Patent ID: 8129862

Claim:
A scalable highest available voltage selector circuit, comprising: n input voltages; at least n current sources which output respective bias currents; at least n circuit branches, each of which comprises: a logic gate circuit having first and second supply terminals, n−1 input terminals and an output node, said first supply terminal connected to a respective one of said input voltages and said second supply terminal connected to a respective one of said current sources; and a diode circuit connected between said output node and said second supply terminal, the voltage at the junction of said diode circuit and said current source being a control signal; each of said logic gate circuit's input terminals connected to a respective one of said other branches' control signals, said logic gate circuit arranged such that its output node is toggled from a first state to a second state regeneratively and the logic gate circuit output nodes of said other branches are in said first state when the input voltage connected to said circuit branch is the highest of said n input voltages; and n switching circuits, each of which is coupled to the output node of a respective one of said logic gate circuits, said voltage selector circuit arranged such that each of said switching circuits connects the input voltage applied to said branch to a voltage selector circuit output terminal only when the logic gate circuit output node of said branch is in said second state, such that the voltage at said voltage selector circuit output terminal is the highest of said n input voltages.