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US4910425A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Input buffer circuit

Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1988-08-26
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Granted: 1990-03-20
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Expires: 2008-08-26
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Abstract

Abstract When an input terminal, which is connected to an input transistor, is opened, a transistor having an emitter connected to the input transistor conducts to supply constant current to a constant current source which is connected to the emitter of the input transistor. Therefore, load current of a reference circuit connected to the constant current source is not changed even if the input terminal is opened. As the result, current values of all constant current sources receiving voltage from the reference circuit are not changed so that the internal circuit of a semiconductor integrated circuit device can be stably operated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Atsushi Ohba
  • 👤 Kenji Anami

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 21:32
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03K; H03K19/00; H03K19/02; H03K19/08; H03K19/082; H03K19/086; H03K19/003; H03K19/00369; H03K19/00376

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 118 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising: a buffer transistor, said buffer transistor's base being connected to an input terminal; clamp circuit means, having an output connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor, for clamping the emitter potential of said buffer transistor at a predetermined potential level, said output of said clamp circuit means having a voltage which is maintained at a level lower than that of a low-level signal which may be received by the input terminal; a power supply line connected to an input of said clamp circuit means, said power supply line being connected to the collector of said buffer transistor; and a first constant current source connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 118 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising: a buffer transistor, said buffer transistor's base being connected to an input terminal; clamp circuit means, having an output connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor, for clamping the emitter potential of said buffer transistor at a predetermined potential level, said output of said clamp circuit means having a voltage which is maintained at a level lower than that of a low-level signal which may be received by the input terminal; a power supply line connected to an input of said clamp circuit means, said power supply line being connected to the collector of said buffer transistor; and a first constant current source connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: said clamp circuit means comprises a constant voltage source connected to the base of a transistor, the emitter of said transistor connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
A device according to claim 2, wherein said constant voltage source comprises a plurality of diodes in series.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A device according to claim 2, wherein: said constant voltage source comprises a diode and a resistor in series.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: said clamp circuit means comprises a second transistor, the emitter of said second transistor connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor; and a third transistor, the collector of said third transistor connected to the base of said second transistor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 29 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said clamp circuit means further comprises a resistor connected between said first power source line and the base of said second transistor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 36 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said clamp circuit means further comprises a series circuit of a diode and a resistor connected between said first power source line and the base of said second transistor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 31 words
A device according to claim 5, wherein said clamp circuit means further comprises a diode series circuit connected between said first power source line and the base of said second transistor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein: said clamp circuit means comprises a plurality of diodes connected in series, the output of said plurality of diodes connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 65 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said first constant current source comprises: a resistor R 1 , and a transistor Q 2 having a base connected to a voltage input terminal, the collector of transistor Q 2 connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor and the emitter of transistor Q 2 connected to resistor R 1 and to a second power supply line.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
A device according to claim 10, further comprising: a second constant current source connected to the first constant current source.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 58 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 11, wherein the second constant current source comprises: a resistor R 7 and a transistor Q 5 having a base connected to the base of the transistor Q 2 , and the emitter of transistor Q 5 connected to the second power supply line through said resistor R 7 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
A device according to claim 12, further comprising: an emitter coupled logic differential pair connected to the collector of said transistor Q 5 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 78 words
A device according to claim 13 wherein: the emitter logic coupled differential pair comprise transistors Q 3 and Q 4 , the collector of the transistor Q 3 connected to an output terminal and connected to the first power supply line through a resistor R 2 , and the base of the transistor Q 4 connected to a logic comparison input voltage terminal and the base of transistor Q 3 connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 92 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein said first constant current source comprises: a diode D 1 , a resistor R 3 and a transistor Q 2 , the collector of the transistor Q 2 connected to the emitter of said buffer transistor, the emitter of the transistor Q 2 connected to a second power supply line and the base connected to a reference voltage input terminal through said resistor R 3 , the base of transistor Q 2 connected to the second power supply line through said diode D 1 .

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS501689A Cited
JPS501682A Cited
US3986051A Cited
US4409498A Cited
JPS5921129A Cited
JPS5954330A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-03-19 1993-09-18 1994-03-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-03-19 1997-09-18 1998-03-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-03-19 2001-09-18 2002-03-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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