Digital signal averager with logarithmic time base

• US 3,937,943 A
• Filed: 08/29/1974
• Issued: 02/10/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Illinois Foundation (University of Illinois)
• Original Assignee: University of Illinois Foundation (University of Illinois)
• Inventors: Frauenfelder, Hans, Debrunner, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph F.
• Application Number:
  US05/501,798
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 235/183, 235/181, 235/193, 235/197, 235/150.51, 235/150.53, 235/151.35, 235/151.3, 235/152, 235/164, 235/156, 235/168, 328/145, 340/347 NT, 324/99 D, 324/132
• US Class Current: 702/199
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

Method and apparatus for enabling the observation of a physical reaction occurring over many orders of magnitude in time including sensing information during a kinetic action and providing a corresponding output signal, integrating the output signal over periodic linear time segments, converting the information into digital form, and averaging the periodic information samples over exponentially increasing time intervals, each containing a plurality of said linear time segments. A digital signal averager with logarithmic time base in which analog signal information derived for instance during a physical reaction is converted into digital form in periodic samples of discrete linear time intervals, and including means for summing the samples over time intervals increasing by a fixed power, for instance two, and means for dividing the sum for each of the increasing time intervals by the number of linear time intervals in each of the increasing time intervals.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a kinetic action comprising the steps of:

providing periodic digital samples of information sensed during said kinetic action; and

averaging said periodic digital samples of information over exponentially increasing time intervals to obtain measurements of said kinetic action over several time decades.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said averaging is provided over time intervals increasing by the power of two.

3. A method of analyzing a kinetic action comprising the steps of:

sensing said kinetic action and providing a corresponding output signal;

periodically integrating said output signal over time segments of discrete length to provide periodic information samples related to said kinetic action;

converting said periodic information samples into a digital signal; and

averaging said periodic information samples over exponentially increasing time intervals each corresponding to a plurality of said linear time segments.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said averaging is provided over time intervals increasing by the power of two.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said averaging includes the steps of:

summing said periodic information samples over time intervals increasing by the power of two; and

dividing said sum for each time interval by the corresponding number of said time segments of discrete length in each of said respective time intervals.

6. Apparatus for analyzing information sensed during a kinetic action comprising:

means for providing periodic digital samples of said information; and

means for averaging said periodic digital samples of information over exponentially increasing time intervals.

7. Apparatus for analyzing information sensed during a kinetic action comprising:

means for periodically integrating said information over discrete linear time segments to provide periodic information samples;

means for converting said periodic information into a digital signal;

means for summing said periodic information samples over time intervals increasing by the power of two; and

means for dividing said sum for each of said time intervals by the corresponding number of said time segments in each of said respective time intervals.

8. Apparatus for analyzing information sensed during a kinetic action comprising:

means for sensing said kinetic action and providing a corresponding output signal;

means for periodically integrating said output signal over time segments of discrete length to provide periodic information samples related to said kinetic action;

means for converting said periodic information samples into a digital signal; and

means for averaging said periodic information samples over exponentially increasing time intervals each corresponding to a plurality of said linear time segments.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8, including means for averaging said periodic information samples over time intervals increasing by the power of two.