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:
Jan. 02, 1996
Filed:
Jan. 26, 1995
Miroslaw Guzinski, Lawrenceville, NJ (US);
AT&T Corp., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
An n-bit counter (18) (where n is an integer.gtoreq.1) may be tested by first reconfiguring the counter during a test mode to generate successive first and second half-counts when the counter is successively clocked. During the test mode, a logical equality comparator (70) compares the half-counts to each other. When the half-counts are unequal (signifying a counter fault), the counter is inhibited from further counting. In this way, the counter is advantageously frozen at the faulty value. When the counter is inhibited from counting, its carry bit (CO) no longer toggles. Thus, by examining the counter carry bit, an indication can be had whether the counter is operating properly during the test mode.