Patent ID: 8665035

Claim:
Oscillator circuitry, comprising: a transistor switching element having a control terminal, a first node and a second node, the first node of the transistor switching element being coupled to a power source and an output of the oscillator circuitry, the control terminal of the transistor switching element being coupled to an input voltage pulse source, and the second node of the transistor being coupled to ground; and a feedback path coupled between the first node and control terminal of the transistor switching element; wherein the transistor switching element is configured to remain in the off condition to isolate the first node from the second node and ground during the absence of an input voltage pulse applied to the control terminal of the transistor switching element and wherein the transistor switching element is configured to be in the on position to couple the first node to the second node and ground during the presence of an input voltage pulse applied to the control terminal of the transistor switching element; wherein the transistor switching element is configured to repetitively cycle between on and off multiple times in response to an input voltage pulse applied to the control terminal of the transistor switching element while voltage is supplied from the power source to the first node of the transistor element to generate voltage oscillations at the output of the oscillator circuitry for a duration of time that the input voltage pulse is applied to the control terminal of the transistor device, the transistor device being configured to couple the power source to ground each time the transistor cycles to the on condition, and the transistor device being configured to isolate the power source from ground each time the transistor cycles to the off condition; where a sequence in which the transistor switching element repetitively cycles between on and off multiple times acts to generate the respective voltage oscillations at the output of the oscillator circuitry; and wherein the transistor switching element is a bipolar junction transistor device and the control terminal is a base of the transistor, or wherein the transistor switching element is a field effect transistor (FET) transistor and the control terminal is a gate of the transistor; wherein the feedback path is coupled to the control terminal of the transistor switching element at a third node of the circuitry; and wherein the oscillator circuitry further comprises a first resistor coupled between the power source and the third node of the circuitry, and a second resistor coupled between the power source and the first node of the transistor switching element.