Patent ID: 6745217
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for generation of random numbers comprising:a narrow-band source of alpha decay particles; a detector of said alpha decay particles, said detector disposed in a position relative to said source to detect all said alpha decay particles having reached the detector and generating an electric pulse in response to detection of said alpha decay particles a selective discriminator coupled to said detector to identify detection signals corresponding to an actual detection of said alpha decay particles from said source; and a binary generator coupled to said discriminator to generate a binary signal in response to positive identification by said discriminator of said detection signals corresponding to an actual detection of said alpha decay particles from said source, wherein said binary generator is a clocked time comparator circuit which measures successive time intervals between successive positively identified detection signals corresponding to actual detections of said alpha decay particles from said source and which assigns a binary value to said successive time intervals depending on comparative time lengths of said successive time intervals.