Event counter

1. A counting method using a memory area in an integrated circuit, comprising storing partial values of a count value in several memory words of identical sizes, the memory words included in the memory area, and arithmetically adding the partial values contained in the several memory words to obtain the count value.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising the step of incrementing or decrementing one of the words by selecting it so that all the words contain values present within a given range.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said range is set according to the tolerance desired for the counter value.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the increment or the decrement is one.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if a word does not contain one of a range of values, attempting an updating of this word to one of these values.

6. An integrated circuit counter comprising a memory area to store a counter value, comprising:

means for comparing partial values contained in different memory words of identical sizes with respect to a range of possible values, the memory words included in the memory area;

means for assigning to words having their value outside the range one of the values of this range; and

means for arithmetically summing up the respective values of the words to provide the counter value.

7. The counter of claim 6 , wherein the range of values is selected according to the maximum interval desired between the resulting values of the counter.

8. A method for counting using a memory area in an integrated circuit, comprising:

defining a plurality of words in the memory area; and

incrementing or decrementing a count value by incrementing or decrementing one of the plurality of words such that each of the words contains a partial value within a given range.

9. A method as defined in claim 8 , further comprising:

reading the count value by adding the partial values in the plurality of words.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 , wherein reading the count value comprises, if a current word contains a partial value A or A+1, adding the value of the current word to an intermediate result register, and, if the current word does not contain the partial value A or A+1, incrementing an error value.

11. A method as defined in claim 8 , wherein incrementing the count value comprises determining that at least one word in the plurality of words contains a partial value in a range A to A+1, selecting a word that is determined to contain the partial value A, and updating the selected word to the partial value A+1.

12. A method as defined in claim 11 , wherein decrementing the count value comprises determining if one or more of the words contains the partial value A+1, if one or more of the words is determined to contain the partial value A+1, selecting one of the words containing the partial value A+1 and updating the selected word to the partial value A, and, if none of the words is determined to contain the partial value A+1, selecting a word containing the partial value A and updating the selected word to a partial value A−1.

13. A method as defined in claim 12 , wherein decrementing the count value further comprises determining if one or more of the words is defective, if one or more of the words is determined to be defective, selecting one of the defective words, updating the selected defective word to the partial value A and verifying that the updated defective word contains the partial value A, otherwise excluding the updated defective word.

14. An integrated circuit counter comprising:

a memory area having a plurality of words; and

a control circuit including:

an increment/decrement circuit configured to increment or decrement a count value by incrementing or decrementing one of the plurality of words such that each of the words contains a partial value within a given range; and

a summing circuit configured to add the partial values in the plurality of words to obtain the count value.

15. An integrated circuit counter as defined in claim 14 , wherein the increment/decrement circuit is configured to increment the count value by determining that at least one word in the plurality of words contains a partial value in a range A to A+1, selecting a word that contains the partial value A, and updating the selected word to the partial value A+1.

16. An integrated circuit counter as defined in claim 15 , wherein the increment/decrement circuit is further configured to decrement the count value by determining if one or more of the words contains the partial value A+1, if one or more of the words is determined to contain the partial value A+1, selecting one of the words containing the partial value A+1 and updating the selected word to the partial value A, and, if none of the words is determined to contain the partial value A+1, selecting a word containing the partial value A and updating the selected word to the partial value A−1.

17. An integrated circuit counter as defined in claim 16 , wherein the increment/decrement circuit is further configured to decrement the count value by determining if one or more of the words is defective, if one or more of the words is determined to be defective, selecting one of the defective words, updating the selected defective word to the partial value A and verifying that the updated defective word contains the partial value A, otherwise excluding the updated defective word.

18. An integrated circuit counter as defined in claim 14 , further comprising an intermediate result register, wherein the summing circuit is configured, if a current word contains a partial value A or A+1, to add the value of the current word to the intermediate result register, and, if the current word does not contain the partial value A or A+1, to increment an error value.