Minimal-energy up/down counting apparatus and method for extremely low-power applications
AssigneeAeroflex Colorado Springs Inc.
InventorsDavid B. Kerwin, Alfio Zanchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit counter includes a segmented thermometer coding counter architecture that reaches the thermodynamic energy minimum for a forward/reverse counting operation, requiring only one write or one erase operation per count so that energy consumption can be minimized, and circuit endurance maximized.
Claims24
A method of operating an integrated circuit comprising a plurality of digital registers of respective lengths, the method comprising performing only a single-bit write or single-bit erase operation on one digital register of the plurality of digital registers in a single operational cycle, wherein a value represented by the plurality of digital registers at the end of an operational cycle comprises a thermometer coded count.
An integrated circuit counter comprising a plurality of digital registers of respective lengths, the integrated circuit counter configured for performing only a single-bit write or single-bit erase operation on one of the plurality of digital registers in a single operational cycle, wherein a value represented by the plurality of digital registers comprises a thermometer coded count.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.