Patent ID: 7117233

Claim:
Random number generator comprising: a noise signal generating device for supplying a noise signal; a sampling device connected between an output of the noise signal generating device and an output of the random number generator, the noise signal being sampled when the sampling device is in a sampling state, and the noise signal not being sampled when the sampling device is in an idle state; a control oscillator for supplying an alternating signal at a control oscillator output, the frequency of the alternating signal of the control oscillator not being rigidly coupled to the frequency of the noise signal; an enabling device having a first control input and a second control input and an output, the first control input being arranged to receive the noise signal or a signal derived from the noise signal, the second control input being arranged to receive the oscillator output signal or a signal derived from the same, an output signal being generatable at the output of the enabling device, by which output signal the sampling device is switchable from the idle state to the sampling state, and the enabling device being arranged to generate the output signal when the signal at the first control input exhibits a first trigger state, and when, subsequently, the signal at the second control input exhibits a second trigger state.