Optimal controller computer

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING A SYSTEM HAVING AN OPTIMUM POINT OF OPERATION COMPRISING A FIRST INPUT SIGNAL REPRESENTING THE VALUE OF A DEPENDENT VARIABLE, AND ANOTHER INPUT SIGNAL REPRESENTING THE VALUE OF AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE OF THE SYSTEM TO BE CONTROLLED; FIRST MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST INPUT SIGNAL FOR PERIODICALLY GENERATING A GROUP OF PULSES PROPORTIONAL TO THE VALUE OF SAID DEPENDENT VARIABLE; SECOND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST MEANS FOR COMPARING SUCCESSIVE PERIODIC PULSE GROUPS AND PROVIDING A DIFFERENCE SIGNAL PROPORTIONAL IN SENSE AND MAGNITUDE TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE PULSE GROUPS; THIRD MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID DIFFERENCE SIGNAL FOR SELECTIVELY CHANGING THE VALUE OF SAID INDEPENDENT VARIABLE VALUE, SAID THIRD MEANS INCLUDING FOURTH MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED DIFFERENCE OUTPUT SIGNAL FOR GENERATING A MONITOR SIGNAL, FIFTH MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID MONITOR SIGNAL FOR CONNECTING SAID OTHER INPUT SIGNAL TO SAID FIRST MEANS AND ENERGIZING SAID FIRST MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT SAID GROUP OF PULSES IS PROPORTIONAL TO A RATIO BETWEEN SAID FIRST INPUT SIGNAL AND SAID OTHER INPUT SIGNAL, SAID FOURTH MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO A DIFFERENCE SIGNAL GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED DIFFERENCE SIGNAL TO GENERATE A COMPUTE SIGNAL AND DISCONNECT SAID OTHER INPUT SIGNAL FROM SAID FIRST MEANS.