Implementing logic functions with non-magnitude based physical phenomena

• US 7,696,785 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ternarylogic LLC
• Original Assignee: Ternarylogic LLC
• Inventors: Lablans, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Don P
• Application Number:
  US12/339,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20090128190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 326/38, 326/59, 326/60, 326/104, 326/113
• US Class Current: 326/59
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/20 characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence

Abstract

An n-valued switch with n≧2, with an input enabled to receive a signal in one of n states, an output enabled to provide a signal in one of at least 2 states, under control of a control signal having one of at least 2 states is disclosed. Signals are instances of a physical phenomenon, an instance representing a state. N-valued inverters are also disclosed. Different types of signals are disclosed, including optical signals with different wavelengths, electrical signals with different frequencies and signals represented by a presence of a material. A kit including an n-valued switch is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An n-state switch with n>

3, comprising;

a first input enabled to receive a first signal representing a first of n states, the first signal being an independent instance of a characteristic of a first physical phenomenon;

a second input enabled to receive a second signal representing a second of n states, the second signal being an independent instance of a characteristic of a second physical phenomenon; and

an output enabled to provide a signal representing one of n states whenever the first input receives the first signal and the second input receives the second signal.

2. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

the output not providing a signal whenever the second input does not receive a signal that represents one of n states.

3. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein an absence of signal represents a state.

4. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and the second signal are an independent instance of the characteristic of the same physical phenomenon.

5. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output provides a signal representing the state of the first signal whenever the second input receives the second signal.

6. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, fUrther comprising:

an additional input enabled to receive a third signal representing a third of n states, the third signal being an independent instance of a characteristic of a physical phenomenon; and

the output being enabled to provide an output signal representing one of n states whenever the first input receives the first signal, the second input receives the second signal, and the additional input receives the third signal.

7. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the n-state switch is connected to an n-state inverter having an input and an output.

8. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the n-state switch includes a detector to detect the first signal and a generator for generating the signal on the output.

9. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switch is part of a device which implements an n-state logic function.

10. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a state is represented by a wavelength of an electro-magnetic radiation.

11. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a state is represented by a presence of a material.

12. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein a state is represented by a material from a group consisting of a cell, a virus, an antibody, a chemical, a protein, a peptide, a nucleic acid, an oligosaccharides, a nucleotide, a metabolite, an ion, a carbohydrate, a polysaccharide, a hormone, an antigen, an enzyme, an RNA or a DNA molecule.

13. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 1, wherein the n-state switch is part of a computing device.

14. A kit for implementing an n-state logic device with n>

3, comprising a switch, the switch including;

a first input enabled to receive a first signal having one of n states, a state being represented by an independent instance of a characteristic of a first physical phenomenon;

a second input enabled to receive a second signal having one of n states, a state being represented by an independent instance of a characteristic of a second physical phenomenon;

an output enabled to provide a signal representing one of n states whenever the first input receives the first signal and the second input receives the second signal; and

a state conductor with an input and an output, wherein a state of a signal on the output of the state conductor is identical to a state of a signal on the input of the state conductor.

15. The kit as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a source for generating a signal representing one of n states.

16. The kit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and the second signal are optical signals.

17. The kit as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an inverter with an input and an output, including a detector for detecting a first signal on the input and a generator for generating a second signal on the output.

18. The kit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the kit implements an n-state logic function.

19. An n-state switch with n≧

2 comprising;

a first input enabled to receive a first signal being an independent instance of a characteristic of a first physical phenomenon and representing one of n states;

a second input enabled to receive a second signal, the second signal being an independent instance of a characteristic of a second physical phenomenon and representing one of n states; and

an output enabled to provide a signal representing one of n states whenever the first input receives the first signal and the second input receives the second signal, and wherein a linear combination of the first and the second signal will create a signal that will be processed by the switch as representing the first state or the second state or the first and the second state.

20. The n-state switch as claimed in claim 19, wherein an independent instance of a physical phenomenon is a wavelength of light.