Patent ID: 7206062
Filing Date: 2007-04-17
Classification: G01S,G11C

Abstract:
1. Circuit apparatus for processing an electrical signal generated in response to detecting ma occurrence of an optical signal, comprising optical detector means comprising a plurality of detectors, each detector having an output for outputting the electrical signal to an input of a sample/hold circuit that has an output coupled to an analog to digitals converter circuit, said sample/hold circuit comprising a bank of M parallel sample/hold circuit unit cells individual ones of which operate with an associated sample/hold clock that is shifted in time by an amount Δt relative to a sample/hold clock of an adjacent sample/hold circuit unit cell, further comprising readout means for sequentially coupling a sampled value of the electrical signal from a first output of individual ones of at least some of said M parallel sample/hold circuit unit cells to said analog to digital converter circuit.