Compensated electronic voltage source

Claim 2

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second voltage input terminals for connection across an unregulated direct current voltage source including in combination: first transistor circuit means coupled with said first and second voltage input terminals and having an output terminal supplying a voltage having a predetermined positive temperature coefficient; a shunt regulator transistor with emitter, base and collector electrodes, the emitter thereof coupled with said second input terminal and the base thereof coupled with the output terminal of said first transistor circuit means; first diode means; first resistance means coupled with said first diode means at a first jUnction in a series circuit, in the order named, between said first input terminal and the output terminal of said first transistor circuit means; compensating means coupled between said first junction and the collector of said shunt regulator transistor for offsetting variations of the voltage across the base-emitter junction of said shunt regulator transistor with variations in the voltage appearing on said second input terminal; and output circuit means including an output transistor having base, collector and emitter electrodes, the base thereof coupled with the collector of said shunt regulator transistor, the collector thereof coupled with said first voltage input terminal and the emitter thereof coupled with said second voltage input terminal.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1 wherein the emitter of said output transistor is coupled with said second voltage input terminal through at least a portion of said first transistor circuit means, thereby comprising the coupling for said first transistor circuit means with said first input terminal.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 1 further including second resistance means coupled with said first diode means in said series circuit between said first junction and the base of said shunt regulator transistor.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said compensating means comprises second diode means.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 4 further including third diode means coupled in series with said first diode means between said first junction and the base of said shunt regulator transistor, and wherein said first transistor circuit means causes substantially equal current to flow through said first and third diode means and said output transistor in said output circuit means.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 5 wherein said first, second and third diode means and the base-emitter junctions of said shunt regulator transistor and said output transistor all are connected between said first and second input terminals in the forward current conducting direction.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 5 wherein said third diode means comprises the base-emitter junction of a third transistor and wherein a shunt resistance means is connected in parallel with said base-emitter junction.

Claim 9

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals for connection across an unregulated direct current voltage source, including in combination: first resistance means; first and second transistor means, each having base, emitter, and collector electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said first transistor, said first resistance means, and the collector-emitter path of said second transistor coupled in the order named in series circuit between said first and second input terminals, the base of said second transistor coupled with the collector thereof; second and third resistance means; third, fourth and fifth transistor means, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter paths of said third transistor means and said fourth transistor means coupled in series circuit with said third resistance means, the collector-emitter path of said fifth transistor means and said second resistance means, in the order named, between said first and second voltage supply terminals, the base of said fifth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said second transistor means, and the base of said fourth transistor means being coupled with its collector; sixth and seventh transistor means, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter paths of said seventh and sixth transistor means connected in series circuit in the order named between said first and second input terminals, the bases of said third and seventh transistor means being coupled with the collector of said seventh transistor means, the collector of said sixth transistor means being coupled with the base of said first tranSistor means, and the base of said sixth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said fifth transistor means to form a voltage regulator circuit having at least one output terminal at the emitter of said first transistor.

Claim 10

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals for connection across an unregulated direct current voltage source, including in combination: first resistance means; first and second transistor means, each having base, emitter, and collector electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said first transistor, said first resistance means, and the collector-emitter path of said second transistor coupled in the order named in series circuit between said first and second input terminals, the base of said second transistor coupled with the collector thereof; second and third resistance means; third, fourth and fifth transistor means, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter paths of said third transistor means and said fourth transistor means coupled in series circuit with said third resistance means, the collector-emitter path of said fifth transistor means and said second resistance means, in the order named, between said first and second voltage supply terminals, the base of said fifth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said second transistor means, and the base of said fourth transistor means being coupled with its collector; sixth and seventh transistor means, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter paths of said seventh and sixth transistor means connected in series circuit in the order named between said first and second input terminals, the bases of said third and seventh transistor means being coupled with the collector of said seventh transistor means, the collector of said sixth transistor means being coupled with the base of said first tranSistor means, and the base of said sixth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said fifth transistor means to form a voltage regulator circuit having at least one output terminal at the emitter of said first transistor.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 8 further including a fourth resistance means and an eighth transistor means having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector thereof coupled with said first input terminal, the emitter thereof coupled with the collector of said first transistor means, and the base thereof coupled with the collector of said third transistor means and through said fourth resistance means to said first input terminal, the resistance of said third and fourth resistance means being equal and the junction of the emitter of said eighth transistor means and the collector of said first transistor means comprising a second output terminal for said regulator circuit.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 8 wherein all of said transistor means comprise NPN transistors and said second input terminal is adapted to be coupled with a source of negative direct current potential and said first input terminal is adapted to be connected with ground potential.

Claim 13

The combination according to claim 10 wherein the emitter of said second transistor is coupled directly to said second input terminal and said fifth transistor has a total emitter area which is greater than the emitter area of said second transistor, such that the total collector-emitter current of said fifth transistor passing through said second resistance means is equal to the collector-emitter current of said second transistor, with said fifth transistor operating at a lower current density than said second transistor.

Claim 14

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals adapted to be connected respectively to a point of reference potential and an unregulated DC voltage source, including in combination: first resistance means; first diode means; a first transistor having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector and emitter of said first transistor, said first resistance, and said first diode means connected in a first series circuit, in the order named, between said first input terminal and said second input terminal; second and third resistance means; second and third transistors, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector and emitter of said second transistor, said third resistance means, the collector and emitter of said third transistor, and said second resistance means connected in a second series circuit, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, the base of said third transistor being connected to the junction of said first resistance means with said first diode means; second diode means; a fourth transistor having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, said second diode means coupled in a third series circuit with the collector and emitter of said fourth transistor, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, the collector of said fourth transistor coupled with the base of said first transistor, the base of said second transistor coupled with said second diode means; fourth resistance means coupled between the base of said fourth transistor and said second input terminal; and third diode means coupled between the collector of said third transistor and the base of said fourth transistor.

Claim 15

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals adapted to be connected respectively to a point of reference potential and an unregulated DC voltage source, including in combination: first resistance means; first diode means; a first transistor having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector and emitter of said first transistor, said first resistance, and said first diode means connected in a first series circuit, in the order named, between said first input terminal and said second input terminal; second and third resistance means; second and third transistors, each having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, with the collector and emitter of said second transistor, said third resistance means, the collector and emitter of said third transistor, and said second resistance means connected in a second series circuit, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, the base of said third transistor being connected to the junction of said first resistance means with said first diode means; second diode means; a fourth transistor having base, collector, and emitter electrodes, said second diode means coupled in a third series circuit with the collector and emitter of said fourth transistor, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, the collector of said fourth transistor coupled with the base of said first transistor, the base of said second transistor coupled with said second diode means; fourth resistance means coupled between the base of said fourth transistor and said second input terminal; and third diode means coupled between the collector of said third transistor and the base of said fourth transistor.

Claim 16

The combination according to claim 12 further including a fifth resistance means coupled across said third diode means; and a sixth resistance means coupled between said second diode means and said first input terminal.

Claim 17

The combination according to claim 13 wherein said first, second and third diode means comprise fifth, sixth and seventh transistors, respectively; with the emitter of said fifth transistor being coupled to said second input terminal, and the base and collector thereOf being coupled to said first resistance means; with the emitter of said sixth transistor being coupled to the collector of said fourth transistor, and the collector and base of said sixth transistor both being coupled with the base of said second transistor and the collector of said seventh transistor; with the base of said seventh transistor being coupled with the collector of said third transistor, and the emitter of said seventh transistor being coupled with the base of said fourth transistor.

Claim 18

The combination according to claim 14 wherein the emitter of said fifth transistor is coupled directly to said second input terminal and said third transistor has a total emitter area which is greater than the emitter area of said fifth transistor, such that the total collector-emitter current of said third transistor passing through said second resistance means is equal to the collector-emitter current of said fifth transistor, with said third transistor operating at a lower current density than said fifth transistor.

Claim 19

The combination according to claim 14 wherein said fifth resistance means coupled across the base and emitter electrodes of said seventh transistor comprises a variable resistor.

Claim 20

The combination according to claim 14 wherein all of said transistors are of the same conductivity type.

Claim 21

The combination according to claim 17 further including a sixth resistance means coupled between said first input terminal and the collector of said sixth transistor; seventh resistance means coupled between the collector of said second transistor and said first input terminal, said third and seventh resistance means having the same value of resistance; and an eighth transistor having collector, base and emitter electrodes, with the base thereof coupled with the collector of said second transistor, the collector thereof coupled with said first input terminal, and the emitter thereof coupled with the collector of said first transistor, a second output terminal being provided at the emitter of said eighth transistor.

Claim 22

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals for connection across an unregulated direct current voltage source including in combination: first resistance means; first and second transistor means each having base, emitter and collector electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said first transistor, said first resistance means and the collector-emitter path of said second transistor coupled, in the order named, in series circuit between said first and second input terminals, the base of said second transistor means coupled with the collector thereof; second and third resistance means; third and fourth transistor means each having base, collector and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said third transistor means, said third resistance means, the collector emitter path of said fourth transistor means, and said second resistance means coupled in series circuit, in the order named, between said first and second voltage supply terminals, the base of said fourth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said second transistor means; fourth and fifth resistance means; fifth transistor means having base, collector and emitter electrodes, with the base thereof coupled with the collector of said fourth transistor means, and said fourth and fifth resistance means coupled in series circuit with the collector-emitter path of said fifth transistor means, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, said first, second, third, fourth and fifth transistor means all being of the same conductivity type; and sixth transistor means of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said fifth transistor means and having base, collector and emitter electrodes, the emitter of said sixth transistor means coupled with the bases of said first and third transistor means and coupled with a junction between said fourth and fifth resistance mEans, the base coupled with the collector of said fifth transistor means and the collector of said sixth transistor means coupled with said second input terminal.

Claim 23

A voltage regulator circuit having first and second input terminals for connection across an unregulated direct current voltage source including in combination: first resistance means; first and second transistor means each having base, emitter and collector electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said first transistor, said first resistance means and the collector-emitter path of said second transistor coupled, in the order named, in series circuit between said first and second input terminals, the base of said second transistor means coupled with the collector thereof; second and third resistance means; third and fourth transistor means each having base, collector and emitter electrodes, with the collector-emitter path of said third transistor means, said third resistance means, the collector emitter path of said fourth transistor means, and said second resistance means coupled in series circuit, in the order named, between said first and second voltage supply terminals, the base of said fourth transistor means being coupled with the collector of said second transistor means; fourth and fifth resistance means; fifth transistor means having base, collector and emitter electrodes, with the base thereof coupled with the collector of said fourth transistor means, and said fourth and fifth resistance means coupled in series circuit with the collector-emitter path of said fifth transistor means, in the order named, between said first and second input terminals, said first, second, third, fourth and fifth transistor means all being of the same conductivity type; and sixth transistor means of a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said fifth transistor means and having base, collector and emitter electrodes, the emitter of said sixth transistor means coupled with the bases of said first and third transistor means and coupled with a junction between said fourth and fifth resistance mEans, the base coupled with the collector of said fifth transistor means and the collector of said sixth transistor means coupled with said second input terminal.

Claim 24

The combination according to claim 19 wherein said first, second, third, fourth and fifth transistor means are NPN transistors and said sixth transistor means is a PNP transistor.

Claim 25

The combination according to claim 20 wherein said voltage regulator circuit is fabricated as a monolithic integrated circuit and said sixth transistor is a substrate PNP transistor.

Claim 26

The combination according to claim 20 further including a sixth resistance means coupled between the collector of said second transistor and said second input terminal and a seventh resistance means coupled between the collector of said fourth transistor and said second input terminal.

Claim 27

The combination according to claim 20 further including an additional resistance means and a seventh NPN transistor having base, collector and emitter electrodes, with the collector thereof coupled with said first input terminal, the emitter thereof coupled with the collector of said first transistor, and the base thereof coupled with the collector of said third transistor and further coupled through said additional resistance means to said first input terminal.

Claim 28

The combination according to claim 23 wherein said third resistance means and said additional resistance means have the same value of resistance, and first and second output terminals for said voltage regulator circuit are obtained at the emitters of said first and seventh transistors, respectively.