Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
173 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output; and (b) current boosting means coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the video signal abruptly changes in a first direction, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the rise time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly changes in a second, opposite direction, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the fall time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
173 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output; and (b) current boosting means coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the video signal abruptly changes in a first direction, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the rise time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly changes in a second, opposite direction, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the fall time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current boosting means comprise first cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the input video signal abruptly increases and second cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the input video signal abruptly decreases, inputs of said first and second cascode boost amplifier means being capacitively coupled to the main cascode amplifier.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 2 wherein one of the first and second cascode boost amplifier means comprise portions of the main cascode amplifier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current boosting means are configured for enabling the main cascode amplifier to provide amplified video signals having a peak-to-peak voltage of at least about 40 volts and having rise and fall times of less than about 3.5 nanoseconds when the video amplifier is providing amplified video signals to a capacitative load of at least about 25 pf.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current boosting means are configured for enabling the main cascode amplifier to provide amplified video signals having a peak-to-peak voltage of at least about 20 volts and having rise and fall times of no more than about 1.8 nanoseconds when the video amplifier is providing amplified video signals into a load of about 14.5 pf.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
229 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output; and (b) current boosting means electrically coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the video signal abruptly changes in a first direction, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the rise time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly changes in a second, opposite direction, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the fall time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means, said current boosting means comprising first cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the video signal abruptly increases and second cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the video signal abruptly decreases, inputs of said first and second cascode boost amplifiers being capacitively coupled to the main cascode amplifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
229 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output; and (b) current boosting means electrically coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the video signal abruptly changes in a first direction, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the rise time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly changes in a second, opposite direction, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be shorter than the fall time which would otherwise be provided by the main cascode amplifier in the absence of the current boosting means, said current boosting means comprising first cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the video signal abruptly increases and second cascode boost amplifier means for providing the current spike when the video signal abruptly decreases, inputs of said first and second cascode boost amplifiers being capacitively coupled to the main cascode amplifier.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
164 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output, said main cascode amplifier being configured for providing amplified video signals having a peak-to-peak voltage of at least about 40 volts; and (b) current boosting means coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly decreases, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be less than about 3.5 nanoseconds for an amplifier load of at least about 25 pf and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly increases, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be less than about 3.5 nanoseconds for said amplifier load.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
164 words
A broadband, fast rise time and fall time, video amplifier which comprises: (a) a main cascode amplifier having a video signal input and an amplified video signal output, said main cascode amplifier being configured for providing amplified video signals having a peak-to-peak voltage of at least about 40 volts; and (b) current boosting means coupled to said main cascode amplifier for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly decreases, a current spike to be added to current across an output portion of the main cascode amplifier in a manner causing the rise time of the amplified video signal to be less than about 3.5 nanoseconds for an amplifier load of at least about 25 pf and for causing, whenever the input video signal abruptly increases, a current spike to be subtracted from the current across said main cascode amplifier output portion in a manner causing the fall time of the amplified video signal to be less than about 3.5 nanoseconds for said amplifier load.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 7 wherein the rise and fall times are no greater than about 1.8 nanoseconds for an amplifier load of about 14.5 pf for about 20 volts peak-to-peak.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The video amplifier as claimed in claim 7 wherein inputs of the first and second cascode boost amplifier means are capacitively connected to the main cascode amplifier for receiving video input signals therefrom.