Patent ID: 7280065

Claim:
A method for converting an analog input signal into a digital value comprising: performing an initial comparison, which compares the input signal with initial partial reference potentials and generates an initial control signal according to the comparison; performing a first approximation, which compares the input signal with first partial reference potentials and generates a first control signal according to the first approximation; performing one or more additional approximations, which compare the input signal with additional partial reference potentials and generate one or more additional control signals according to the one or more additional approximations; performing a final approximation, which compares the input signal with final partial reference potentials and generates a final control signal according final approximation; and generating the digital value according to the initial control signal, the one or more control signals, and the final control signal, wherein at least one of: the first partial reference potentials, and the additional partial reference potentials are chosen as a function of an upstream generated control signal.