Analogue to digital signal conversion
OwnerChristian Heyl, Joachim Sjolanderinventors
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Abstract
An analogue to digital converter has a settable trigger level that generates an interrupt signal for a CPU when a trigger condition is fulfilled.
Claims27
A portable electronic device comprising a control unit and an analogue to digital conversion apparatus, wherein the conversion apparatus comprises:
- an A to D converter device operable to convert an analogue input signal to a digital output signal;
- a threshold register operable to store a digital threshold value;
- a comparator device operable to compare the digital output value with the stored digital threshold value to produce a comparison signal, and operable to produce an interrupt signal for transfer to the control unit in dependence upon the comparison signal;
- and
- a storage device operable to store the digital output signal.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the analogue input signal is indicative of a temperature, and the threshold value is indicative of a threshold temperature.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit is operable, upon receipt of the interrupt signal from the comparator device, to perform at least one predetermined instruction.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, including an accessory device , and wherein the analogue input signal is indicative of the identity of the accessory device.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the interrupt signal is produced when the comparison signal indicates that the digital output value exceeds the threshold value.
A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device is a mobile telephone.
A method of monitoring an analogue signal in a portable electronic device comprising a control unit and an analogue to digital converter unit, the method comprising:
- using the analogue to digital converter:
- receiving an input analogue signal;
- converting the input analogue signal to an output digital signal;
- comparing the output digital value with a threshold value;
- and
- sending an interrupt signal to the control unit in dependence upon the result of the comparison, wherein the digital output value is stored for retrieval.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.