Circuit for reading a charge retention element for a time measurement
US8036020B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 20, 2007 |
| Grant date | Oct 11, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 20, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C7/062
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and a circuit for reading an electronic charge retention element for a temporal measurement, of the type including at least one capacitive element whose dielectric exhibits a leakage and a transistor with insulated control terminal for reading the residual charges, the reading circuit including; two parallel branches between two supply terminals, each branch including at least one transistor of a first type and one transistor of a second type, the transistor of the second type of one of the branches consisting of that of the element to be read and the transistor of the second type of the other branch receiving, on its control terminal, a staircase signal, the respective drains of the transistors of the first type being connected to the respective inputs of a comparator whose output provides an indication of the residual voltage in the charge retention element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.