Analog solid state memory

An analog signal storage device comprising

• a plurality of storage elements, each comprising a semiconductor substrate having at least two layers, at least one of said layers having a non-linear current vs. field conductivity characteristic and at least one other layer being capable of storing carrier charges therein;
• a surface acoustic wave device;
• transducer means for applying an analog signal to said surface acoustic wave device to produce a travelling surface acoustic wave thereon, which surface acoustic wave represents said applied analog signal;
• a plurality of pick-up means responsive to the electric fields produced by said travelling surface acoustic wave for producing a plurality of signals the amplitudes of which represent selected portions of said travelling surface acoustic wave, said plurality of signals producing a plurality of corresponding charges stored in a plurality of signal storage wells;
• means for transferring said stored charges in each of said signal storage wells to said storage elements so that controlled amounts of carrier charges are stored in said at least one other layer of each of said storage elements, the controlled amounts of carrier charges stored in each said storage element being linearly proportional to the stored charges associated therewith and being stored for a time period longer than the time period of storage in said storage wells.

An analog signal storage device comprising

• a plurality of storage elements, each comprising a semiconductor substrate having at least two layers, at least one of said layers having a non-linear current vs. field conductivity characteristic and at least one other layer being capable of storing carrier charges therein;
• a charge-coupled device having a plurality of storage wells, each associated with one of said plurality of storage elements;
• means for providing a travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which surface acoustic wave signal represents an input analog signal;
• means responsive to the electric fields associated with said travelling surface acoustic wave signal for coupling said electric fields to said charge-coupled devices so that a charge is stored in each of the storage wells thereof, the charge in each of said storage wells being proportional to the amplitude of a portion of the analog input signal represented thereby;
• storage control means for transferring the stored charges in each of the storage wells of said charge-coupled device to said storage elements so that controlled amounts of carrier charges are stored in said second dielectric layer of each of said storage elements, the controlled amounts of carrier charges stored in each said storage element being linearly proportional to the stored charges associated therewith and being stored for a time period longer than the time period of storage in said storage wells.

An analog signal storage device comprising

• a plurality of storage elements, each comprising a semiconductor substrate having at least two layers, at least one of said layers having a non-linear current vs. field conductivity characteristic and at least one other layer being capable of storing carrier charges therein;
• means for providing a travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which surface acoustic wave signal represents an input analog signal;
• means responsive to the electric fields associated with said travelling surface acoustic wave signal for said electric fields to a plurality of signal storage wells so that a charge is stored in each of said signal storage wells, the charge in each of said signal storage wells being proportional to the amplitude of a portion of the analog input signal represented thereby;
• means for transferring said stored charges in each of said signal storage wells to said storage elements so that controlled amounts of carrier charges are stored in said at least one other layer of each of said storage elements, the controlled amounts of carrier charges stored in each said storage element being linearly proportional to the stored charges associated therewith and being stored for a time period longer than the time period of storage in said storage wells.

An analog storage device comprising

• a surface acoustic wave device,
• first means for applying a first analog signal to said surface acoustic wave device to produce a first travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which first surface acoustic wave signal travels in a first direction and represents said first applied analog signal;
• second means for applying a second analog signal to said surface acoustic wave device to produce a second travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which second surface acoustic wave signal travels in a second direction and represents said second applied analog signal;
• a charge-coupled device having a plurality of storage wells;
• means for applying a third analog signal to said charge-coupled device to produce charges in the storage wells of said charge-coupled device representing said third analog signal which has a spatial variation and which is invariant in time;
• a plurality of pick-up means responsive to the electric field product of said first and second travelling acoustic wave signals and to the charges in said storage wells of said charge-coupled device for permitting the interaction of said first and second acoustic wave signals and said spatially varying, time invariant signal to produce a triple product correlation;
• and
• output means responsive to said interacting signals for providing a voltage output acoustic wave which is a replica of the triple product correlation of said interacting signals.

An analog storage device comprising

• a surface acoustic wave device,
• first means for applying a first analog signal to said surface acoustic wave device to produce a first travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which first surface acoustic wave signal travels in a first direction and represents said first applied analog signal;
• second means for applying a second analog signal to said surface acoustic wave device to produce a second travelling surface acoustic wave signal thereon, which second surface acoustic wave signal travels in a second direction and represents said second applied analog signal;
• a charge-coupled device having a plurality of storage wells;
• a plurality of pick-up means responsive to the electric fields of the signals;
• means for applying a third analog signal which is time varying and spatially uniform to said plurality of pick-up means, said first and second acoustic wave signals and said time varying, spatially uniform signals interacting to form a triple product correlation;
• and
• output means responsive to said interacting signals for providing a voltage output which is a replica of the triple product correlation of said interacting signals.