Voltage-Controlled Amplifier Using Shift-Scale Invariant Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Analog signal processing lacks the abstraction level of digital signal processing, leading to sensitivity to noise, power supply variations, and settling time issues, which limits its efficiency and speed compared to digital processing.
Innovation Solution
The development of a voltage-controlled amplifier using networks of linear two-port elements to generate shift and scale invariant signals, allowing for amplification and mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, and division without quantizing analog properties, thereby abstracting signals above the level of circuit properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If analog signal processing is used, then continuous signal representation is achieved, but sensitivity to noise, power supply variations, and settling time issues occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces shift and scale invariant signals as an intermediary representation between traditional analog voltages and digital numbers. These invariant signals are generated through networks of linear two-port elements that transform input voltages into representations immune to power supply variations and noise, effectively mediating between the analog physical domain and the abstract signal processing domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of signal representation by transforming voltage signals into shift and scale invariant forms. This parameter transformation allows the signal to maintain its information content while becoming insensitive to variations in absolute voltage levels, power supply fluctuations, and noise, thereby resolving the contradiction between continuous representation and reliability.
2Productivity
If traditional analog processing is used, then signal operations can be performed, but speed is limited by settling time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal processing function into distinct networks of linear two-port elements, each performing specific transformations to generate shift and scale invariant signals. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple signal components and eliminates the need for lengthy settling periods associated with traditional analog amplifiers, thereby increasing processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional analog amplifier mechanisms with a network-based system using linear two-port elements. This substitution eliminates the inertial and settling time characteristics of conventional analog amplification, enabling faster signal processing by using algebraic transformations instead of physical amplifier settling.
3Reliability
If digital signal processing is used, then abstraction and noise immunity are achieved, but quantization of analog properties occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic shift and scale invariant signals that adapt to the input signal characteristics while maintaining continuous representation. These signals dynamically adjust their transformation parameters based on the input, allowing them to preserve analog information continuity while achieving the noise immunity and abstraction benefits associated with digital processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for processing signals in the analog domain. A signal is derived from analog circuit properties that is shift and scale invariant. Although the circuit properties are not quantized as in traditional digital signal processing, the signal is immune from effects of the properties, such as common mode noise, absolute voltage or current level, finite settling time, etc., as a digital signal would be. The shift and scale invariance allows for mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of signals. By combining these operations, various circuits may be constructed, including a voltage controlled amplifier, a time gain amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter. The circuits are constructed using almost no non-linear, active devices, and will thus use less power for a given speed than comparable digital devices, and will often be faster as there are no delay elements and no need to wait for the circuit properties to settle.