Patent ID: 9281023
Filing Date: 2016-03-08
CPC Classification: G11C

Claim Text:
1. A sensing circuit comprising: a first node; a second node electrically connected to a signal line; an isolation field effect transistor comprising a source electrically connected to said second node, a drain electrically connected to said first node, and a gate; a variable reference voltage generator electrically connected to said gate; a pre-charge device electrically connected to said first node; and a sense amplifier comprising: said variable reference voltage generator applying a first reference voltage to said gate and said pre-charge device turning on, during a pre-charging mode, such that said first node is pre-charged to a first pre-charge voltage, said second node is pre-charged to a second pre-charge voltage that is lower than said first pre-charge voltage, said input signal becomes a HIGH input signal and said output signal becomes a LOW output signal, and said variable reference voltage generator applying a second reference voltage that is less than said first reference voltage to said gate, during a sensing mode, such that, upon sensing a voltage decrease at said first node, said sense amplifier switches said LOW output signal to a HIGH output signal.