← Back to Patent Explorer
US4160923A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches

Assignee: Sharp Corp
•
Filing: 1977-12-22
•
Granted: 1979-07-10
•
Expires: 1997-12-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract In a touch sensitive electronic switching circuit including a C-MOS inverter, for use in electronic wristwatches, a resistor of 1-10 MΩ is connected to the source electrode of the P-channel MOS type field effect transistor included within the C-MOS inverter, whereby the threshold voltage level of the C-MOS inverter is shifted to a low level to enhance the reliability of the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit. In another embodiment, the resistor of 1-10 MΩ is connected to the source electrode of the N-channel MOS type field effect transistor included within the C-MOS inverter, whereby the threshold voltage level of the C-MOS inverter is shifted to a high level to enhance the reliability of the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hidetoshi Maeda
  • 👤 Toshihiro Ohba

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 17:43
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04G; G04G21/00; G04G21/08; H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/30; H03K17/302; H03K17/94; H03K17/96; H03K17/9645

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 220 words
A touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches including a C-MOS inverter having a P-channel MOS field effect transistor and an N-channel field effect transistor, the gates of the respective transistors being coupled together and the drains of said transistors being coupled together, first and second input terminals for said C-MOS inverter across which an operator's body completes an electrical circuit to initiate switching of said C-MOS inverter from one state to another, a bias voltage source of a first level coupled to the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, a bias voltage source of a second level coupled to the source electrode of said N-channel transistor, said first level being higher than said second level, a pull-down resistor connecting said second input terminal with said bias voltage source of said second level, means connecting said first input terminal to said bias voltage source of said first level, and means connecting said second input terminal to a common gate terminal of the P and N channels of the C-MOS inverter, the improvement comprising: resistor means of a high resistive value connected between said bias voltage source of said first level and the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, the ratio of the resistance of said resistor means to the resistance of said pull-down resistor being within a predetermined range.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 220 words
A touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches including a C-MOS inverter having a P-channel MOS field effect transistor and an N-channel field effect transistor, the gates of the respective transistors being coupled together and the drains of said transistors being coupled together, first and second input terminals for said C-MOS inverter across which an operator's body completes an electrical circuit to initiate switching of said C-MOS inverter from one state to another, a bias voltage source of a first level coupled to the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, a bias voltage source of a second level coupled to the source electrode of said N-channel transistor, said first level being higher than said second level, a pull-down resistor connecting said second input terminal with said bias voltage source of said second level, means connecting said first input terminal to said bias voltage source of said first level, and means connecting said second input terminal to a common gate terminal of the P and N channels of the C-MOS inverter, the improvement comprising: resistor means of a high resistive value connected between said bias voltage source of said first level and the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, the ratio of the resistance of said resistor means to the resistance of said pull-down resistor being within a predetermined range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
The touch sensitive electronic switching circuit of claim 1 wherein the resistance of said resistor means is in the range of 1-10 MΩ and the resistance of said pull-down resistor is approximately 20 MΩ.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
The touch sensitive electronic switching circuit of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit is incorporated within an integrated circuit constituting a time calculation circuit of the electronic wristwatch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 220 words
A touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches including a C-MOS inverter having a P-channel MOS field effect transistor and an N-channel field effect transistor, the gates of said respective transistors being coupled together and the drains of said transistors being coupled together, first and second input terminals for said C-MOS inverter across which an operator's body completes an electrical circuit to initiate switching of said C-MOS inverter from one state to another, a bias voltage source of a first level coupled to the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, a bias voltage source of a second level coupled to the source electrode of said N-channel transistor, said first level being higher than said second level, a pull-down resistor connecting said first input terminal with said bias voltage source of said first level, means connecting said second input terminal to said bias voltage source of said second level, and means connecting said first input terminal to a common gate terminal of the P and N channels of the C-MOS inverter, the improvement comprising: resistor means of a high resistive value connected between said bias voltage source of said second level and the source electrode of said N-channel transitor, the ratio of the resistance of said resistor means to the resistance of said pull-down resistor being within a predetermined range.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 220 words
A touch sensitive electronic switching circuit for electronic wristwatches including a C-MOS inverter having a P-channel MOS field effect transistor and an N-channel field effect transistor, the gates of said respective transistors being coupled together and the drains of said transistors being coupled together, first and second input terminals for said C-MOS inverter across which an operator's body completes an electrical circuit to initiate switching of said C-MOS inverter from one state to another, a bias voltage source of a first level coupled to the source electrode of said P-channel transistor, a bias voltage source of a second level coupled to the source electrode of said N-channel transistor, said first level being higher than said second level, a pull-down resistor connecting said first input terminal with said bias voltage source of said first level, means connecting said second input terminal to said bias voltage source of said second level, and means connecting said first input terminal to a common gate terminal of the P and N channels of the C-MOS inverter, the improvement comprising: resistor means of a high resistive value connected between said bias voltage source of said second level and the source electrode of said N-channel transitor, the ratio of the resistance of said resistor means to the resistance of said pull-down resistor being within a predetermined range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 33 words
The touch sensitive switching circuit of claim 4 wherein the resistance of said resistor means is in the range of 1-10 MΩ and the resistance of said pull-down resistor is approximately 20 MΩ.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 31 words
The touch sensitive electronic switching circuit of claim 4, wherein the touch sensitive electronic switching circuit is incorporated within an integrated circuit constituting a time calculation circuit of the electronic wristwatch.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3917964A Cited
US3543056A Cited
US3942318A Cited
US3823550A Cited
US3944843A Cited
US3871170A Cited
US3851189A Cited
US3956880A Cited
US3913006A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1982-07-09 1983-01-08 1983-07-10 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1986-07-09 1987-01-08 1987-07-10 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1990-07-09 1991-01-08 1991-07-10 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag