Patent · US Expired

Drive circuit of light emitting element

US6097159A · kind A · utility

57Cited by
3References
44Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 24, 1999
Grant dateAug 1, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 24, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/06808
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A drive circuit of a light emitting element capable of setting a desired constant current and capable of operating stably at a high speed while holding a forward direction voltage required for the emission of light even under a low power supply voltage, wherein there is provided an input circuit which receives differential drive signals and outputs differential signals of levels in accordance with the level of a supplied drive voltage, a differential output circuit in which an emitter-connection portion of transistors is grounded via a resistor, the differential signals and are supplied to bases, and a laser diode is connected to a collector of the transistor, a reference voltage generation circuit which generates a reference voltage, a comparison circuit which compares the voltage of the emitter-connection portion with the reference voltage and outputs a signal of the level in accordance with the result of comparison, and a variable voltage supply circuit which generates a voltage in accordance with the input level of the output signal and supplies the same as the drive voltage of the input circuit.

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