Patent ID: 7304289

Claim:
A method of determining an intensity measure, said method comprising: receiving an input signal at an input of a first gain element of a cascade of N gain elements; and assessing an intensity in response to one or more times associated with one or more output signals of the cascade of N gain elements satisfying one or more threshold values, wherein said assessing an intensity in response to one or more times associated with one or more output signals of the cascade of N gain elements satisfying one or more threshold values further comprises: detecting a first time associated with a first output signal of the cascade of N gain element satisfying a first threshold value, wherein said detecting a first time associated with a first output signal of the cascade of N gain element satisfying a first threshold value further comprises: detecting a time at which a comparator operably coupled with a first output of the cascade of N gain elements triggers; detecting a second time associated with a second output signal of the cascade of N gain elements satisfying a second threshold value; and assessing the intensity in response to at least one of the first time and the second time.