Rate data encoder

Claim 2

Apparatus for receiving rate data in the form of electrical pulses per unit of time that has an expected frequency range and for encoding said rate data within said range comprising: means including a monostable multivibrator responsive to alternate ones of said electrical pulses for generating a voltage wave whose following edge occurs a length of time after the pulse equal to the reciprocal of a bound of said frequency range; means responsive to the following edge of said voltage wave for producing constant frequency clock pulses; means responsive to the next of said electrical pulses for stopping the production of said clock pulses; and means for counting the produced clock pulses whereby the number of counted clock pulses is indicative of frequency of said electrical pulses.

Claim 3

Apparatus for receiving rate data in the form of electrical pulses per unit of time that has an expected frequency range and for encoding said rate data within said range comprising: means including a monostable multivibrator responsive to alternate ones of said electrical pulses for generating a voltage wave whose following edge occurs a length of time after the pulse equal to the reciprocal of a bound of said frequency range; means responsive to the following edge of said voltage wave for producing constant frequency clock pulses; means responsive to the next of said electrical pulses for stopping the production of said clock pulses; and means for counting the produced clock pulses whereby the number of counted clock pulses is indicative of frequency of said electrical pulses.

Claim 4

Apparatus for receiving rate data in the form of electrical pulses per unit of time that has an expected frequency range and for encoding said rate data within said range comprising: means including a monostable multivibrator responsive to alternate ones of said electrical pulses for generating a voltage wave whose following edge occurs a length of time after the pulse equal to the reciprocal of a bound of said frequency range; means responsive to the following edge of said voltage wave for producing constant frequency clock pulses; means responsive to the next of said electrical pulses for stopping the production of said clock pulses; and means for counting the produced clock pulses whereby the number of counted clock pulses is indicative of frequency of said electrical pulses.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bound is the upper bound of said frequency range.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2 including means responsive to said electrical pulses and said voltage wave for indicating when the frequency of said electrical pulses exceeds said upper bound.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said means for indicating when the frequency of said electrical pulses exceed said upper bound includes a pseudo-random noise generator and gating means responsive to said electrical pulses and said voltage wave for connecting said pseudo-random noise generator to the output of said apparatus when said upper bound is exceeded.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 2 including means responsive to said counting means for indicating when the frequency of said electrical pulses falls below the lower bound of said frequency range.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said means for indicating when the frequency of said electrical pulses falls below the lower bound of said frequency range includes a pseudo-random noise generator, means for generating a signal whenever said counting means exceeds its capacity and means responsive to said signal for gating the output of said noise generator to the output of said apparatus.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said means for generating a signal is a flip flop.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 2 including a signal generator for producing a first signal and a second signal; means receiving said electrical pulses and said generated voltage waves for gating said first signal to the output of said apparatus whenever one of said electrical pulses is received before the following edge of said voltage wave occurs thereby indicating that the frequency of the electrical pulses has exceeded said upper bound; means responsive to a signal from said counting means indicating that it has received a number of pulses greater than its capacity to count for gating said second signal to the output of said apparatus thereby indicating that the frequency of the electrical pulses has fallen below said lower bound; and means for connecting the output of said counting means to the output of said apparatus whenever the frequency of said electrical pulses is within said range.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for generating a voltage wave comprises a flip flop connected to receive said electrical pulses with one of the outputs from said flip flop connected to the input of said monostable multivibrator.