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US4969164A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Programmable threshold detection logic for a digital storage buffer

Assignee: RPX Corp
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Filing: 1989-04-27
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Granted: 1990-11-06
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Expires: 2009-04-27
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Abstract

Abstract A threshold detection logic circuit of simple and economical design is disclosed that indicates when the difference in the number of first operations to be counted and the number of second operations to be counted is either greater than or equal to a threshold value, or less than or equal to a threshold value. The threshold detection logic circuit employs the use of an overflow bit of a counter, which has a counting range of 2<N+1> for a threshold range of 2<N>, in order to generate a threshold interrupt signal. In addition, the disclosed threshold detection logic circuit permits the threshold value to be programmed to any desired value.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mayur M. Mehta
  • 👤 Henry S. Choy

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 17:07
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F5/00; G06F5/06; G06F5/10; G06F5/12; G06F5/14; G06F7/00; G06F7/60; G06F7/62; G06F2205/00; G06F2205/12; G06F2205/126

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim 106 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is a complement of said threshold value in a counter, wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 106 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is a complement of said threshold value in a counter, wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
A threshold detection logic circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first operation is an increment operation and said second operation is a decrement operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 123 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the one's complement of said threshold value and wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 123 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the one's complement of said threshold value and wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
A threshold detection logic circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said threshold value has a range of 2 N and said counter has a count range of 2 N+1 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 138 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the two's complement of said threshold value and wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal, said first operation being an increment operation and said second operation being a decrement operation; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 138 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the two's complement of said threshold value and wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal, said first operation being an increment operation and said second operation being a decrement operation; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said counter and the total number of second operations performed by said counter is greater than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 108 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is a complement of said threshold value in a counter, wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said second means and the total number of second operations performed by said second means is less than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 108 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is a complement of said threshold value in a counter, wherein said counter performs a first operation in response to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said second means and the total number of second operations performed by said second means is less than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 125 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the one's complement of said threshold value where wherein said counter performs a first operation in responsive to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said second means and the total number of second operations performed by said second means is less than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 125 words
A threshold detection logic circuit comprising: a. first means for loading a threshold value in a threshold value register; b. second means for loading an initial count value that is related to said threshold value in a counter, wherein said count value loaded by said second means is the one's complement of said threshold value where wherein said counter performs a first operation in responsive to a first input signal and a second operation in response to a second input signal; c. third means for generating an output signal when the difference between the total number of first operations performed by said second means and the total number of second operations performed by said second means is less than or equal to said threshold value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 31 words
A threshold detection logic circuit as claimed in claim 7, wherein said threshold value has a range of 2 N and said counter has a counting range of 2 N+1 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 26 words
A threshold detection logic circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first operation is an increment operation and said second operation is a decrement operation.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus, comprising: a storage buffer for storing program instructions; means for writing instructions into said storage buffer; means for reading instructions from said storage buffer; a counter; means for initializing said counter with a count related to a complement of a threshold value, said threshold value being related to a storage capacity of said counter; means for incrementing said counter for each write operations performed by said writing means; means for decrementing said counter for each read operation performed by said reading means; and means responsive to an overflow output of said counter for generating a threshold signal indicating that the threshold value has been reached.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 107 words
An apparatus, comprising: a storage buffer for storing program instructions; means for writing instructions into said storage buffer; means for reading instructions from said storage buffer; a counter; means for initializing said counter with a count related to a complement of a threshold value, said threshold value being related to a storage capacity of said counter; means for incrementing said counter for each write operations performed by said writing means; means for decrementing said counter for each read operation performed by said reading means; and means responsive to an overflow output of said counter for generating a threshold signal indicating that the threshold value has been reached.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said complement is a one's complement.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said complement is a two's complement.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 41 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said threshold value has a range of 2 N and said counter has a count range of 2 N+1 and wherein said overflow output is a most significant output bit of said counter.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3924078A Cited
US4139840A Cited
US4667337A Cited
US4713832A Cited
US4837748A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-11-05 1994-05-07 1994-11-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-11-05 1998-05-07 1998-11-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-11-05 2002-05-07 2002-11-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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