Control voltage generator multiplier and one-shot for integrated surround sound processor

• US 5,428,687 A
• Filed: 12/14/1992
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: James W. Fosgate
• Inventors: Fosgate, James W., Willcocks, Martin E. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US07/990,660
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 381/22, 381/18, 307/517, 307/603, 307/381, 327/13, 327/14, 327/278, 327/283, 327/285
• US Class Current: 381/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/02 of the matrix type, i.e. in which input signals are combined algebraically, e.g. after having been phase shifted with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 5/005 of the pseudo five- or more-channel type, e.g. virtual surround

Abstract

A surround sound processor for presentation of a stereophonic source program on a multiple loudspeaker array surrounding the listening area. The processor includes input signal conditioning and matrixing circuits, a control voltage generator responsive to the directional information contained in the stereophonic source signals, and a variable matrixing circuit for generating appropriate loudspeaker feed signals to create the illusion of the sound field wrapping around the listening area. The control voltage generator includes a servologic circuit employing variable time constant smoothing circuits each responsive to the difference signal between its input and its output and to a pulse signal from a one-shot triggered by threshold detectors which compare the difference signals with fixed threshold voltages. In one aspect, suitable for incorporation into an integrated circuit, a multiplier circuit and a controlled bidirectional current source charging and discharging a capacitor provides the smoothing function. Alternatively a symmetrical nonlinear resistive circuit or element is used to charge and discharge the capacitor. A novel and economical combined threshold detector and one-shot suitable for integrated circuits is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An audio signal processor for multichannel redistribution of stereophonic sound on a plurality of loudspeakers surrounding the listener comprising an input conditioning and matrixing means, a variable matrixing means and a control voltage generator means for producing a plurality of control voltages from the output signals of said input conditioning and matrixing means and for controlling the variable parameters of said variable matrixing means, said control voltage generator means comprising:

at least one pair of input terminals for receiving from said input conditioning and matrixing means a pair of partially correlated audio signals containing directional information;

at least one directional detector means for comparing each said pair of correlated audio signals to produce a corresponding directional information signal; and

at least one variable time constant smoothing means for smoothing each of said directional information signals to produce a corresponding control voltage signal, each said smoothing means being responsive to the difference between its input said directional information signal and the corresponding output said control voltage signal,

each said variable time constant smoothing means comprising;

a controlled current source means having a control terminal and an output;

a capacitor means connected to the output of said controlled current source means and ground;

a differencing means for producing a difference signal corresponding to the difference between the input said directional information signal and the output said control voltage signal; and

a current control means for providing a current source control signal to the control terminal of said controlled current source means for varying the current provided by said controlled current source means to said capacitor means;

said control voltage signal being developed across said capacitor means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one buffer means for buffering each said control voltage signal and providing it to said variable matrixing means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising at least one inverter means for inverting the polarity of each said buffered control voltage signal to provide therefrom a second control voltage signal of opposite polarity for application to said variable matrixing means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each said differencing means comprises:

a first resistor means connected to the output of one of said directional detector means for receiving one of said directional information signals;

a second resistor means of equal resistance to said first resistor means connected to the output of the corresponding one of said inverter means for receiving said second corresponding control voltage signal;

said first and second resistors being connected to a common junction; and

a buffer means having an input connected to said common junction, the output voltage thereof being proportional to the average of the signals applied to the two resistors, and therefore to the difference between said one of said directional information signals and the corresponding control voltage signal thereto.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

at least one threshold detector means responsive to each said difference signal for detecting whether said difference signal exceeds either a positive or a negative threshold value; and

at least one one-shot means triggered by one or more of said threshold detector means for producing a pulse signal of constant duration whenever said difference signal exceeds either threshold value;

said pulse signal being applied to each said current control means for causing the output current of the corresponding one of said controlled current source means to be proportional to its said difference signal for the duration of said pulse signal from said one-shot means, thereby to attain a minimum equivalent smoothing time constant with each said smoothing capacitor means for all said directional information signals.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said current control means comprises a multiplier circuit and said controlled current source means comprise a differencing bidirectional current mirror circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said multiplier circuit comprises:

a common input terminal;

first and second multiplier output terminals;

first, second and third differential current sink means each having an input and two outputs, and whose inputs are connected to said common input terminal, said outputs sinking currents which are equal when the input voltage is zero and vary linearly in opposite directions with the input voltage up to a maximum current and down to zero current;

first and second equal resistor means connected between the outputs of said first differential current sink means and a first positive voltage lower than the positive supply voltage;

first multiplier cell means having two inputs, two control inputs and two outputs, the inputs connected to the outputs of said second differential current sink means, the control inputs connected to said first and second equal resistor means and the outputs of said first differential current sink means for setting its multiplication coefficient to a positive or negative value less than or equal to unity;

first and second matched forward biased diode means whose cathodes are connected to the outputs of said first multiplier cell means and whose anodes are connected to a second positive voltage higher than said first positive voltage but lower than the positive supply voltage; and

second multiplier cell means having two inputs, two control inputs and two outputs, the inputs connected to the outputs of said third differential current sink means, the control inputs connected to said first and second matched diode means and the outputs of said first multiplier cell means for setting its multiplication coefficient to a positive value less than or equal to unity, the outputs of said second multiplier cell means being connected to said first and second output terminals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first and second positive voltages are obtained by first and second dropping resistors connected from the positive supply voltage to the junction of said first and second diode means, and from this junction to the junction of said first and second resistor means, respectively.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising means for reducing the voltage across said first diode means in response to a pulse signal, for applying to the control inputs of said second multiplier cell a voltage for setting its multiplication coefficient to unity for the duration of said pulse signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for reducing the voltage across said first diode means is an NPN transistor whose base is connected to one collector of a dual collector PNP transistor, the collector of said NPN transistor is connected to said second positive voltage, and the emitter is connected to the cathode of said first diode means, the emitter of said PNP transistor being connected to the positive supply voltage, the base and the other collector of the PNP transistor being connected to receive said pulse signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a current sink means for increasing the current flowing through said second diode means for applying to the inputs of said second multiplier cell a voltage sufficient to prevent its multiplication coefficient from falling to zero.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first differential current sink has a high sensitivity and acts like a voltage-controlled switch, the output currents thereof being switched between the said maximum current and zero over a very small range of the input voltage applied to said common input terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said first and second resistor means are replaced by third and fourth matched forward biased diode means.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said differential current sink means comprises:

first and second matched NPN transistors, their bases being connected to the input and ground respectively;

first and second equal current sinks connected from the emitters of said first and second transistors to a negative supply voltage; and

a scale resistor connected between the emitters of said first and second transistors;

the collectors of said first and second transistors being the outputs of said differential current sink means, and wherein each of said first and second multiplier cells comprises;

first, second, third and fourth matched NPN transistors;

the emitters of said first and second transistors being connected together to one said input, and the emitters of said third and fourth transistors being connected together to the other said input;

the bases of said first and fourth transistors being connected together to one said control input, and the bases of said second and third transistors being connected to the other said control input;

the collectors of said first and third transistors being connected to one said output, and the collectors of said second and fourth transistors being connected to the other said output.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the scale resistors of said first and second differential current sinks have values which cause the currents therein to vary between zero and the maximum values thereof over a range of input voltages applied to said common input terminal which is less than the maximum range of input voltages that can be applied thereto, and the scale resistor of said third differential current sink is such that the currents therein vary between zero and their maximum value over the maximum range of input voltage that can be applied to said common input terminal;

thereby ensuring that the output differential current of said multiplier circuit varies with a cubic relationship to the input voltage over a range thereof less than a first magnitude, a square-law relationship to the input voltage when its magnitude is between said first magnitude and a second magnitude, and a linear relationship to the input voltage when its magnitude is between said second magnitude and the maximum magnitude that can be applied to said common input terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the scale resistor of said first differential current sink is made zero to reduce said first magnitude to zero.

17. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said differencing bidirectional current mirror circuit comprises:

first and second current mirror circuits, each having an input and an output terminal, and a common terminal connected to the positive supply voltage;

third current mirror circuit of opposite polarity having an input and an output terminal, and a common terminal connected to the negative supply voltage;

the inputs of said first and second current mirror circuits being connected to the outputs of said multiplier circuit;

the output of said first current mirror circuit being connected to the input of said third current mirror circuit; and

the outputs of said second and third current mirror circuits being connected to a common output terminal, which is the output of said controlled current source.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said current mirrors each comprise three transistors of identical characteristics, said first and second current mirror circuits comprising lateral PNP transistors and said third current mirror comprising NPN transistors;

the first and second transistors thereof having their emitters connected to said common terminal and their bases connected to the emitter of the third transistor thereof;

the collector of the second transistor being connected to the emitter of the third transistor;

the collector of the first transistor and the base of the third transistor being connected to the input terminal; and

the collector of the third transistor being connected to the output terminal thereof;

the circuit being operative to provide an output current substantially equal to the input current by compensating for the finite current gain of each of the three transistors.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

a compound PNP transistor in common base connection, the output of said first current mirror circuit being connected to the emitter thereof instead of to the input of said third current mirror circuit, the collector thereof being instead connected to the input of said third current mirror circuit; and

a diode-connected transistor, the output of said second current mirror circuit being connected to the anode thereof instead of to said common output terminal, the cathode of said diode-connected transistor being connected instead to said common output terminal, and also being connected to the base of said compound PNP transistor;

the function of these components being to force both of said outputs of said first and second current mirror circuits to be always at nearly the same potential, thereby to cancel out the error currents due to Early effect in the lateral PNP transistors contained therein and increase the output impedance of the said bidirectional current mirror circuit.

20. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said buffer means of said differencing means comprises:

first current sink means;

first and second matched NPN transistors, their emitters connected together to said first current sink means, the base of said first transistor being connected to the junction of said first and second resistor means;

active load means comprising first and second dual collector lateral PNP transistors, the emitter of said first PNP transistor being connected to the positive supply, the base and one collector thereof being connected to the emitter of said second PNP transistor, the other collector thereof and the base of said second PNP transistor being connected to the collector of said first NPN transistor, and the collectors of said second PNP transistor being connected to the collector of said second NPN transistor;

second current sink means;

third NPN transistor, the base thereof connected to the collectors of said second PNP and second NPN transistors, the emitter thereof to the base of said second NPN transistor, to said second current sink means, and to the output terminal of said buffer means, and the collector thereof to the positive supply voltage;

said first and second current sinks each comprising an NPN transistor and a resistor, the base of said transistor being connected to a bias supply voltage and the emitter thereof being returned to the negative supply voltage through said resistor for defining the collector current thereof, the collectors of said transistors of said first and second current sinks being connected respectively to the junction of the emitters of said first and second NPN transistors and to the emitter of said third NPN transistor.

21. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said threshold detector means and one-shot means comprise:

first and second current sinks, said second current sink drawing twice the current in said first current sink;

first and second voltage dividers connected respectively from positive and negative supply voltages to ground for providing equal positive and negative threshold voltages;

first and second matched NPN transistors, their emitters connected together to said first current sink, their bases to the output of said differencing means and to said positive threshold voltage respectively;

third and fourth matched NPN transistors, their emitters connected together to said second current sink, their bases to the output of said differencing means and to said negative threshold voltage respectively, the collector of said third NPN transistor being connected to the positive supply voltage;

first PNP current mirror having an input, an output providing an equal current to the input current, and a common terminal connected to the positive supply, its input is connected to the collector of said second NPN transistor and its output to the collectors of said first and fourth NPN transistors;

second PNP current mirror having an input, a common terminal connected to the positive supply voltage, and first and second outputs, whose input is connected to the output of said first current mirror;

fifth diode-connected NPN transistor, whose emitter is grounded and collector and base are connected together to said first output of said second PNP current mirror;

sixth NPN transistor whose base is connected to the base and collector of said fifth transistor, its emitter to said negative threshold voltage, and its collector to said positive threshold voltage, for causing both voltages to be switched to approximately ground potential whenever the threshold detector means produces an output signal, thereby causing positive feedback to make the threshold detector switch rapidly;

third NPN current mirror having an input and first and second outputs and a common terminal connected to the negative supply voltage, said input being connected to said second output of said second current mirror;

a timing terminal connected to the first output of said third NPN current mirror;

a timing capacitor means connected from said timing terminal to ground;

second dual collector lateral PNP transistor, whose emitter is connected to the output of said first PNP current mirror, its base to the input thereof, and its collector to said timing terminal for providing a charging current to said timing terminal for charging said timing capacitor means to the positive supply voltage whenever the difference signal is between the said positive and negative threshold voltages;

said capacitor being discharged linearly from the positive supply voltage to ground by said third PNP current mirror when said difference signal exceeds either of said positive and negative threshold voltages, said discharge occurring in a constant time during which said threshold detector remains switched on, providing an output pulse signal of fixed duration;

a first vertical PNP transistor whose collector is connected to the negative supply voltage, its base to said timing terminal, and its emitter to the bases of said fifth and sixth NPN transistors, for turning them off when the voltage on said timing capacitor falls to or below ground potential and terminating said output pulse signal;

a catch diode whose anode is grounded and whose cathode is connected to said timing terminal, for preventing the voltage thereon from falling significantly below ground potential;

said second output of said third current mirror providing said pulse signal to the output terminal of said threshold detector means and one-shot means.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said first and second current sinks comprise respectively one and two matched NPN transistors whose bases are returned to a bias voltage, whose emitters are connected together through a single resistor to the negative supply voltage for determining the currents in each transistor;

and wherein said first PNP current mirror comprises a dual collector lateral PNP transistor, its base and one collector being the input terminal, its emitter being the common terminals and its other collector being the output terminal thereof;

and wherein said second PNP current mirror comprises first, second and third dual collector lateral PNP transistors, the input terminal being connected to the base of said third PNP transistor and one collector of said second PNP transistor, the common terminal to the emitters of said first and second PNP transistors, the first output terminal to both collectors of said third PNP transistor, and the second output to one collector of said first PNP transistor, the other collector thereof being returned to the negative supply voltage;

and wherein said third NPN current mirror comprises a first diode connected NPN transistor, its collector and base connected to the input, its emitter through a first resistor to the negative supply voltage, a second NPN transistor whose base is connected to the input, its emitter through a second resistor to the negative supply voltage and its collector to the first output, and a third NPN transistor whose base is connected to the input, its emitter through a third resistor to the negative supply voltage, and its collector to the second output, said first, second and third resistors determining the ratios of the first and second output currents to the input current.

23. An audio signal processor for multichannel redistribution of stereophonic sound on a plurality of loudspeakers surrounding the listener comprising an input conditioning and matrixing means, a variable matrixing means and a control voltage generator means for producing a plurality of control voltages from the output signals of said input conditioning and matrixing means and for controlling the variable parameters of said variable matrixing means, said control voltage generator means comprising:

at least one pair of input terminals for receiving from said input conditioning and matrixing means a pair of partially correlated audio signals containing directional information;

at least one directional detector means for comparing each said pair of correlated audio signals to produce a corresponding directional information signal; and

at least one variable time constant smoothing means for smoothing each of said directional information signals to produce a corresponding control voltage signal, each said smoothing means being responsive to the difference between its input said directional information signal and the corresponding output said control voltage signal,

each said variable time constant smoothing means comprising;

a symmetrical nonlinear resistor means connected to the said directional information signal;

a capacitor means connected to the other terminal of said resistor means and to ground;

said control voltage signal being developed across said capacitor means.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising at least one buffer means for buffering each said control voltage signal for application to said variable matrixing means.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising at least one inverter means for providing from each said control voltage signal a second control voltage signal of opposite polarity to said control voltage signal, for application to said variable matrixing means.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each said symmetrical nonlinear resistor means comprises a varistor.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each said symmetrical nonlinear resistor means comprises:

first and second terminals;

first and second resistors in series between a junction point and said second terminal;

first NPN and second complementary PNP transistors whose bases are connected to the junction of said first and second resistors;

third resistor connected to the emitters of said first and second transistors and to said second terminal;

first diode whose cathode is connected to the collector of said first NPN transistor;

second diode whose anode is connected to the collector of said second PNP transistor; and

fourth resistor connected from said junction point to the anode of said first diode and the cathode of said second diode.

fifth resistor connected from said first terminal to said junction point.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said fifth resistor is omitted and said first terminal is connected directly to said junction point.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein each said symmetrical nonlinear resistor means comprises:

first and second terminals;

first, second and third resistors in series between a junction point and said second terminal, said first and third resistors being of equal values;

first matched NPN transistor whose base is connected to the junction of said second and third resistors;

second matched NPN transistor whose base is connected to the junction of said first and second resistors;

fourth resistor connected from the emitter of said first NPN transistor to said second terminal;

fifth resistor of equal value to said fourth resistor connected from the emitter of said second NPN transistor to said junction point;

first matched diode whose cathode is connected to the collector of said first NPN transistor;

second matched diode whose cathode is connected to the collector of said second NPN transistor; and

sixth resistor connected from said junction point to the anode of said first diode;

seventh resistor of equal value to said sixth resistor connected from said second terminal to the anode of said second diode; and

eighth resistor connected from said first terminal to said junction point.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said second resistor is omitted and the bases of both NPN transistors are connected to the junction of said first and third resistors.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the base of said first NPN transistor is alternatively connected to the junction of said first and second resistors and the base of said second NPN transistor is connected to the junction of said second and third resistors.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said eighth resistor is omitted and said first terminal is connected directly to said junction point.

33. A method for smoothing an input signal to produce a smoothed signal with a variable time constant responsive to the difference between said input signal and the smoothed signal, comprising:

generating a difference signal proportional to the difference between said input signal and [the]said smoothed signal;

causing said difference signal to control a voltage dependent variable current source of high output impedance; and

applying the output current of said variable current source to charge and discharge a capacitor, in the direction required for the voltage thereon to change towards the value of said input signal, said smoothed signal being the voltage across said capacitor.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the output current of said voltage dependent variable current source is proportional to the cube of the said difference signal when said difference signal is smaller in magnitude than a first magnitude;

and

proportional to the square of the said difference signal when the magnitude of said difference signal is larger than said first magnitude but smaller than a second magnitude; and

proportional to said difference signal when its magnitude exceeds said second magnitude.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the output current of said voltage dependent variable current source is linearly proportional to said difference signal when the magnitude thereof is below said first magnitude, instead of to the cube thereof.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said first magnitude is zero.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the output current of said voltage dependent variable current source has a maximum magnitude and is increased suddenly to its maximum magnitude for a short, but non-zero predetermined period of time whenever the magnitude of said difference signal exceeds a specified threshold value that is less than the maximum possible magnitude of said difference signal.

38. A method for smoothing an input signal to produce a smoothed signal with a variable time constant responsive to the difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal, comprising:

generating a difference signal proportional to the difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal;

causing said difference signal to control a voltage dependent variable current source of high output impedance providing a current which is nonlinearly dependent upon said difference signal; and

applying the said current to charge and discharge a capacitor so that the voltage thereon changes in a direction towards the instantaneous voltage of the input signal;

said voltage on said capacitor being said smoothed signal.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said current is derived by application of a signal proportional to said difference between said original signal and said smoothed signal to a symmetrical nonlinear resistive element.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein said symmetrical nonlinear resistive element is a combination of passive and active components designed to provide a specific nonlinear relationship between the voltage impressed thereon and the current through said element.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the output current of said current source is increased to its maximum magnitude for a short, predetermined period of time whenever the magnitude of said difference signals exceeds a specified threshold value.

42. A method for smoothing a digital input signal to produce a digital smoothed signal in real time with a variable time constant responsive to the difference between said digital input signal and said digital smoothed signal, comprising:

storing the successive values of said digital smoothed signal in a digital storage register means;

evaluating the digital difference signal between successive values of said digital input signal and concurrent successive values of said digital smoothed signal in real time;

deriving therefrom in real time a digital control signal symmetrically and approximately piecewise polynomially nonlinearly related to said digital difference signal; and

incrementing or decrementing the value of said digital smoothed signal in real time at a rate proportional to the successive values of said digital control signal in the direction towards the current value of said digital input signal.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said digital control signal is proportional to the cube of said digital difference signal when the absolute magnitude thereof is below a first magnitude, and is proportional to the square thereof when the absolute magnitude thereof is greater than said first magnitude, and less than a second magnitude, and is linearly proportional thereto when the absolute magnitude thereof exceeds said second magnitude.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said digital control signal is linearly proportional to said digital difference signal below said first magnitude, instead of to the cube thereof.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein said first magnitude is zero.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein the magnitude of said digital control signal is increased to a maximum value for a predetermined short non-zero period of time when the magnitude of said digital difference signal first increases beyond a predetermined threshold value less than the maximum possible magnitude of said digital difference signal.

47. A method for smoothing an analog input signal to produce a smoothed signal with a signal voltage dependent variable time constant responsive to the difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal, comprising:

deriving a current which is symmetrically nonlinearly resistively dependent upon the difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal, said nonlinear resistive dependency being approximately piecewise polynomial in form, having at least a second degree dependency below a threshold value of said difference and linear dependency above said threshold value; and

applying the said current to charge and discharge a capacitor so that the voltage thereon changes in a direction towards the instantaneous voltage of the input signal;

said voltage on said capacitor being said smoothed signal.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said current is derived by application of a signal proportional to said difference between said original signal and said smoothed signal to a symmetrical nonlinear resistive element.

49. The method of claim 47 wherein said symmetrical nonlinear resistive dependency is produced by a combination of passive and active components designed to provide a specific nonlinear relationship between the voltage impressed thereon and the current through said element, said nonlinear relationship being approximately a polynomial of at least second degree for voltages less in magnitude than a threshold value, and linear for voltages exceeding in magnitude said threshold value.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein said symmetrical nonlinear resistive element comprises:

first NPN transistor and second complementary PNP transistor having their bases connected together and their and emitters connected together;

first diode having its cathode connected to the collector of said first NPN transistor;

second identical diode having its anode connected to the collector of said second PNP transistor;

first resistor connected to the emitters of said first and second transistors and to said capacitor;

second resistor connected in common to the anode of said first diode and the cathode of said second diode;

third resistor connected from said input signal to said second resistor;

fourth resistor connected from the junction of said second and third resistors to the bases of said first and second transistors; and

fifth resistor connected from the bases of said first and second transistors to said capacitor;

said network being operative to provide an equivalent resistance equal to the sum of said third, fourth and fifth resistors when the voltage across said network is insufficient to cause either said first or second transistor to conduct, and to provide an equivalent resistance approximately equal to the sum of said first, second and third resistors when the voltage across said network is sufficient to saturate either said first or said second transistor, and to provide intermediate values of equivalent resistance when the voltage across said network is sufficient to cause either said first or second transistor to conduct without being saturated.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein said symmetrical nonlinear resistive element comprises:

first NPN transistor;

first resistor connected from the base said first transistor to said capacitor;

second identical NPN transistor;

second resistor of equal value to said first resistor connected from the base of said second transistor to a common junction point;

third resistor connected between the bases of said first and second transistors;

first diode having its cathode connected to the collector of said first NPN transistor;

fourth resistor connected from the anode of said first diode to said common junction point;

second identical diode having its cathode connected to the collector of said second NPN transistor;

fifth resistor equal to said fourth resistor connected from the anode of said second diode to said capacitor;

sixth resistor connected from the emitter of said first transistor to said capacitor;

seventh resistor equal to said sixth resistor connected from the emitter of said second resistor to said common junction point; and

eighth resistor connected from the input signal to said common junction point;

said network being operative to provide an equivalent resistance equal to the sum of said first, second, third and eighth resistors when the voltage cross the network is insufficient to cause either said first or second transistor to conduct, and to provide an equivalent resistance approximately equal to the sum of said first, fourth and sixth resistors whenever the voltage across said network is sufficient to saturate either said first or said second transistor, and to provide intermediate values of equivalent resistance when the voltage across said network is sufficient to cause either said first or second transistor to conduct without being saturated.

52. The method of claim 47 wherein said current has a maximum magnitude and is increased to its maximum magnitude for a short but non-zero predetermined period of time whenever the magnitude of said difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal exceeds a specified threshold value that is less than the maximum possible magnitude of said difference between said input signal and said smoothed signal.