Maximum And Minimum Amplitude Patents (Class 327/62)
  • Patent number: 7453289
    Abstract: A transmission circuit, which transmits a differential signal having pulse time larger than a predetermined minimum pulse time, includes: a driving unit for feeding the differential signal as a potential difference between two transmission lines; a driven unit for operating on the basis of the differential signal by receiving the differential signal by the potential difference between the two transmission lines; and a connecting resistor for electrically connecting the two transmission lines. Further, a connecting MOS transistor may be provided near a receiving end of the driven unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamamoto, Toshiyuki Okayasu
  • Publication number: 20080238396
    Abstract: A feedback controller comprises first and second feedback circuits. The first feedback circuit is connected between an input node and an output node and has an error node. The first feedback circuit comprising a feedback amplifier for comparing a feedback signal to a reference signal and providing an error signal, and a comparator for comparing the error signal to a second reference signal and providing an output signal. The second feedback circuit is connected between the input node and the error node and comprises a current source coupled to the error node and a controller coupled to the input node for controlling the current source in response to a value of the feedback signal being above or below a threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Publication date: October 2, 2008
    Inventors: Chik Wai Ng, Yat To Wong, David Kwok Kuen Kwong
  • Publication number: 20080211544
    Abstract: A peak voltage detector circuit detects a peak voltage of an input voltage. The input voltage is input into a first input terminal of a comparator. A counter circuit counts up a counter value in synchronization with a first clock signal, when a signal output from the comparator is in a first state. The counter circuit counts down the counter value in synchronization with a second clock signal. A digital-analog conversion circuit outputs an output voltage corresponding to the counter value, and the output voltage is input into a second input terminal of the comparator. The first clock signal has a wave period shorter than that of the second clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki Makino, Hiroshi Okada, Reiji Iwamoto, Nobukazu Oba, Shinji Nakatani, Norikazu Ohta, Hideki Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 7394295
    Abstract: The invention relates to a sense amplifier comprising the following element: a first current mirror unit coupled to a high voltage source, outputting a first current and a second current according to a first reference current, wherein the second current is twice the first current; a second current mirror unit coupled to a high voltage source, outputting a third current according to a second reference current; a first impedor coupled to the second current and a low voltage source; a second impedor coupled to the third current and a low voltage source; a third current mirror coupled to the first, second and third currents, and the first current is regarded as the reference current of the third current mirror unit, thus, the current which flows through the first impedor is the first current, and the current which flows through the second impedor is a fourth current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chia-Pao Chang, Chin-Sheng Lin, Keng-Li Su
  • Publication number: 20080143392
    Abstract: An envelope detector operable to detect and record the minimum and maximum values present in a data stream. In various embodiments, the envelope detector includes a memory operable to store first and second data values, a first comparator, and a second comparator. The first comparator is generally operable to compare the first data value to a first input from the data stream and output a first control signal to cause the memory to store the first input as the first data value if the first input is greater than the first data value. The second comparator is generally operable to compare the second data value to the second input from the data stream and output a second control signal to cause the memory to store the first input as the second data value if the first input is less than the first data value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Inventor: JERRY WILLIAM YANCEY
  • Patent number: 7382166
    Abstract: A signal amplification device which uses inexpensive standard CMOS and yet is capable of high-accuracy threshold setting. An offset voltage generator detects the direct-current level of an input signal, and generates a positive or negative offset voltage signal. A peak detector outputs, as a peak value, the positive offset voltage signal if the level thereof is higher than the maximum level of the input signal, or the maximum level of the input signal if the maximum level is higher than the positive offset voltage signal. A bottom detector outputs, as a bottom value, the negative offset voltage signal if the level thereof is lower than the minimum level of the input signal, or the minimum level of the input signal if the minimum level is lower than the negative offset voltage signal. A voltage divider subjects the peak and bottom values to voltage division, to generate a threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Satoshi Ide
  • Patent number: 7376201
    Abstract: A new system and method is developed for reducing the crest factor of a signal. The system includes a large signal extraction module for receiving the input signal and the magnitude of the input signal to extract a large signal greater than a predetermined threshold ?; a large signal transformation module for converting the extracted large signal to a monotonically increasing concave function; a large signal filtering module for filtering the large signal transformed by the large signal transformation module to pass a predetermined band of the large signal; a delay means for shifting the phase of the input signal; and a combiner means for combining the signal output from the large signal filtering module with the input signal whose phase has been shifted by the delay means to reduce the crest factor of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignees: Danam Inc., Danam USA Inc.
    Inventor: Yongsub Kim
  • Publication number: 20080100266
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device formed by a trench dielectric isolation technique has input terminals connected to positive and negative terminals of secondary cells of an assembled battery and includes monitor circuits for respectively monitoring cell voltages of the cells. Each monitor circuit includes a cell voltage detection circuit, a reference voltage generation circuit, and a comparison circuit. The cell voltage detection circuit divides a voltage between the input terminals connected to the positive and negative terminals of a corresponding cell and detects the cell voltage based on the divided voltage. The reference voltage generation circuit generates a reference voltage from the cell voltage. The comparison circuit is powered by the cell voltage of the corresponding cell and compares the divided voltage with the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Sobue
  • Patent number: 7348807
    Abstract: An electric circuit for providing a selection signal being used to select a control value of a control variable which oscillates, at steady state, about a reference value about a first control value and a second control value with a first period duration comprises a first differential circuit which provides a first current being dependent on a difference between the first control value and the reference value. The electric circuit further comprises a second differential circuit which provides a second current being dependent on a difference between the reference value and the second value and a first node at which a differential current between the first current and the second current is formed. The differential current forms the selection signal indicating if the first control value or the second value is to be selected in order to minimize a difference between the reference signal and control variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Vincenzo Costa, Christian Müller
  • Patent number: 7308044
    Abstract: A technique for receiving differential multi-PAM signals is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the technique may be realized as a differential multi-PAM extractor circuit. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the differential multi-PAM extractor circuit comprises an upper LSB sampler circuit configured to receive a differential multi-PAM input signal and a first differential reference signal, and to generate a first differential sampled output signal. The differential multi-PAM extractor circuit also comprises a lower LSB sampler circuit configured to receive the differential multi-PAM input signal and a second differential reference signal, and to generate a second differential sampled output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Rambus Inc
    Inventors: Jared LeVan Zerbe, Grace Tsang, Mark Horowitz, Bruno Werner Garlepp, Carl William Werner
  • Patent number: 7212041
    Abstract: A limiting amplifier (LIA), used for example in high speed optical communication systems, includes a loss of signal (LOS) feature that may provide improved optical receiver performance and includes wide range user-programmable thresholds for generating analog loss of signal (LOS) alarms. In particular, multiple sampling points within the limiting amplifier may be used. These samples may be differentially amplified with weighted gains and then combined and compared to a threshold value to generate an LOS alarm signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Mehdi Kazemi-Nia
  • Patent number: 7126384
    Abstract: A peak detection circuit with double peak detection stages includes an analog peak detector, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a digital peak detector. The analog peak detector receives an analog input signal, detects a peak value of the analog input signal with a first period, and outputs an analog peak signal. The ADC receives the analog peak signal and converts it into a digital signal. The digital peak detector receives the digital signal, detects the peak value of the digital signal with a second period longer than the first period, and outputs a digital peak signal. Therefore, the analog peak signal will not decay seriously due to the leakage and the digital peak signal can hold the digital peak value for a long time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Tse-Hsiang Hsu, Yung-Yu Lin, Chih-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 7123058
    Abstract: A stable, low power consumption signal detecting circuit may include: a delay circuit, which receives a base clock signal and generates multiple versions thereof having time delay relationships thereto, respectively; dual amplifiers, which detect valid ones of input signals by comparing the input signals with reference voltage signals in response to the multiple versions of the base clock signal, respectively; a combining unit, which generates a combination signal in response to output signals of the dual amplifiers; and a sampling circuit, which samples the combination signal according to the base clock signal and generates an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Jun Kim, Myung-Bo Kwak
  • Patent number: 7061278
    Abstract: A single-ended peak detector is typically used to determine the peak of a differential RF signal. This single-ended peak detector cannot accurately measure the peak because of the common mode component of the RF signal. To solve this problem, a differential peak detector is provided that is capable of accurately sensing the peaks of the differential RF signal by rejecting its common mode component. In one embodiment, the components of this differential peak detector can be duplicated and placed in a mirror configuration, wherein the positive and negative components of the differential signal can be switched for one pair of input terminals. This mirrored differential peak detector can advantageously balance impedances on its inputs and reduce filtering requirements at the output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Atheros Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Mack
  • Patent number: 7053669
    Abstract: A method for detecting the beginning of the dips of the amplitudes in the output signal of a time signal receiver identifying the beginning of a second in the time signal. The output signal of the receiver for the time signals is sampled N-times per second. The sampled values are stored to respective cells of a memory field with N cells. In the memory field a mean signal curve for the time interval of one second is generated over a period of several seconds. A minimum valve and hence the beginning of the seconds in the time signal is determined from the mean signal curve valves in the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: ATMEL Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Memmler, Gerhard Schäfer
  • Patent number: 7053674
    Abstract: A track-and-hold peak detector circuit, which can operate at low input signal frequencies, includes a capacitor to hold a peak voltage of the input signal and logic circuitry that reduces an effect of leakage current into or out of the capacitor, and therefore, provides protection against self-switching of an output signal of the peak detector circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Hernan D. Romero, Jay M. Towne, Karl Scheller
  • Patent number: 7049856
    Abstract: Various methods and circuits for implementing high speed peak amplitude comparison. The invention achieves higher speed of operation by eliminating the slow feedback loop commonly employed in peak detection. In one embodiment, the invention directly compares a signal that represents the peak amplitude of the input signal minus a small voltage drop, to a modified reference voltage. The modified reference voltage corresponds to the reference voltage that is adjusted to compensate for the small voltage drop in the maximum input voltage. In another embodiment, the invention implements a differential version of the peak amplitude comparator to obtain better noise rejection and reduced effective offset among other advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Afshin Momtaz, Wee-Guan Tan, Armond Hairapetian
  • Patent number: 7049855
    Abstract: Analog circuits for providing one or more waveform parameters, e.g., the DC offset or average, of an analog input signal. Separate biasing is not necessarily required. Some embodiments comprise field-effect-transistors (FETs) configured in various diode-connected configurations that take advantage of leakage currents through the FETs so that long resistors or large capacitors are not necessarily required. One embodiment comprises two diode-connected FETs to provide an unbiased DC offset voltage of an analog input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Krishnamurthy Soumyanath, Luiz Franca-Neto
  • Patent number: 6977531
    Abstract: A method for determining a peak value of a radio frequency (RF) signal begins by receiving an RF signal. The method continues by high pass filtering the RF signal to produce a first input. The method continues by rectifying the first input signal with respect to a rectifying input to produce a rectified signal. The method continues by low pass filtering the rectified signal to produce the peak value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom, Corp.
    Inventor: Hung-Ming Chien
  • Patent number: 6965257
    Abstract: A level discrimination circuit includes two offset compensation circuits. Each offset compensation circuit receives a differential pair of input signals, detects their peak values, and adds the peak value of each input signal to the other input signal, thereby generating an offset-compensated differential pair of output signals. The output signals of the first offset compensation circuit are used directly as the input signals of the second offset compensation circuit. The output signals of the second offset compensation circuit therefore have the correct duty cycle, and can be correctly discriminated by a comparator, even if the input signals to the first offset compensation circuit are burst signals in which each burst includes a large direct-current bias. This level discrimination circuit is suitable for receiving optical signals transmitted in bursts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6949962
    Abstract: The assembly formed by the amplifier 34, the transistor 36 and the capacitor 28 fulfills the function of the amplifier 8 and the impedance 10 of the device shown in FIG. 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Commissariat a l 'Energie Atomique
    Inventor: Marc Arques
  • Patent number: 6888381
    Abstract: Various methods and circuits for implementing high speed peak amplitude comparison. The invention achieves higher speed of operation by eliminating the slow feedback loop commonly employed in peak detection. In one embodiment, the invention directly compares a signal that represents the peak amplitude of the input signal minus a small voltage drop, to a modified reference voltage. The modified reference voltage corresponds to the reference voltage that is adjusted to compensate for the small voltage drop in the maximum input voltage. In another embodiment, the invention implements a differential version of the peak amplitude comparator to obtain better noise rejection and reduced effective offset among other advantages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Afshin Momtaz, Wee-Guan Tan, Armond Hairapetian
  • Patent number: 6842050
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a circuit consisting of four transistors (101-104) and an optional clamping Zener (107) arranged such that the current drawn through a load (120) is equal to the lesser of an input current (106) and a reference current (105).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Roy Alan Hastings, Lemuel Herbert Thompson, II
  • Patent number: 6836156
    Abstract: A signal power detector includes an input coupling circuit and a rectifying operational amplifier. The input coupling circuit is operably coupled to receive a signal and to convert the signal into a first input and a rectifying input. The rectifying operational amplifier is operably coupled to receive the first input and the rectifying input and to produce therefrom a rectified output signal that represents a peak of the received signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Broadcom Corp.
    Inventor: Hung-Ming (Ed) Chien
  • Patent number: 6833738
    Abstract: A signal reception circuit capable of detecting and receiving a signal at a high speed having small amplitude, and a data transfer control device and electronic equipment using the same. A differential pair of reception signals DP and DM is detected by an HS_SQ_L circuit for low speed having high receiving sensitivity and an HS_SQ circuit for high speed having high speed response performance. In the case of a high-speed reception signal, a logical product of a signal HS_DataIn fetched by an HS differential data receiver and a signal HS_SQ indicating the result of signal detection by the HS_SQ circuit for high speed is supplied to a DLL circuit. In the case of a low-speed reception signal, an FS differential receiver is activated after the detection of differential pair of reception signals DP and DM by the HS_SQ_L circuit for low speed. A signal FS_DataIn fetched by the FS differential receiver is supplied to an FS circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nakada
  • Patent number: 6819157
    Abstract: A delay compensation circuit that determines the effects of process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) conditions of a chip by measuring the effective delay time of delay components inside the chip. The delay compensation circuit includes a plurality of sampler modules, each of which receives a delayed clock signal from one of a series of delay cells within a tapped delay circuit. The delay compensation circuit generates an output value based on the total number of sampling modules that lock into a fixed input signal using the delayed clock signals. Since the delay time of each delay cell changes based on variations of PVT conditions, the output values generated by the delay compensation circuit are determinate of PVT conditions in the chip. These output values can be used to design components to compensate for variances in PVT conditions or to control a variable delay component based on detected PVT conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Xianguo Cao, Obed Duardo, Bo Ye
  • Patent number: 6696866
    Abstract: An envelope tracking amplification system that includes an envelope tracking power supply (ETPS) amplifies a radio frequency (RF) signal to produce a linearized amplified signal. The envelope tracking amplification system samples the RF signal to produce a sampled RF signal. The ETPS produces a control signal based on an instantaneous magnitude of the sampled RF signal and further based on an average magnitude of the sampled RF signal, produces multiple supply voltages, and, based on the control signal, couples a supply voltage of the multiple supply voltages to an output of the EPTS to produce an output supply voltage. The envelope tracking amplification system then amplifies the RF signal based on the output supply voltage to produce a highly linear amplified signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventor: James E. Mitzlaff
  • Publication number: 20030201801
    Abstract: A peak hold circuit which improves the precision of a hold voltage. The peak hold circuit includes a first input transistor which receives an input voltage and a second input transistor which receives the hold voltage. The peak hold circuit further includes a hold capacitor, a hold-voltage setting transistor and a bypass circuit. The hold capacitor supplies the hold voltage to the second input transistor. The hold-voltage setting transistor receives base current from the collector of the first input transistor and makes the hold voltage coincide with the input voltage in accordance with the base current. The bypass circuit bypasses bias current to be supplied to the second input transistor when the hold-voltage setting transistor is turned off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Yasukouchi, Ayuko Watabe, Katsuya Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6608995
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity IC card (PICC). More particularly, the present invention relates to and provides a detection circuit of a simple structure, which is easy to set up in a PICC and a proximity coupling device (PCD) for transmitting data to and receiving data from the PICC. This detection circuit is operative to detect a subcarrier signal sent from a PICC and superposed onto a carrier signal received through an antenna. Further, this detection circuit comprises a bias circuit for applying predetermined DC potential to a signal received from the antenna, a rectifier circuit for extracting a subcarrier signal superposed onto the carrier signal by rectifying a signal received from the antenna at a bias point, and an amplifier circuit for amplifying the subcarrier signal extracted at the bias point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yusuke Kawasaki, Yoshiyasu Sugimura, Shigeru Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 6608502
    Abstract: A transmission signal which is output from a power amplifier is rectified by a first rectifying circuit and is then input to a first transistor of a voltage-to-current converting circuit, while the reference voltage is output from a second rectifying circuit and is then input to a second transistor of the voltage-to-current converting circuit. The output current of the first transistor is subtracted from the output current of the second transistor via a first current-mirror circuit, and a current that is proportional to the output voltage of the power amplifier is caused to flow to a two-terminal p-n junction electronic device. Then, a voltage that is proportional to the logarithm of the current is output from across the p-n junction electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2003
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuharu Aoki, Jiro Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 6605964
    Abstract: A window voltage comparator, which determines whether a difference between two voltages is greater or smaller than a set value, is equipped with a first differential pair including a first transistor to which a first input voltage is applied and a second transistor to which a second input voltage is applied, a second differential pair including a third transistor to which a first reference voltage is applied and a fourth transistor to which a second reference voltage is applied, and a comparison circuit that compares the sum of drain currents of the first and fourth transistors with the sum of drain currents of the second and third transistors and thereby determines whether a difference between the first input voltage and the second input voltage is greater or smaller than a set value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akira Nakada
  • Patent number: 6566915
    Abstract: A differential envelope detector for detecting the envelope of a received differential signal. The received differential signal comprises first and second received voltages, and the differential envelope detector provides a differential output voltage comprising first and second output voltages, where the difference of the first and second output voltages is indicative of the envelope of the difference of the first and second received voltages. For full-wave rectification, the first received voltage is coupled to the non-inverting input port of a first differential amplifier and the inverting input port of a second differential amplifier, and the second received voltage is coupled to the inverting input port of the first differential amplifier and the non-inverting input port of the second differential amplifier. The output ports of the differential amplifiers are coupled to their input ports to provide negative feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoel Krupnik, Lior Horwitz
  • Patent number: 6559686
    Abstract: A circuit configured to (i) receive a differential signal pair and (ii) generate one or more common mode signals. The circuit generally provides a large impedance on each input line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Yongmin Ge
  • Patent number: 6545521
    Abstract: The present invention provides a receiver device having multiple voltage supplies that allows the output stage of the receiver device to go to a safe state whenever its voltage is disconnected or powered-down, independent of any of its normal control circuits. Furthermore, the isolation of the multiple voltage supplies provides a low skew at the output of the receiver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bret R. Dale, Joseph A. Iadanza, Douglas W. Stout, Sebastian T. Ventrone, Hongfei Wu
  • Patent number: 6535033
    Abstract: A peak detector for detecting a peak signal includes an input circuit for inputting an input signal, a differential comparator for comparing the input signal with the peak signal to generate a difference signal, a diverting circuit to divert current between a first current path and a second current path based on the difference signal, and a comparator to accept current from the first current path and not from the second current path and to form the peak signal resulting from the current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Toshio Yamauchi, Hironobu Murata, Osamu Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 6512399
    Abstract: A peak detect-and-hold circuit eliminates errors introduced by conventional amplifiers, such as common-mode rejection and input voltage offset. The circuit includes an amplifier, three switches, a transistor, and a capacitor. During a detect-and-hold phase, a hold voltage at a non-inverting in put terminal of the amplifier tracks an input voltage signal and when a peak is reached, the transistor is switched off, thereby storing a peak voltage in the capacitor. During a readout phase, the circuit functions as a unity gain buffer, in which the voltage stored in the capacitor is provided as an output voltage. The circuit is able to sense signals rail-to-rail and can readily be modified to sense positive, negative, or peak-to-peak voltages. Derandomization may be achieved by using a plurality of peak detect-and-hold circuits electrically connected in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2003
    Assignee: Brookhaven Science Associates LLC
    Inventors: Gianluigi DeGeronimo, Paul O'Connor, Anand Kandasamy
  • Patent number: 6504403
    Abstract: Problems associated with using bipolar differential circuits over a wide common mode voltage range are solved using first and second amplifier circuits 3 and 5, respectively operating over first and second voltage sub-ranges. The low voltage differential signal (LVDS) 1 is applied across a pair of series connected resistors 7 and 9, and to the inputs of the amplifiers 3 and 5. The common mode voltage signal 11 is fed to the inputs of third and fourth amplifiers 15 and 17. The third and fourth amplifiers 15 and 17 ensure that the LVDS receiver has a constant linear transfer characteristic over the differential input signal range and over the full common mode range, especially over the amplifier transition region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
    Inventors: Joakim Bängs, John Thompson, Raymond Filippi
  • Patent number: 6469547
    Abstract: An offset window detector that senses the sum of two signals and compares the result to a reference voltage for attenuating an offset voltage and producing a desired gain. The primary design issues of the detector is to achieve a very low voltage offset and a low power dissipation. The detector is part of the offset circuits in the I/Q path of a wireless receiver. The maximum input signal and the minimum input signal are the positive and negative peak values of the in-phase or the quadrature signal paths. They are generated by a peak detector. The offset signal can be estimated by the addition of the maximum input signal with the minimum input signal. This resulting offset signal is compared to the reference voltage to determine if the resulting signal is greater than a maximum reference voltage, less than a minimum reference voltage or within the maximum and minimum voltages. A reference voltage generator creates the desired voltages within a desired tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Level One Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Shahriar Rabii
  • Patent number: 6445225
    Abstract: A line driver supplied with a power supply voltage from a power supply uses whole or part of the power supply voltage to generate the output voltage if the input voltage is within a predefined range; loads at least one capacitor with at least one capacitor voltage; and uses whole or part of the at least one capacitor voltage in addition to whole or part of the power supply voltage to generate the output voltage if the input voltage is outside the predefined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Tore Andre
  • Patent number: 6429696
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a peak hold and calibration circuit, and more particularly, to a peak hold and calibration circuit for use in measuring the signals in a digital multi-meter implemented by using an integrated circuit (IC) and a capacitor, wherein said IC is connected to said capacitor; wherein said IC comprises an operational amplifier, and a switching circuit; wherein a first voltage is applied to one input terminal of said operational amplifier and the other input terminal of said operational amplifier is connected to the feedback network while the output terminal of said operational amplifier is connected to said switching circuit; wherein the output of said switching circuit is a second voltage and connected to said capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Inventors: Cheng-Yung Kao, Wen-Tsao Chen, Yung-Pin Lee
  • Patent number: 6404241
    Abstract: A current-mode peak detector circuit is disclosed. The current-mode peak detector circuit includes an input transistor for receiving an input current that impresses a voltage on a control node, a pair of transistors for providing an output current in response to the voltage at the control node, and a decay control circuit for controlling the decay of the voltage at the control node such that the output current is representative of a peak value of the input current signal. A clamp circuit may be provided for clamping the input voltage to a predetermined level. All of the elements of the current-mode peak detector circuit may be realized using transistors for facilitating integration of the current-mode peak detector circuit on an integrated circuit. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other researcher to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventor: Jay Ackerman
  • Patent number: 6356160
    Abstract: A high speed data communication system includes a receiver to recover data and clock signals from communicated data. The receiver circuit has a dual phase lock loop (PLL) circuit. A fine loop of the PLL includes a phase detector providing a differential analog voltage output. Transconductance circuitry converts the differential analog voltage output to a low current analog output. The transconductance circuitry has a variable gain which is controlled by an automatic gain adjust circuit. A coarse loop of the PLL allows for fast frequency acquisition of an internal oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventors: Moises E. Robinson, Bernard L. Grung, Yiqin Chen
  • Publication number: 20020000842
    Abstract: An amplitude detecting circuit (1) comprises a simple digital filter (2) having a structure corresponding to a part where the energy is concentrated in the full impulse response of a signal processing digital filter (3). Concretely, for example, the amplitude detecting circuit (1) (simple digital filter (2)) comprises only four central taps having coefficients of large absolute values and considerably affecting on the output amplitude among sixteen taps of the signal processing digital filter (3). By the amplitude detecting circuit (1), the amplitude of an output signal of the signal processing digital filter (3) can approximately be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: Kimiaki Ando, Hiroki Shinde
  • Patent number: 6335641
    Abstract: An automatic input threshold selector includes a maximum value level decision circuit, and an input threshold setting circuit. The maximum value level decision circuit decides, among m+1 level layers defined by m maximum value decision levels, a level layer to which the maximum value of an input signal belongs. The input threshold setting circuit sets an input threshold by selecting one of n input threshold candidates in response to the level layer to which the input signal maximum value belongs. These circuits are implemented as a simple combination of a voltage comparator, logic gates and the like. This makes it possible to solve a problem of a conventional automatic input threshold selector in that its circuit scale and power consumption is rather large because it includes a peak-hold circuit and a bottom-hold circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric System LSI Design Corporation, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takaaki Tougou
  • Patent number: 6236256
    Abstract: A voltage level converter for converting an input signal at a first voltage level to an output signal at a second voltage level, the converter comprises: an input for receiving said input signal; an output for outputting said output signal; a circuit node; precharge means for charging or discharging said circuit node to a third voltage level during a first time period by connection of said circuit node to a first voltage supply; isolation means for isolating said circuit node from said first voltage supply during a second time period; input means for changing the voltage at said circuit node in dependence on the voltage at said input during a third time period; and output means arranged so that the voltage at said output depends on the voltage at said circuit node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michael James Brownlow, Graham Andrew Cairns
  • Patent number: 6232842
    Abstract: A first differential amplifier amplifies an input signal and differential-outputs an amplified result in the form of a positive-phase output and a negative-phase output. First and second peak detecting parts respectively detect and store peak values of the positive-phase and negative-phase outputs of the first differential amplifier. A second differential amplifier amplifies a difference between outputs of the first and second peak detecting parts and then differential-outputs an amplified result in the form of a positive-phase output and a negative phase output. The positive-phase and negative-phase outputs of the second differential amplifier coincide with center values of the positive-phase and negative-phase outputs of the first differential amplifier, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Asano
  • Patent number: 6211716
    Abstract: An apparatus of compensating for offset in a received signal generated from a forward path stage, includes a first peak detector for receiving a first signal from the forward path stage and capable of detecting a peak of the first signal; a second peak detector for receiving a second signal from the forward path stage and capable of detecting a peak of the second signal; a differential amplifier coupled to the first peak detector and the second peak detector and capable of generating an offset control signal; and a compensation stage coupled to the differential amplifier and capable of compensating for offset in the received signal in response to the offset control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Kendin Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Hai T. Nguyen, Menping Chang
  • Patent number: 6208173
    Abstract: A peak detector comprises a device for storing a value representing the currently detected peak amplitude (Cp,Cn), a circuit for detecting whether the input signal amplitude exceeds the stored value (D1 to D4), an apparatus for updating the stored value at a fast rate if the input signal amplitude exceeds the stored value by more than a given value (D1/V1, D3/V4), and an apparatus for updating the stored value at a slow rate if the input signal amplitude exceeds the stored value by less than the given value (D2/R2, D3/R3). Analogue and digital versions are described together with their application to data slicers in, for example, teletext decoders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: William Redman-White
  • Patent number: 6147516
    Abstract: A power edge detector includes a voltage divider, a pull-up circuit, and a cut-in pull-down circuit. The voltage divider receives and divides an input power voltage so as to generate a divided voltage. The pull-up circuit receives the input power voltage and transmits the input power voltage to an output terminal when the input power voltage does not exceed a predetermined threshold. The cut-in pull-down circuit is connected to the voltage divider and the pull-up circuit for pulling down the voltage level of the output terminal in response to the divided voltage when the input power voltage exceeds the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Micon Design Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Peter Chang
  • Patent number: 6127852
    Abstract: To retrieve analog signals at high precision by a maximum or minimum position detection parallel signal processing circuit, a plurality of circuit units in each of which a gate of a transistor is connected to a signal input terminal through first capacitive means, a common connecting point of the gate and the first capacitive means is connected to one terminal side of second capacitive means, and control means, for fluctuating a voltage on the other terminal side of the second capacitive means so as to further increase or decrease a drain current in correspondence to an increase or decrease in the drain current is connected between the drain and the other terminal side of the second capacitive means are provided, a source of each transistor of the plurality of circuit units is commonly connected and is connected to a constant current source, and the maximum or minimum voltage position detection with respect to a signal voltage which is applied to each signal input terminal is performed by a voltage on the oth
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Ogawa, Tadahiro Ohmi, Tadashi Shibata