The Water Fuel Cell

[hydrocars]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A frequency sweeping audio signaling device, comprising:

(a) a voltage regulator for providing a stable voltage source to the frequency sweeping audio signaling device;

(b) a square wave oscillator connected to the stable voltage source that generates a sweep rate signal;

(c) a ramp generator receiving the sweep rate signal from the square wave oscillator and generating a sweep drive signal that is a substantially linear triangular waveform;

(d) a voltage controlled oscillator receiving the sweep drive signal from the ramp generator to generate a frequency sweep signal that makes an excursion rising in frequency and then falling in frequency in a substantially linear sweep;

(e) a drive circuit receiving the frequency sweep signal and generating an output frequency sweep signal that has a higher amplitude than the frequency sweep signal;

(f) an audio generator receiving the output frequency sweep signal and generating an audio frequency sweep signal that sweeps from a lower frequency to a higher frequency and back to a lower frequency in a substantially linear function; and

(g) a logic gate buffer placed between the square wave oscillator and the ramp generator to reduce distortion of the square drive signal.

2. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the substantially linear triangular waveform deviates a total of no more than 20% from being linear.

3. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the square wave oscillator comprises logic gates configured with a frequency determining network.

4. The invention as in claim 3 wherein the square wave oscillator produces near instantaneous rising and falling edges of a square wave.

5. The invention as in claim 4 wherein the square wave's frequency is about 2.8 Hz.

6. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the higher frequency and the lower frequency are substantially constant frequencies.

7. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the voltage regulator provides a stable voltage source over a voltage source range of 10-48 VDC.

8. The invention as in claim 7 wherein the voltage regulator uses a Darlington pair of transistors for greater stability.

9. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the audio frequency sweep signal sweeps from approximately 1,000 Hz to approximately 2,000 Hz.

10. A method for generating a frequency sweeping audio signal, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a stable voltage source with a voltage regulator;

(b) generating a sweep rate signal with a square wave oscillator connected to the stable voltage source;

(c) generating a sweep drive signal that is a substantially linear triangular waveform with a ramp generator that receives the sweep rate signal from the square wave oscillator;

(d) generating a frequency sweep signal with a voltage controlled oscillator that receives the sweep drive signal from the ramp generator to generate the frequency sweep signal that makes an excursion rising in frequency and then falling in frequency in a substantially linear sweep;

(e) driving the frequency sweeping signal with a drive circuit to produce an output frequency sweeping signal that has a higher amplitude than the frequency sweeping signal;

(f) generating a rising and falling audio tone that sweeps from a lower frequency to a higher frequency and back to a lower frequency in a substantially linear function by driving an audio generator with the output frequency sweeping signal; and

(g) reducing distortion of the square drive signal by buffering the signal through a logic gate between the square wave oscillator and the ramp generator.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the substantially linear triangular waveform deviates a total of about 20% from being linear.

12. The method as in claim 10 wherein the square wave oscillator comprises logic gates configured with a frequency determining network.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the square wave oscillator produces near instantaneous rising and falling edges of a square wave.
Other References

* "Encyclopedia of Electronic Circuits--vol. 2", Rudolf F. Graf, TAB Books, 1988, p. 522. 1988.
* "Encyclopedia of Electronic Circuits--vol. 4", Rudolf F. Graf and William Sheets, TAB Books, 1992, p. 421. 1992.
* Howard W. Sams & Co., Inc., Reference Data For Radio Engineers Fifth Edition, 1973, p. 19-18.