Near zero power fully integrated digital conversion, sensors and sensing methods
US11444633B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 14, 2019 |
| Grant date | Sep 13, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 14, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/56
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A charging to digital converter sensor in a CMOS integrated circuit digitizes a sensed property by comparing charging time between two paths and adjusting the charging rate of one of the two paths by increasing or decreasing the amount of capacitance in that path, until both of the two paths have the same charging time to reach respective constant with sensed property and proportional with sensed property reference voltages or currents. Sub nanowatt operation is achieved with preferred circuits. A method directly digitizes, on-chip, a charging time comparison of two ramp voltages that are compared to respective constant with sensed property and proportional with sensed property reference voltages or currents.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.