Electronic integrating system

A system for generating an electrical output signal reflective of the direction of change of an input signal, said system comprising:

• input signal generating means for generating at least one electrical input signal:
• first and second transfer means electrically connected to said input signal generating means for generating first and second transfer signals which are first and second functions of said input signals;
• comparing means electrically connected to said input signal generating means and actuable for comparing said input signals at sequential times, said comparing means generating comparison signals according to the relative values of said input signals;
• integrating means electrically connected to said first and second transfer means for alternatively integrating said first and second transfer signals transmitted to said integrating means and for generating an integrated output signal;
• enabling means interconnected to said integrating means and each of said first and second transfer means and to said comparing means, said enabling means being actuable in response to said comparison signals for selectively enabling the transmission of one of said first and second transfer signals to said integrating means according to the value of said comparison signal;
• and
• timing signal generating means electrically connected to said comparing means for generating sequential timing signals to actuate said comparing means.

In a safety ski binding having a release means actuable for placing the binding in a releasing condition from a latching condition, a system for actuating said release means, said system comprising:

• transducing means for generating electrical input signals corresponding to forces applied to the ski binding;
• first and second sample and hold means electrically connected to said transducing means for alternatively receiving and storing said input signals;
• first comparing means electrically connected to each of said sample and hold means for periodically comparing the signals stored in said sample and hold means for generating first comparison signals when the relative values of the signals received from said sample and hold means indicate the input signals are increasing, and second comparison signals when the relative values of the signals received from said sample and hold means indicate the input signals are decreasing;
• reference signals generating means for establishing a reference value corresponding to the value of force at which the binding is to be placed in the releasing condition;
• difference means electrically connected to said reference signal generating means and to said transducing means for comparing said input signals with said reference value and for generating a differential signal reflective of the difference between the values of said input signals and said reference value;
• integrating means electrically connected to each of said transducing means and said difference means for selectively generating an integrated signal corresponding to the integral over a predetermined period of time of the selected one of said input signals and said differential signals;
• switching means electrically connected to said first comparing means, to said difference means and to said integrating means, for enabling the transmission of said input signals to said integrating means in response to the generation of a first comparison signal and for enabling the transmission of said differential signal in response to the generation of a second comparison signal;
• second comparing means electrically connected to said integrating means and to said reference signal generating means for comparing said integrated signal with said reference value and for generating a releasing signal when said integrated signal exceeds said reference value;
• and
• actuating means for placing the ski binding in the releasing condition in response to the generation of a releasing signal.

A system for controlling the rate of integration of an electrical input signal and generating an integrated output signal corresponding to an integral of said electrical signal over a period of time, said system comprising:

• input signal direction selecting means for determining whether the electrical input signal is increasing or decreasing and for generating direction selection signals reflective of the direction of change of said electrical input signal;
• an electrical integrator for integrating an input to the integrator to generate the integrated output signal;
• and
• signal conditioning means electrically connected to said input signal direction selecting means and to said integrator for adjusting the rate of integration of said system according to the value and direction of change said electrical input signal.