Patent ID: 9007865
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G11C,H03K

Abstract:
1. An electronic circuit powered from a power supply, said electronic circuit setting and holding a digital output of at least one bit to a logic one after said power supply being removed and subsequently being re-applied, comprising: a group of digital outputs, comprising at least one such output; a first array of elements, each element comprising a two-plates capacitor in parallel with a p-n diode, and a switch having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal; wherein one plate of the capacitor and a first terminal of the diode are connected to ground, the other plate of the capacitor and a second terminal of the diode are connected together and further connected to the first terminal of the switch, the second terminal of the switch is connected to the power supply, and the ratios of the capacitance of the capacitor and the leakage current of the diode of each element of the first array form a monotonically increasing sequence; an array of time constant detectors having the same number of detectors as the number of elements from the first array, each detector corresponding to an unique element from the first array of elements, each detector having an input and an output, the detector output comprising a bit representative of a discharging duration of the detector input; wherein the input of each detector is coupled to the second terminal of the diode from the corresponding element from the first array of elements; a group of arrays of programmable digital decoders, comprising as many arrays as the group of digital outputs comprises digital outputs, each decoder having inputs and outputs, and each decoder having its inputs coupled to the outputs of the said array of time constant detectors; a group of arrays of elements, comprising as many arrays as the group of digital outputs comprises digital outputs, each array from the group having at least the same number of elements as the first array, each element from each array from the group of arrays comprising a two-plates capacitor in parallel with a p-n diode, and a switch having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal; wherein one plate of the capacitor and a first terminal of the diode are connected to ground, the other plate of the capacitor and a second terminal of the diode are connected together and further connected to the first terminal of the switch, the second terminal of the switch is connected to a storing capacitor, the control terminal of the switch is connected to an output of the decoder, and wherein each array from the group, the ratios of the capacitance of the capacitor and the leakage current of the diode of each element are scaled up and proportional to the said ratios from the first array of elements, each array from the group having its own proportionality factor; and a group of digital decision blocks, each digital decision block having inputs and an output, comprising as many decision blocks as the group of digital outputs comprises digital outputs, each decision block having the inputs connected to the cathodes of the diodes from the group of arrays of elements, and the output connected to one output form the said group of digital outputs of the electronic circuit.