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:
Apr. 03, 2018
Filed:
Sep. 30, 2016
Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Midgal Haemek, IL;
Amos Fenigstein, Haifa, IL;
Tower Semiconductor Ltd., Migdal Haemek, IL;
Abstract
A Schmitt trigger's hysteresis is established by standard and non-standard MOSFETs having different (lower/higher) threshold voltages. For example, a standard n-channel transistor having a relatively low threshold voltage (e.g., 1V) sets the lower trigger switching voltage, and a non-standard n-channel transistor (e.g., an n-channel source/drain and a polysilicon gate doped with a p-type dopant) exhibits a relatively high threshold voltage (e.g., 2V) that sets the higher trigger switching voltage. An output control circuit generates the Schmitt trigger's digital output signal based on the on/off states of the two (non-standard and standard) MOSFETs, whereby the changes digital output signal between two values when the analog input signal falls below the lower threshold voltage (i.e., when both MOSFETs are turned on/off) and rises above the higher threshold voltage (i.e., when both MOSFETs are turned off/on). Self-resetting and other circuits utilize the Schmitt trigger to facilitate, e.g., high dynamic range image sensor pixels.