Patent · US Expired

Driver circuit including amplifier operated in a switching mode

US5828245A · kind A · utility

42Cited by
8References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 24, 1996
Grant dateOct 27, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 24, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K2217/0036
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A driver circuit with an amplifier operated in a switching mode has threshold detectors with devices to compare the amplifier input and output voltage respectively to predetermined minimum and maximum levels representing fully off and fully on conditions for the driver circuit. The circuit provides signals to enable the amplifier to draw current from a supply only during transitions between the threshold levels and to otherwise disable the amplifier. The circuit is beneficial particularly when operating the amplifier from a voltage supply of very limited current capability, such as a charge pump voltage in an integrated circuit. The switching mode amplifier can be applied in high performance driver integrated circuits alone or in combination with innovative techniques for slew rate control and for preslewing the amplifier output that also provide high performance in compact circuit configurations.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.