Variable direct voltage memory circuit

Claim 1

A variable direct-voltage memory circuit, comprising a storage capacitor, a reference capacitor, a switch for connecting said reference capacitor in parallel with said storage capacitor, means for applying a current to a junction of said reference and storage capacitors, and a shunt current regulator connected in parallel with said reference capacitor and storage capacitor, said shunt regulator including a solid-state control element having at least one control electrode and two current conducting electrodes, with the flow of current between said current conducting electrodes being determined by the voltage applied to said control electrode, said control electrode being connected to said reference capacitor and providing a high impedance which determines the discharge time for said reference capacitor, one of said current electrodes of said control element being connected to the junction of said reference and storage capacitors so that when said switch is open, a difference between the voltages across said reference and storage capacitors will vary the current flow through said shunt regulator so as to return the voltage across the storage capacitor to the voltage across the reference capacitor.