Switched capacitor comparator

Claim 1

A voltage comparator circuit comprising: an operational amplifier having an inherent offset voltage, said amplifier containing an inverting current mirror differential input leg having an inverting input terminal, a noninverting current mirror differential input leg having a noninverting input terminal, and an output terminal; means for storing a voltage equal to a reference voltage minus said inherent offset voltage of said operational amplifier including; (a) switch means connected between said inverting input terminal and said output terminal; (b) a storage capacitor connected between said inverting input terminal and ground; and (c) means for preventing positive feedback by capacitively coupling said output terminal to said noninverting current mirror differential input leg only when storing said voltage; and means for applying said stored voltage to said inverting input of said operational amplifier, wherein the output signal available on said operational amplifier output terminal will be indicative of whether the voltage applied to said noninverting input terminal is greater than or less than said reference voltage.

Claim 3

A method for eliminating the effects of inherent offset voltages when using, as a voltage comparator, an operational amplifier containing an inverting current mirror differential input leg having an inverting input terminal, a noninverting current mirror differential input leg having a noninverting input terminal, an output terminal, and a storage capacitor connected between said inverting input terminal and ground comprising the steps of: (a) connecting said output terminal to said inverting input terminal; (b) connecting a feedback capacitor between said output terminal and said noninverting current mirror differential input leg; (c) applying a reference voltage on said noninverting input terminal, thereby causing a voltage equal to said reference voltage minus said operational amplifier offset voltage to be generated on said output terminal and stored in said storage capacitor; (d) disconnecting said output terminal from said inverting input terminal; (e) disconnecting said feedback capacitor from said output terminal and said noninverting current mirror differential input leg; (f) removing said reference voltage from noninverting input terminal; (g) applying an input signal to said noninverting input terminal, whereby the output signal generated on said output terminal is indicative of whether said input signal is greater than or less than said reference voltage.

Claim 4

A method for eliminating the effects of inherent offset voltages when using, as a voltage comparator, an operational amplifier containing an inverting current mirror differential input leg having an inverting input terminal, a noninverting current mirror differential input leg having a noninverting input terminal, an output terminal, and a storage capacitor connected between said inverting input terminal and ground comprising the steps of: (a) connecting said output terminal to said inverting input terminal; (b) connecting a feedback capacitor between said output terminal and said noninverting current mirror differential input leg; (c) applying a reference voltage on said noninverting input terminal, thereby causing a voltage equal to said reference voltage minus said operational amplifier offset voltage to be generated on said output terminal and stored in said storage capacitor; (d) disconnecting said output terminal from said inverting input terminal; (e) disconnecting said feedback capacitor from said output terminal and said noninverting current mirror differential input leg; (f) removing said reference voltage from noninverting input terminal; (g) applying an input signal to said noninverting input terminal, whereby the output signal generated on said output terminal is indicative of whether said input signal is greater than or less than said reference voltage.