Analog memory for storing digital information
First Claim
1. A memory system comprising:
- a charge transfer device for storing analog signals, said charge transfer device including means for shifting the stored analog signals, wherein the stored analog signals are degraded in response to the shifting thereof;
refresh means for reducing degradation of the stored analog signals;
a digital processor for processing digital signals in response to the analog signals stored in said charge transfer device; and
means for storing an analog signal in said charge transfer device in response to the processing of digital signals with said digital processor.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an analog memory for storing digital information in analog signal form. Typically, digital information is stored in digital signal form, where each digital bit is stored in a separate digital memory cell. In accordance with the present invention, an analog memory such as a charge transfer device (CTD), bubble memory, or magnetostrictive memory is used to store analog signals. Each analog signal is representative of a plurality of digital bits, thereby providing storage for a plurality of digital bits in each analog memory cell. Use of such an analog memory in combination with a digital system facilitates a hybrid memory, where digital information is stored in analog signal form. In one embodiment, a digital to analog converter is used to convert digital information from a digital processor to analog signal form for storage in an analog memory and an analog to digital converter is used to convert analog signals stored in the analog memory to digital signal form for processing with the digital processor. In another embodiment, an analog read only memory is used to store a program for a stored program digital computer in analog signal form. Storage of digital information in analog signal form increases the efficiency of storage because a plurality of digital bits can be stored in each memory cell. An embodiment having analog error compensation utilizes a reference signal for adaptive compensation of errors. Various systems using such memories are disclosed including signal processors, stored program computers, reverbation systems, and others.
51 Citations
79 Claims
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1. A memory system comprising:
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a charge transfer device for storing analog signals, said charge transfer device including means for shifting the stored analog signals, wherein the stored analog signals are degraded in response to the shifting thereof; refresh means for reducing degradation of the stored analog signals; a digital processor for processing digital signals in response to the analog signals stored in said charge transfer device; and means for storing an analog signal in said charge transfer device in response to the processing of digital signals with said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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2. A memory system comprising:
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a charge transfer device for storing analog signals, said charge transfer device including means for shifting the stored analog signals, wherein the stored analog signals are degraded in response to the shifting thereof; refresh means for reducing degradation of the stored analog signals, wherein said refresh means includes (1) means for generating a digital number in response to at least one of the analog signals stored in said charge transfer device, (2) means for correcting the digital number to compensate for the signal degradation, and (3) means for generating a corrected analog signal in response to the corrected digital number; and a digital processor for processing digital signals in response to the analog signals stored in said charge transfer device. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. A memory system comprising:
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a charge transfer device for storing analog signals, said charge transfer device including means for shifting the stored analog signals, wherein the stored analog signals are degraded in response to the shifting thereof; refresh means for reducing degradation of the stored analog signals; a digital processor for processing digital signals in response to the analog signals stored in said charge transfer device; and means for storing analog signals in said charge transfer device in response to the processing of digital signals with said processor means. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A memory system comprising:
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a charge transfer device for storing analog signals, said charge transfer device including means for shifting the stored analog signals, wherein the stored analog signals are degraded in response to the shifting thereof; refresh means for generating a reference signal in response to at least one of the stored analog signals from said charge transfer device; means for reducing amplitude degradation of the stored analog signals in response to the reference signal; and a digital processor for processing digital signals in response to the analog signals in said charge transfer device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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17. A memory system comprising:
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an analog memory for storing a plurality of analog signals; shifting means for shifting the stored analog signals; converter means for generating digital output signals in response to the analog signals stored in said analog memory; a digital processor for processing digital information in response to the digital output signals from said converter means; and means for storing the analog signals in said analog memory in response to the processing of digital information with said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A memory system comprising:
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a digital processor for processing digital information; an analog memory input circuit for generating an analog input signal to response to the digital information processed with said digital processor; memory means for storing the analog input signal from said analog input circuit; shifting means for shifting the analog signal stored in said memory means; and converter means for generating a digital output signal in response to the stored analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A memory system comprising:
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a digital processor for processing digital information in response to digital input signals an analog input circuit for generating analog input signals in response to the digital information processed with said digital processor; memory means for storing the analog signals from said input circuit; and converter means for generating the digital input signals to said digital processor in response to the stored analog signals. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A memory system comprising:
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a digital processor for generating digital information; a converter for generating an analog signal in response to the digital information generated with said digital processor; a memory for storing the analog signal generated with said converter; shifting means for shifting the stored analog signal; and means for generating a digital output signal in response to the stored analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A memory system comprising:
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memory means for storing a plurality of analog signals; shifting means for shifting the analog signals stored in said memory means; converter means for generating digital output signals in response to the analog signals stored in said memory means; a digital processor for generating digital input signals in response to processing of the digital output signals from said converter means; and means for storing analog signals in said memory means in response to the digital input signals from said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A memory system comprising:
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memory means for storing an analog signal; means for shifting the stored analog signal; converter means for generating a digital output signal in response to the stored analog signal; a digital processor for generating a digital input signal in response to the digital output signal generated with said converter means; and
means for storing an analog signal in said memory means in response to the digital input signal generated with said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A memory system comprising:
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a stored program digital computer for processing digital information under control of analog stored program signals; means for generating an analog input signal in response to the digital information processed with said computer; memory means for storing the analog input signal generated with said analog input signal generating means and for storing the analog stored program signals; means for shifting the stored analog signal; and converter means for generating a digital output signal in response to the stored analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 52)
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45. A processing system comprising:
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an analog memory for storing analog signals; a digital processor for generating processed digital information in response to the analog signals stored in said analog memory; and a memory input circuit for storing the analog signals in said analog memory in response to the digital information processed with said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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53. A memory system comprising:
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an analog memory for storing an analog signal; a memory output circuit for generating a digital memory signal in response to the analog signal stored in said analog memory; a digital processor for generating a processed digital signal in response to the digital memory signal from said memory output circuit; and a memory interface circuit for storing an analog signal in said analog memory in response to the processed digital signal generated with said digital processor. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A memory system comprising:
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an analog memory for storing an analog signal; a memory output circuit for generating a digital memory signal in response to the analog signal stored in said analog memory; a digital processor for generating a processed digital signal in response to the digital memory signal from said memory output circuit; reference means for generating a reference signal in response to the stored analog signal from said analog memory; and means for reducing amplitude degradation of the stored analog signal in response to the reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65)
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66. A memory system comprising:
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a digital processor for generating a processed digital signal in response to an analog signal stored in an analog memory; a memory input circuit for generating an analog memory input signal in response to the processed digital signal from said digital processor; and an analog memory for storing an analog signal in response to the analog memory input signal from said memory input circuit. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A memory system comprising:
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a digitial processor for generating a processed digital signal; a memory input circuit for generating an analog memory input signal in response to the processed digital signal from said digital processor; an analog memory for storing an analog signal in response to the analog memory input signal from said memory input circuit; means for generating a reference signal in response to the stored analog signal from said analog memory; and means for reducing amplitude degradation of the stored analog signal in response to the reference signal.
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76. A memory system comprising:
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a stored program digital computer for processing information under control an analog stored program signal to generate a processed digital signal; a memory input circuit for generating an analog memory input signal in response to the processed digital signal from said digital computer; an analog memory for storing an analog signal in response to the analog memory input signal from said memory input circuit and for storing the analog stored program siganl for said computer.
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77. A memory system comprising:
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a stored program digital computer for generating a processed digital signal in response to an analog stored program signal; a memory input circuit for generating an analog memory input signal in response to the processed digital signal from said digital processor; and an analog memory for storing an analog signal in response to the analog memory input signal from said memory input circuit and for storing the analog stored program signal.
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78. A hybrid memory system for storing digital information in analog signal form, said hybrid memory comprising:
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an analog memory for storing information in analog signal form; a digital processor for processing digital information related to the information stored in said analog memory; and means for storing information in said analog memory in response to the processing of digital information with said digital processor.
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79. A memory system comprising:
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an analog memory for storing analog information; a digital processor for processing digital information related to the analog information stored in said analog memory; a memory input circuit for generating an analog memory input signal in response to the digital information processed with said digital processor; and means for storing analog information in said analog memory in response to the analog memory input signal from said memory input circuit.
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Specification