Patent ID: 8169267

Claim:
A traveling wave oscillator comprising: a length of two-conductor transmission line; a polarity reversing means connected to the length of two-conductor transmission line to form an energy-continuous, two-conductor closed path for propagating a differential traveling wave that establishes a voltage polarity between the two conductors as its travels over the transmission line, said wave being capable of traveling in either of two directions on the transmission line, and said reversing means reversing the polarity of a wave that travels therethrough such that two laps of the closed path defines an oscillation at a point on the transmission line; and a plurality of regeneration elements, each connected between the conductors of the two conductor transmission line and at spaced apart positions along the two-conductor line, each regeneration element including a first gain portion operable to degenerate a wave traveling in the counterclockwise direction and regenerate a wave traveling in the clockwise direction, and a second gain portion operable to degenerate a wave traveling in a clockwise direction and regenerate a wave traveling in a counterclockwise direction, so that the direction of the traveling wave is reversible.