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:
Mar. 06, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1999
James T. Doyle, Chandler, AZ (US);
Carl F. Liepold, Mesa, CA (US);
Intle Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention provides a flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) based on a feedforward perceptron. The ADC includes a plurality of N stages to provide N digital signals. The plurality of N stages includes a first stage to provide a sum of an input current, related to a voltage to be converted, and of a reference current. The first stage provides a first digital signal in one of first and second states if the sum has one of first and second signs, respectively. The plurality of N stages further includes i stages, with i=2 . . . N. Each stage i includes an output circuit and 2,sub-stages coupled to the output circuit. Each sub-stage includes an input and a hidden circuit coupled therebetween. The input circuit is configured to provide a first sum of the input current and of a first reference current. Each hidden circuit provides to the output circuit a second reference current when the first sum has a first sign. The output circuit generates an i,digital signal in one of a first and second states when a second sum of the input current and of the second reference current has one of first and second signs respectively.