The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 02, 1976
Filed:
Apr. 18, 1975
Robert Henry Walden, New Providence, NJ (US);
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A two-phase charge transfer binary counter capable of counting the number of signal pulses in a particular time interval is described. The counter includes a charge storage medium in which is formed at least one charge storage 'Q-cell' adapted to quantize each signal pulse into a charge packet. In tandem with the Q-cells are a plurality of one-bit shift registers each of which, except the last, comprises first and second charge storage cells connected in series. Adjacent cells of the same shift register are separated from one another by a threshold potential barrier of magnitude V.sub.T which permits only partial charge transfer thereacross. In contrast, adjacent cells of consecutive shift registers are separated from one another by a smaller transfer potential barrier of magnitude V.sub.B which permits virtually complete charge transfer thereacross. A feedback path is established between adjacent cells of the same shift register in order to clear residual charge from the first cell in response to charge transferred over its threshold barrier. At the end of the time interval, however, charge transfer ceases and the charge packets residing in the first cell of each shift register are the binary equivalent to the number of signal pulses in the time interval.