US4560947A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Monolithic voltage controlled element
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1984-09-10
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Granted: 1985-12-24
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Expires: 2004-09-10
Abstract
Abstract A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element includes first and second pairs of transistors where bases of two of the transistors are connected to a reference voltage and bases of the remaining two transistors are connected to a control signal, emitters of transistors of respective pairs are connected together, where differences in collector currents between transistors of said pairs define output signals from said element, and includes circuitry providing variable compensation, user-selectable class A or class AB operation and distortion correction.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas R. Frey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 09:01
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03G; H03G1/00; H03G1/0005; H03G1/0017; H03G1/0023
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
277 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to switchable means for drawing current therefrom, operating in response to an input current signal; e. said switchable current drawing means drawing respective currents from said respective emitters, the difference of which corresponds accurately to said input current signal, and including: (i) means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a first constant for any value of said input current signal below a predetermined maximum; (ii) means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a second contant whenever said input current signal is below a predetermined value less than said predetermined maximum; and (iii) means for alternately selectably actuating (1) said means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a first constant for any value of said input current signal below a predetermined maximum and (2) said means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a second constant whenever said input current signal is below a predetermined value less than said predetermined maximum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
277 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to switchable means for drawing current therefrom, operating in response to an input current signal; e. said switchable current drawing means drawing respective currents from said respective emitters, the difference of which corresponds accurately to said input current signal, and including: (i) means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a first constant for any value of said input current signal below a predetermined maximum; (ii) means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a second contant whenever said input current signal is below a predetermined value less than said predetermined maximum; and (iii) means for alternately selectably actuating (1) said means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a first constant for any value of said input current signal below a predetermined maximum and (2) said means for drawing current from said respective emitters in a manner that the sum of the respective drawn currents is a second constant whenever said input current signal is below a predetermined value less than said predetermined maximum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The element of claim 1 further comprising means for reducing distortion produced by said first and second pairs of transistors by sampling the sum of the respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters and thereafter adding to said control voltage a signal which is proportional to said sampled sum and is also a function of said control voltage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
97 words
The element of claim 1 wherein said means for drawing respective currents from said respective emitters further comprises: a. means for directly coupling said input signal current to a first output in phase with said input current signal; b. means for mirroring said input current to a second output out of phase with said input current signal; wherein said first and second outputs constitute said respective currents from said respective emitters, and c. means for selectably altering behavior of at least one of said direct coupling and mirroring means for effecting substantially class A or AB operation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The element of claim 1 further comprising means for frequency compensating said element to avoid oscillation at high frequencies by converting input voltage provided to said element to said input current signal and reducing input voltage conversion gain responsively thereto.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The element of claim 4 further comprising means for reducing distortion produced by said first and second pairs of transistors by sampling the sum of respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters and adding to said control voltage a signal which is proportional to said sampled sum and is also a function of said control voltage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
137 words
The element of claim 5 wherein said distortion reducing means is interposed between said first and second pairs of transistors and said current drawing means and further comprises: a. pairs of cascode connected transistors with first transistors and second transistors of each cascode connected pair having their respective bases connected together; b. means for combining signals from the respective connected bases of said cascode connected pairs thereby producing a sample of said sum of the respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters of said first and second pairs of transistors; and c. a differential pair of transistors receiving said sample as tail current and receiving said control voltage between respective bases thereof, output current from said collectors of said differential pair being provided to said connected bases of said first and second pairs of transistors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
The element of claim 6 wherein said means for drawing respective currents from said respective emitters further comprises: a. means for directly coupling said input signal current to a first output in phase with said input signal current; b. means for mirroring said input current to a second output out of phase with said input signal current; wherein said first and second outputs constitute said respective currents from respective emitters and c. means for selectably altering behavior of at least one of said direct coupling and mirroring means for effecting class A or AB operation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
The element of claim 1 wherein said means for drawing respective currents from said respective emitters further comprises: a. means for directly coupling said input current signal to a first output in phase with said input current signal; b. means for mirroring said input current to a second output out of phase with said input current signal; wherein said first and second outputs constitute said respective currents from respective emitters and wherein said direct coupling means further comprises: c. alternate signal path means for effecting substantially class A or AB operation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The element of claim 8 wherein said switchable means further comprise means for establishing fixed bias currents in said direct coupling and mirroring means thereby establishing equal quiescent currents in each of said first and second outputs whenever said input current signal is zero.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The element of claim 9 wherein said switchable means further comprise alternate means corresponding to said alternate signal paths for establishing fixed bias currents in said direct coupling and mirroring means thereby establishing equal quiescent currents in each of said first and second outputs whenever said input current signal is zero.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
39 words
The element of claim 10 wherein said alternate means further comprise means for actuating only one of said alternate signal paths thereby causing a selected one of said alternate signal paths to take precedence over remaining alternate signal paths.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
The element of claim 11 wherein one of said alternate signal paths for establishing fixed bias current in said direct coupling means further comprises respective common base amplifiers and wherein one of said alternate signal paths for establishing fixed bias current in said mirroring means comprises at least two transistors connected as a standard current mirror.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
142 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to means for drawing current therefrom in response to an input current signal; and e. means for reducing distortion produced by said first and second pairs of transistors by sampling the sum of respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters and adding to said control voltage a signal which is proportional to said sampled sum and is also a function of said control voltage.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
142 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to means for drawing current therefrom in response to an input current signal; and e. means for reducing distortion produced by said first and second pairs of transistors by sampling the sum of respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters and adding to said control voltage a signal which is proportional to said sampled sum and is also a function of said control voltage.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The element of claim 13 wherein said distortion reducing means is interposed between said first and second pairs of transistors and said current drawing means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
120 words
The element of claim 14 wherein said distortion reducing means further comprises: a. pairs of cascode connected transistors with first transistors and second transistors of each cascode connected pair having their respective bases connected together; b. means for combining signals from respective connected bases of said cascode connecting pairs thereby producing a sample of said sum of the respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters of said first and second pairs of transistors; and c. a differential pair of transistors receiving said sample as tail current and receiving said control voltage between respective bases thereof, output current from said collectors of said differential pair being provided to said connected bases of said first and second pairs of transistors.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
124 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to means for drawing current therefrom in response to an input current signal; and e. means for frequency compensating said element to avoid oscillation at high frequencies by converting input voltage provided to said element to said input current signal and reducing input voltage conversion gain responsively thereto.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
124 words
A monolithically fabricated voltage controlled element comprising: a. first and second pairs of transistors, each of said transistors having a base, an emitter and a collector; b. second transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; c. first transistors of each pair having their bases connected together; a control voltage being applied between said connected pairs of bases; d. emitters of said transistors of said respective pairs being connected together, respective paired emitters being connected to means for drawing current therefrom in response to an input current signal; and e. means for frequency compensating said element to avoid oscillation at high frequencies by converting input voltage provided to said element to said input current signal and reducing input voltage conversion gain responsively thereto.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
58 words
The element of claim 16 further comprising means for reducing distortion produced by said first and second pairs of transistors by sampling the sum of respective currents drawn from said connected pairs of emitters and adding to said control voltage a signal which is proportional to said sampled sum and is also a function of said control voltage.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The element of claim 16 wherein said frequency compensating means further comprises: a. means for generating a substantial duplicate of current generated by said input voltage converting means; and b. means for reducing gain of said voltage converting means responsively to said duplicate current.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The element of claim 18 further comprising means for scaling the gain of said voltage converting means responsively to said control voltage applied between said connected pairs of bases.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
75 words
The element of claim 19 wherein said means for converting input voltage, provided to said element, to said input current signal includes a transconductance amplifier and a current amplifier receiving input from said transconductance amplifier, said current amplifier including an output transistor; wherein said means for generating a substantial duplicate of current generated by said input voltage converting means includes an output transistor in parallel connection with said output transistor of said voltage converting means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3908172A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-12-23 | 1989-06-24 | 1989-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-12-23 | 1993-06-24 | 1993-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-12-23 | 1997-06-24 | 1997-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |