IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,424,755
Granted Patent B2
US 11,424,755 · App. 17/066,456 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

System and method for a super-resolution digital-to-analog converter based on redundant sensing

Inventors: Zhi Yang (Minneapolis, MN); Anh Tuan Nguyen (Minneapolis, MN); Diu Khue Luu (Minneapolis, MN); Jian Xu (Minneapolis, MN)
Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
H03M1/46H03M1/007H03M1/447H03M1/802
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,424,755
App. No.
17/066,456
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A digital-to-analog converter device including a set of components, each component included in the set of components including a number of unit cells, each unit cell being associated with a unit cell size indicating manufacturing specifications of the unit cell is provided by the present disclosure. The digital-to-analog converter device further includes a plurality of switches, each switch included in the plurality of switches being coupled to a component included in the set of components, and an output electrode coupled to the plurality of switches. The digital-to-analog converter device is configured to output an output signal at the output electrode. A first unit cell size associated with a first unit cell included in the set of components is different than a second unit cell size associated with a second unit cell included in the set of components.

Claims (19)

1. A digital-to-analog converter device comprising:

a set of components, each component included in the set of components comprising a number of unit cells and at least one component including a number of unit cells that is not a power of two;

a plurality of switches, each switch included in the plurality of switches being coupled to a component included in the set of components;

an output electrode coupled to the plurality of switches, the digital-to-analog converter device being configured to output an output signal at the output electrode; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of switches and configured to:

receive a desired output current;

determine an anodic component configuration comprising at least one component included in the set of components based on the desired output current;

determine a cathodic component configuration comprising at least one component included in the set of components based on the desired output current; and

cause a current pulse to be output at the output electrode based on the anodic component configuration and the cathodic component configuration.

2. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein the current pulse includes a positive current pulse and a negative current pulse.

3. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a memory comprising a set of positive current values and negative current values associated with a set of component configurations, the anodic component configuration and the cathodic component configuration being included in the set of component configurations.

4. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein the anodic component configuration includes at least one component not included in the cathodic component configuration.

5. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein an effective resolution of the digital-to-analog converter device is at least four times greater than an intrinsic resolution of the digital-to-analog converter device.

6. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 5 , wherein the effective resolution of the digital-to-analog converter device is equal to a Shannon entropy of the digital-to-analog converter device, and the intrinsic resolution is equal to log base two of the number of unit cells plus one.

7. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein the digital-to-analog converter device is included in a neurostimulator device.

8. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein a first unit cell size associated with a first unit cell included in the set of components is different than a second unit cell size associated with a second unit cell included in the set of components, the first unit cell size comprising a length and width of the first unit cell.

9. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 8 , wherein the first unit cell size and the second unit cell size are associated with a transistor process size.

10. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein each unit cell comprises at least one transistor.

11. The digital-to-analog converter device of claim 1 , wherein an effective resolution of the digital-to-analog converter device is at least two hundred times greater than an intrinsic resolution of the digital-to-analog converter device for at least ninety-five percent of a sample space of the digital-to-analog converter device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2022
From: YANG, ZHI; NGUYEN, ANH TUAN; LUU, DIU KHUE; XU, JIAN
To: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Reel/Frame 059800/0330 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62913759 · Oct 11, 2019
Related Publication 20210111733A1 · Apr 15, 2021
Cited By (5)
US 12,453,853 US 12,575,780 US 12,629,522 US 12,741,137 US 12,746,390