IP Library › Granted Patent US 12681440
Granted Patent B2
US 12681440 · App. 17/756,804 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Device for accurate measurement of time intervals

Inventor: Pavel Trojanek (Prague, CZ)
G04F10/04G04F10/005G04F10/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12681440
App. No.
17/756,804
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The device for accurate measurement of time intervals comprises a first comparator ( 1 ) to the input of which a first signal (STA) is fed and the output of which is connected to the first of the inputs of the combiner ( 3 ), to the second input of which the output of a second comparator ( 2 ) is connected, to the input of which a second signal (STO) is fed. The output of the combiner ( 3 ) is connected to the input of an analogue filter ( 4 ), the output of which is connected to the input of an analogue-to-digital converter ( 5 ), the output of which is connected to the input of a control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ), to the second input of which a reference clock signal (REF) is further fed, which is simultaneously fed to another input of the analogue-to-digital converter ( 5 ) and the output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) is a data output (DAT) of time intervals.

Claims (12)

1 . A device for accurate measurement of time intervals, characterized in that it comprises a first comparator ( 1 ) to the input of which a first signal (STA) is fed and output of which is connected to the first of the inputs of a combiner ( 3 ), to the second input of which the output of a second comparator ( 2 ) is connected, to the input of which a second signal (STO) is fed, wherein the output from the combiner ( 3 ) is connected to the input of an analogue filter ( 4 ), the output of which is connected to the input of an analogue-to-digital converter ( 5 ), the output of which is connected to the input of a control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ), to the second input of which a reference clock signal (REF) is further fed, which is simultaneously fed to another input of the analogue-to-digital converter ( 5 ) and the output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) is a data output (DAT) of time intervals.

2 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that a feedback is fed from the second output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) to a further input of the first comparator ( 1 ).

3 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that a further feedback is fed from the third output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) to a further input of the second comparator ( 2 ).

4 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) is realized by a programmable gate array.

5 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that the input of the first signal (STA) to the first comparator ( 1 ) is provided with a first signal blocking switch ( 7 ) and the input of the second signal (STO) to the second comparator ( 2 ) is provided with a second signal blocking switch ( 8 ).

6 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 5 , characterized in that the first signal blocking switch ( 7 ) is connected to the fourth output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) and the second signal blocking switch ( 8 ) is connected to the fifth output of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ).

7 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 5 , characterized in that the first signal blocking switch ( 7 ) is controlled by a further output of the first comparator ( 1 ) and the second signal blocking switch ( 8 ) is controlled by a further output of the second comparator ( 2 ).

8 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that a further output from the first comparator ( 1 ) is fed to the third input of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ) and a further output from the second comparator ( 2 ) is fed to the fourth input of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ).

9 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that the output of the first comparator ( 1 ) is simultaneously connected to the first input of the second combiner ( 9 ) and the of output the second comparator ( 2 ) is simultaneously connected to the second input of the second combiner ( 9 ), wherein the output of the second combiner ( 9 ) is connected to the input of the second analogue filter ( 10 ), the output of which is connected to the input of a second analogue-to-digital converter ( 11 ), the output of which is connected to the third input of the control and signal processing circuit ( 6 ).

10 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 9 , characterized in that the second combiner ( 9 ) is realized by three resistors connected in star and the second analogue filter ( 10 ) is realized by a resistor and a capacitor connected in parallel.

11 . The device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that the combiner ( 3 ) is realized by three resistors connected in star.

12 . Device for accurate measurement of time intervals according to claim 1 , characterized in that the analogue filter ( 4 ) is realized by a resistor and a capacitor connected in parallel.