← Back to Patent Explorer
US4454416A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Photo-electric circuit employing current mirrors

Assignee: SPAGUE ELECTRIC COMPANY A CORP OF
•
Filing: 1982-01-13
•
Granted: 1984-06-12
•
Expires: 2002-01-13
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A current mirror amplifier including three or more tandem stages has a photo diode connected, as usual, with one end at the input of the first stage, but with the other end at the input of a third or later stage, which third or later stage is made up of transistors of the same polarity type (NPN) as make up the first stage. Consequently a very low reverse bias is advantageously applied to the photo diode and the linearity and stability of the resulting photo electric device is enhanced with respect to changing input light levels and with respect to variations in DC supply voltage.

Inventors

  • 👤 Walter S. Gontowski, Jr.
  • 👤 Edward Chalfin

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 05:20
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03F; H03F3/00; H03F3/04; H03F3/08

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 61 words
A stable photo-electric device comprising: a photo diode; and a current-mirror amplifier including a first and third stage each employing one-polarity-type transistors and including an intermediate second stage employing the other-polarity-type transistors, said photo diode being connected between the input of said first stage and the input of said third stage in the polarity tending to reverse bias said photo diode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 61 words
A stable photo-electric device comprising: a photo diode; and a current-mirror amplifier including a first and third stage each employing one-polarity-type transistors and including an intermediate second stage employing the other-polarity-type transistors, said photo diode being connected between the input of said first stage and the input of said third stage in the polarity tending to reverse bias said photo diode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 47 words
The photo-electric device of claim 1 additionally comprising a common circuit point and wherein said first stage and third stage inputs have an equal number of serially connected forward biased PN junctions to said common circuit point to provide a low reverse voltage across said photo diode.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The photo-electric device of claim 1 additionally comprising a common circuit point and wherein said third stage input has one more serially connected forward biased PN junctions to said common circuit point than does said first stage input.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3424908A Cited
US4085411A Cited
US4118621A Cited
US4199753A Cited
US4216379A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-06-12 1987-12-12 1988-06-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-06-12 1991-12-12 1992-06-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-06-12 1995-12-12 1996-06-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag