Comparator circuit

Details Comparator circuit Comparator circuit

2007-09-25

2007-09-25

Wells, Kenneth B. (Department: 2816)

Miscellaneous active electrical nonlinear devices, circuits, and

Specific signal discriminating without subsequent control

By amplitude

C327S078000, C327S063000

Reexamination Certificate

active

11288717

ABSTRACT:
An improved comparator circuit and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the comparator circuit comprises two voltage-to-time converter circuits, one for each input voltage to be compared, and an arbiter circuit for receiving the time-converted output of each converter. Each converter assesses the magnitude of its input voltage, and outputs a signal that is asserted at a time in inverse proportion to the magnitude of the input voltage. In one embodiment, producing the output signal at the asserted time comprises using the input voltage to gate a transistor whose discharge rate dictates the timing of the output signal. The two output signals arrive at an arbiter circuit whose function is to determine which output arrived at the arbiter first, as is indicative of the higher magnitude input voltage, and to set the output of the comparator accordingly.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4218658 (1980-08-01), Moeller
patent: 4423384 (1983-12-01), DeBock
patent: 5546028 (1996-08-01), Yamaguchi
patent: 5929662 (1999-07-01), Alexander et al.
patent: 6617900 (2003-09-01), Blair
patent: 6690203 (2004-02-01), Nyström et al.

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