conductors being connected to a scanning switch input conductor, said matrix output conductors being connected to said interpolator means, said switching matrix being adapted to provide scanning connections between said matrix output conductors and said matrix input conductors;

said interpolator means being adapted to interpolate output signals from said switching matrix to provide an output signal on said output conductor wherein there is a gradual transition from the signal of one source to that of the next in the interval between switching of the switching matrix.

20. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 19 wherein said interpolator means is adapted to operate cyclically, said selector means including selector switching means adapted to connect said switching matrix input conductors to a contiguous group of said scanning switch input conductors, said contiguous group of scanning switch input conductors having a forward end and a rearward end;

said selector switching means being adapted to simultaneously disconnect the scanning switch input conductor at said rearward end and to connect the scanning switch input conductor immediately adjacent said forward end, at the commencement of each cycle of said interpolator means.

21. An electronic scanning switcH including electronic interpolator means;

a plurality of scanning switch input conductors adapted to carry individual input signals;

a first selector means and a second selector means for connecting a contiguous group of said scanning switch input conductors to said interpolator means, each of said scanning switch input conductors being connected to said first and second selector means, said interpolator means including a first input conductor connected to said first selector means adapted to carry a first input signal, a second input conductor connected to said second selector means adapted to carry a second input signal, an output conductor, electronic switching means connected to said first and second input conductors and to said output conductor;

said interpolator switching means being adapted to connect said output conductor to said first input conductor and to said second input conductor, alternately;

said first selector means being adapted to be switched at a time when said second input conductor to said interpolator means is connected by said interpolator switching means to said interpolator means output conductor and said second selector means being adapted to be switched at a time when said first input conductor to said interpolator means is connected by said interpolator switching means to said interpolator output conductor, to prevent disturbances caused by switching of said selectors from reaching said interpolator, said interpolator switching means being adapted to provide an output signal in said output conductor which is an interpolation of said first input signal and said second input signal, said output signal consisting of alternate portions of saifirst input signal said first and said second input signal in selected proportions.

22. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 21 including control means, said control means being adapted to cause said first and said second selector means to be switched alternately at fixed intervals.

23. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 22 wherein said control means is adapted to control said interpolator switching means to provide cyclical operation of said interpolator means such that during a first interval in the cycle of the interpolator means, the signal in said interpolator means output line comprises an increasing proportion of the signal carried by said first input conductor to said interpolator means and a corresponding decreasing proportion of said signal carried by said second input conductor to said interpolator means and during the next interval in the cycle of the interpolator means the signal in said interpolator means output line comprises a decreasing proportion of the signal carried by said first input conductor to said interpolator means and a corresponding increasing proportion of the signal carried by said second conductor to said interpolator means.

24. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 23 wherein said interpolator means includes a plurality of electronic switching means, an output line connected to each of said interpolator switching means, a first input line connected to said first selector means and a second input line connected to said second selector means;

said scanning switch being adapted to provide an interpolated scanning connection between said output lines and said scanning switch input conductors.

25. An electronic scanning switch in accordance with claim 23 wherein during said first interval said second input conductor to said interpolator means carries an output signal from a first transducer stave and said second input conductor to said interpolator means carries an output signal from a second transducer stave located immediately adjacent said first transducer stave and during said second interval said second input conductor to said interpolator means carries an output signal from a third transducer stave located immediately adjacent said second transducer stave and said first input conductor to said interpolator means continuEs to carry said output signal from said second transducer stave.