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. 14, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 23, 2001
Robert A. Jensen, Austin, TX (US);
Dimitris C. Pantelakis, Austin, TX (US);
Cirrus Logic, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for processing a data input signal with a single ended sense amplifier. The single ended sense amplifier includes a transmission gate circuit and a control circuit coupled between a feedback inverter circuit and an output signal that is fed back to the feedback inverter circuit. An inverter circuit is coupled between an enable signal and the transmission gate and control circuits. During pre-charge operation, the input to the feedback inverter circuit is driven to a first state. The feedback inverter correspondingly drives the input signal to a sensing inverter to a state that is complementary to the input to the feedback inverter circuit, thereby assisting the pre-charge mode and substantially reducing time delay due to the input signal contending with the feedback inverter circuit. One advantage of the present invention is that sense amplifiers can be sized for faster sensing than would other-wise be feasible due to the excessive contention during the pre-charge mode.