Timer circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics International N.V.
InventorMark TRIMMER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A timer circuit includes a register configured to be synchronized on a clock signal and to store a number as an X-bit signed integer, X being greater than two. At each cycle of the clock signal, the timer circuit decrements the number stored in the register by one if the number has a value different from a maximal value and from a minimal value that the number is able to take. At each cycle of the clock signal, the timer circuit keeps the number stored in the register unchanged if the number has a value equal to the maximal value or to the minimal value.
Claims20
A timer circuit, comprising:
- a register configured to be synchronized to a clock signal and to store a number as an X-bit signed integer, X being greater than two;
- wherein the timer circuit is configured, at each cycle of the clock signal:
- to decrement by one the number stored in the register if the number has a value different from a maximal value that the number is able to take and from a minimal value that the number is able to take;
- and
- to keep unchanged the number stored in the register if the number has a value equal to the maximal value or to the minimal value.
A method of operating a timer circuit, the method comprising:
- synchronizing a register to a clock signal, wherein the register is configured to store a number as an X-bit signed integer, where X is greater than two;
- and
- at each cycle of the clock signal:
- decrementing by one the number stored in the register if the number has a value different from a maximum value and a minimum value that the number is able to take;
- and
- maintaining the number stored in the register unchanged if the number has a value equal to the maximum value or the minimum value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.