Patent · US Expired

Period determination of a periodic signal

US6167351A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
10References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 24, 1998
Grant dateDec 26, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 24, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R13/345
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for determining the period of a periodic signal, possibly including noise, includes the step of calculating a signal representing the difference between the periodic signal, and the periodic signal delayed by a time T. The variance of the difference representative signal is then computed. The steps of computing a difference signal, and determining the variance of the difference signal is repeated for different times T. The period of the periodic signal is determined to be the time T producing the minimum variance. Apparatus implementing this method includes a source of the periodic signal. A difference circuit computes a signal representing the difference between the periodic signal, and the periodic signal delayed by a time T, and a variance circuit computes a signal representing the variance of the difference representative signal. A control circuit varies the time T. A minimum selector selects the time T producing the minimum variance as the period of the periodic signal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.