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:
Feb. 29, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 13, 1998
Ha Chu Vu, San Jose, CA (US);
Seema Varma, Mountain View, CA (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A selectively configurable analog signal sampler, e.g., for use in an imaging system, for generating a differential sampled analog output signal which corresponds to a single-ended analog input signal with one or more signal characteristics including a positive signal polarity, a negative signal polarity, a return-to-reference signal waveform and a non-return-to-reference signal waveform. A switched capacitor matrix is configured, along with an operational amplifier with differential inputs and outputs, to allow all single-ended analog input signals with such signal characteristics to be sampled and converted to corresponding differential sampled analog output signals. Additionally, an accumulation mode of operation is provided in which the signal sampler accumulates N successive samples of the input signal and outputs the sum of such N samples, thereby allowing the signal sampler to operate at its rated speed while the circuit providing the input signal, e.g., an image sensor, operates at N-times such speed.