US3864558A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Arithmetic computation of functions
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1973-05-14
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Granted: 1975-02-04
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Expires: 1993-05-14
Abstract
Abstract An analog for the square of the difference of a first magnitude and a second magnitude, regardless of the polarity of this difference, is produced by a p-channel insulated-gate fieldeffect transistor (IGFET) and an n-channel IGFET with their sources and drains connected in anti-parallel. In particular, the IGFETS are MINSTORS each having a memory gate. The gates of the IGFETS are connected together. Where the IGFETS do not have memory gates, one magnitude is simulated or measured by the threshold voltage of one of the IGFETS, which is determined by fabrication, and a gate voltage measuring the second magnitude is impressed on the gates of the IGFETS. A drain voltage which produces saturation current is impressed between both sources and drains. The resulting saturation current measures the square of the difference between the gate voltage and threshold voltage regardless of the polarity of this difference. Where the IGFETS have memory gates (are MINSTORS), and are matched, the gates are polarized so that the threshold voltage of one of the MINSTORS measures one magnitude and a gate voltage measuring the second magnitude is impressed on the MINSTORS. The saturation drain current of the MINSTORS then measures the square of the difference between the magnitudes. If the MINSTORS are unmatched, threshold voltages differing by a constant may be impressed separately on the gates by polarizing-voltages which differ appropriately and/or by applying the polarizing voltages for different time intervals. Alternatively, for unmatched MINSTORS, the source-drain voltage may be maintained substantially equal to the difference between the threshold voltages. MINSTORS have greater flexibility than IGFETS without memory gates because they can be set by polarization to measure or simulate different magnitudes.
Inventors
- 👤 Yu Karl Ka-Chung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 11:20
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K3/00; H03K3/02; H03K3/353; H03K3/356; H03K3/3565; G; G06; G06G; G06G7/00; G06G7/12; G06G7/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
161 words
Apparatus for determining the square of difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude including an n-channel MINSTOR and a p-channel MINSTOR, each MINSTOR having a substrate, a source, a drain and a gate, means connecting in a network the source and drain of one of said MINSTORS in anti-parallel with the source and drain of the other MINSTOR, means, connected to said network, for impressing a voltage between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS, means for connecting one of said gates to the other of said gates, means for applying polarizing voltage between the gates and substrates of said MINSTORS to impress a threshold voltage, which measures said first mAgnitude, between the gates and the substrates of said MINSTORS, means for impressing a gate voltage which measures said second magnitude between the gate and the source of one of said MINSTORS, and current-measuring means connected to said network to measure the current passed by said sources and drains.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
161 words
Apparatus for determining the square of difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude including an n-channel MINSTOR and a p-channel MINSTOR, each MINSTOR having a substrate, a source, a drain and a gate, means connecting in a network the source and drain of one of said MINSTORS in anti-parallel with the source and drain of the other MINSTOR, means, connected to said network, for impressing a voltage between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS, means for connecting one of said gates to the other of said gates, means for applying polarizing voltage between the gates and substrates of said MINSTORS to impress a threshold voltage, which measures said first mAgnitude, between the gates and the substrates of said MINSTORS, means for impressing a gate voltage which measures said second magnitude between the gate and the source of one of said MINSTORS, and current-measuring means connected to said network to measure the current passed by said sources and drains.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the MINSTORS are matched so that when polarizing voltage impressed between the gate of one MINSTOR and its substrate is substantially equal to the polarizing voltage impressed between the gate of the other MINSTOR and its substrate and the said voltages are impressed for substantially the same interval of time, the same threshold voltage, measured between each gate and its associated substrate, is impressed on both MINSTORS.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the connecting means for connecting one of the gates to the other of the gates includes switch means between the gates enabling the impressing of voltages separately between the gate and substrate of one of said MINSTORS and gate and substrate of the other of said MINSTORS.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
168 words
Apparatus for determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude including an n-channel IGFET and a p-channel IGFET, each IGFET having a source, a drain and a gate, the n-channel IGFET having a threshold voltage VTN with respect to its source and the p-channel IGFET having a threshold voltage VTP with respect to its source, means connecting in a network the source and the drain of the n-channel IGFET in anti-parallel with the source and the drain of the p-channel IGFET, means connecting said gates of said IGFETS to each other, means, connected to said network, for impressing a voltage VA between said sources and drains, means, connected to said gates, for impressing a voltage VGg on said gates, and means, connected to said network, for measuring the drain current conducted for said network, VGg, VTP, VTN and VA being related so that the current is a measure of the square of the difference between said first magnitude and said second magnitude.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
168 words
Apparatus for determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude including an n-channel IGFET and a p-channel IGFET, each IGFET having a source, a drain and a gate, the n-channel IGFET having a threshold voltage VTN with respect to its source and the p-channel IGFET having a threshold voltage VTP with respect to its source, means connecting in a network the source and the drain of the n-channel IGFET in anti-parallel with the source and the drain of the p-channel IGFET, means connecting said gates of said IGFETS to each other, means, connected to said network, for impressing a voltage VA between said sources and drains, means, connected to said gates, for impressing a voltage VGg on said gates, and means, connected to said network, for measuring the drain current conducted for said network, VGg, VTP, VTN and VA being related so that the current is a measure of the square of the difference between said first magnitude and said second magnitude.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the absolute value of VA is greater than or equal to the absolute value of VTP - VTN.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
186 words
The method of determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude, N1, and a second magnitude, N2, with apparatus including a p-channel IGFET and an n-channel IGFET, each said IGFET having a source, a drain and a gate, the said IGFETS having threshold voltages with respect to the respective sources VTP for the p-channel IGFET and VTN for the n-channel IGFET, the said IGFETS being connected to a network in which the sources and the drains of said IGFETS are connected in anti-parallel, one terminal of said network being connected to ground; the said method comprising: impressing a gate voltage of a magnitude, VGg, with reference to ground, on the gates of said IGFETS, impressing a voltage, VA, of a magnitude capable of causing saturation currents to flow through the IGFETS in said network, and measuring the current conducted by said network, the absolute magnitude of VA being set equal to or greater than the absolute magnitude of VTP - VTN and VGg being set in the same proportion to N1 as Vmin is to N2, where Vmin 1/2 (VA + VTS + VTP).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
186 words
The method of determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude, N1, and a second magnitude, N2, with apparatus including a p-channel IGFET and an n-channel IGFET, each said IGFET having a source, a drain and a gate, the said IGFETS having threshold voltages with respect to the respective sources VTP for the p-channel IGFET and VTN for the n-channel IGFET, the said IGFETS being connected to a network in which the sources and the drains of said IGFETS are connected in anti-parallel, one terminal of said network being connected to ground; the said method comprising: impressing a gate voltage of a magnitude, VGg, with reference to ground, on the gates of said IGFETS, impressing a voltage, VA, of a magnitude capable of causing saturation currents to flow through the IGFETS in said network, and measuring the current conducted by said network, the absolute magnitude of VA being set equal to or greater than the absolute magnitude of VTP - VTN and VGg being set in the same proportion to N1 as Vmin is to N2, where Vmin 1/2 (VA + VTS + VTP).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the polarity of the voltage VA is such that the source of the n-channel IGFET is electrically ground and the drain of the n-channel IGFET is electrically positive relative to ground.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the polarity of the voltage VA is such that the source of the p-channel IGFET is electrically ground and the drain of the p-channel IGFET is electrically negative relative to ground.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude with a p-channel MINSTOR and an n-channel MINSTOR, each said MINSTOR having a substrate, a source, a drain, and a gate, said MINSTORS being connected in anti-parallel, the said method comprising impressing a drain voltage between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS, impressing a first threshold voltage between the substrate and the gate of one of said MINSTORS and a second threshold voltage between the substrate and the gate of the other of said MINSTORS, at least one of said threshold voltages being set to measure said first magnitude, connecting together the said gates, impressing a gate voltage set to measure said second magnitude on the gates of said MINSTORS, and measuring the current between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of determining the square of the difference between a first magnitude and a second magnitude with a p-channel MINSTOR and an n-channel MINSTOR, each said MINSTOR having a substrate, a source, a drain, and a gate, said MINSTORS being connected in anti-parallel, the said method comprising impressing a drain voltage between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS, impressing a first threshold voltage between the substrate and the gate of one of said MINSTORS and a second threshold voltage between the substrate and the gate of the other of said MINSTORS, at least one of said threshold voltages being set to measure said first magnitude, connecting together the said gates, impressing a gate voltage set to measure said second magnitude on the gates of said MINSTORS, and measuring the current between the sources and drains of said MINSTORS.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
95 words
The method of claim 9 in which the MINSTORS are matched so that substantially equal polarizing voltages impressed respectively between the gate the substrate of each MINSTOR for substantially equal time intervals impresses substantially equal threshold voltages, measured between each gate and the substrate, on the gates of both MINSTORS, the said method being characterized by that said gates are interconnected and thereafter the first and second threshold voltages are impressed simultaneously by impressing substantially equal polarizing voltage for substantially an equal time interval between the respective gates and the respective substrates of said MINSTORS.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
117 words
The method of claim 9 in which the MINSTORS are unmatched so that substantially equal polarizing voltages impressed respectively between the gate the substrate of each MINSTOR for substantially equal time intervals impresses substantially unequal threshold voltages, measured between each gate and the associated substrate, on the gates of both MINSTORS, the said method being characterized by that said gates are interconnected and thereafter the first and second threshold voltages are impressed simultaneously by impressing substantially equal polarizing voltage for substantially an equal time interval between the respective gates and the respective substrates of said MINSTORS, and the drain voltage is set substantially equal to the difference between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
137 words
The method of claim 9 in which the MINSTORS are unmatched so that substantially equal polarizing voltages impressed respectively between the gate and the substrates of each MINSTOR for substantially equal time intervals impresses substantially unequal threshold voltages on the gates of both MINSTORS, the said method being characterized by that while said gates are disconnected a first polarizing voltage is impressed between the gate and the substrate of one MINSTOR for a first predetermined interval of time to impress the first threshold voltage and a second polarizing voltage is impressed between the gate and the substrate of the other MINSTOR for a second predetermined interval of time such that the threshold voltages, measured between each gate and the associated substrates, on the gates of both said MINSTORS are equal, and thereafter the said gates are interconnected.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second polarizing voltages are substantially equal but the first and second time intervals differ by a magnitude such that the first and second threshold voltages, measured between each gate and its associated substrate, are substantially equal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second intervals are equal and the first polarizing voltage differs from the second polarizing voltage by a magnitude such that the first and second threshold voltages, measured between each gate and its associated substrate, are substantially equal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second polarizing Voltages and the first and second intervals respectively differ by magnitudes such that the first and second threshold voltages, measured between each gate and its associated substrate, are substantially equal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-03 | 1978-08-05 | 1979-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-03 | 1982-08-05 | 1983-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-03 | 1986-08-05 | 1987-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |