Patent ID: 7409597

Claim:
Apparatus for monitoring event occurrences, comprising: at least one logic operator for generating a single cumulative event signal from captured information from a plurality of event signals indicative of respective occurrences of monitored events; a register having at least one capture bit with a plurality of storage bits for receiving said single cumulative event signal from said at least one logic operator, wherein said cumulative event signal is received at a first frequency; a shift rate controller for generating a shift rate signal, wherein stored information in said at least one capture bit is shifted to one of the plurality of storage bits in accordance with said shift rate signal, wherein said shift rate signal is received by the register at a second frequency; and a selector for selecting between a plurality of counting methods, where a first counting method determines whether shifted information from the at least one capture bit of the register is to effect counting by the counter, where a second counting method determines whether shifted information from one of the plurality of storage bits of the register is to effect counting by the counter, and where a third counting method determines whether information directly from the cumulative event signal is to effect counting by the counter.