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:
May. 02, 1978
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1975
Lewis Madison Terman, South Salem, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
Digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converter circuit embodiments are provided employing charge-transfer-device technology, for example charge-coupled-devices (CCDs). The circuit includes a plurality such as three identical CCD storage electrode plates for forming CCD wells with interposed transfer electrode gates and input and output means such as diffusions, all disposed on or in a semiconductor substrate. Means are provided for varying the potentials applied to the at least three identical electrode plates and corresponding transfer gates and a comparator means is included for comparing the voltage under the first CCD storage electrode plate with an analog voltage level to be converted to digital representation. The three identical CCD storage electrode plates function as charge dividing, accumulating and storage means and charge is transferred or shifted between CCD wells by a sequence of steps to convert an analog signal into a corresponding digital signal or, in another embodiment, a digital signal into a corresponding analog signal.