Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A sample-and-hold device comprising: a series arrangement of a first and a second integrating circuit, each comprising an input, an output and a control signal input, the output of the first integrating circuit being coupled to the input of the second integrating circuit, a control unit comprising a first and a second output for supplying a first and a second control signal to the control signal input of the first and the second integrating circuit, respectively, wherein the output of the second integrating circuit is fed back to the input of the first integrating circuit, the first integrating circuit is controlled by said first control signal in a manner such that said first integrating circuit performs an integration step upon the difference between an input signal at the input of the first integrating circuit and an output signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit, and the second integrating circuit is controlled by said second control signal in a manner such that said second integrating circuit, upon completion of the integration step in the first integrating circuit, performs an integration step upon an output signal of the first integrating circuit.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A sample-and-hold device comprising: a series arrangement of a first and a second integrating circuit, each comprising an input, an output and a control signal input, the output of the first integrating circuit being coupled to the input of the second integrating circuit, a control unit comprising a first and a second output for supplying a first and a second control signal to the control signal input of the first and the second integrating circuit, respectively, wherein the output of the second integrating circuit is fed back to the input of the first integrating circuit, the first integrating circuit is controlled by said first control signal in a manner such that said first integrating circuit performs an integration step upon the difference between an input signal at the input of the first integrating circuit and an output signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit, and the second integrating circuit is controlled by said second control signal in a manner such that said second integrating circuit, upon completion of the integration step in the first integrating circuit, performs an integration step upon an output signal of the first integrating circuit.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second control signal controls the second integrating circuit in a manner such that the integration step performed in the second integrating circuit is divided into a number of N successive sub-integration steps, each performed upon the output signal of the first integrating circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 2, wherein N is selected to be larger than 4.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the N successive sub-integration steps are divided at least substantially uniformly over one complete sampling interval.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
145 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the integrating circuits comprises a switched-capacitance integrator, comprising an amplifier stage having an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an output, a first capacitor coupled between the inverting input and the output, and a capacitor network comprising at least one switching element and coupled between the input of the integrator and the inverting input of the amplifier stage, wherein the capacitor network has a control signal input for receiving one of said control signals to cause said at least one switching element to be changed over under the influence of the control signal, the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit being arranged so as to form in said first integrating circuit the difference between the signal to be sampled and the signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit comprises a first switching element for switching one terminal of a second capacitor between the input signal to be sampled and the output signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit, and a second switching element for switching the other terminal of the second capacitor between a fixed reference level and the inverting input of the amplifier stage in the first integrating circuit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a further switching element is corrected in parallel with the first capacitor associated with the first integrating circuit, which further switching element has a control signal input arranged to receive a reset signal prior to the integration process.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the non-inverting inputs of the amplifier stages in the integrating circuits are connected to a reference voltage.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the N successive sub-integration steps are divided at least substantially uniformly over one complete sampling interval.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
145 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the integrating circuits comprises a switched-capacitance integrator, comprising an amplifier stage having an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an output, a first capacitor coupled between the inverting input and the output, and a capacitor network comprising at least one switching element and coupled between the input of the integrator and the inverting input of the amplifier stage, wherein the capacitor network has a control signal input for receiving one of said control signals to cause said at least one switching element to be changed over under the influence of the control signal, the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit being arranged so as to form in said first integrating circuit the difference between the signal to be sampled and the signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit comprises a first switching element for switching one terminal of a second capacitor between the input signal to be sampled and the output signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit, and a second switching element for switching the other terminal of the second capacitor between a fixed reference level and the inverting input of the amplifier stage in the first integrating circuit.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
145 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the integrating circuits comprises a switched-capacitance integrator, comprising an amplifier stage having an inverting input, a non-inverting input and an output, a first capacitor coupled between the inverting input and the output, and a capacitor network comprising at least one switching element and coupled between the input of the integrator and the inverting input of the amplifier stage, wherein the capacitor network has a control signal input for receiving one of said control signals to cause said at least one switching element to be changed over under the influence of the control signal, the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit being arranged so as to form in said first integrating circuit the difference between the signal to be sampled and the signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
84 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the capacitor network associated with the first integrating circuit comprises a first switching element for switching one terminal of a second capacitor between the input signal to be sampled and the output signal fed back from the output of the second integrating circuit, and a second switching element for switching the other terminal of the second capacitor between a fixed reference level and the inverting input of the amplifier stage in the first integrating circuit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 12 wherein a further switching element is connected in parallel with the first capacitor associated with the first integrating circuit, which further switching element has a control signal input arranged to receive a reset signal prior to the integration process.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 2 wherein N is greater than 8.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sample-and-hold device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the N successive sub-integration steps are divided at least substantially uniformly over one complete sampling interval.