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US 10,483,962 B2Granted
Level shifter
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorHo-Young Shin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A level shifter includes a driving circuit, which receives an input signal and outputs a driving signal in response to a first voltage level of the input signal; a level shifting circuit, which outputs an output signal of a second voltage level in response to the driving signal; and a leakage prevention circuit, which prevents a leakage current of the driving circuit, wherein the driving circuit may include at least one native transistor.
Claims13
A level shifter, comprising:
- a driving circuit, which is configured to receive an input signal and to output a driving signal in response to a first voltage level of the input signal;
- a level shifting circuit, which is configured to output an output signal of a second voltage level in response to the driving signal;
- and
- a leakage prevention circuit, which is configured to prevent a leakage current of the driving circuit;
- and
- a damage prevention circuit that prevents damage to the leakage prevention circuit,
- wherein the driving circuit comprises at least one native transistor,
- wherein the leakage prevention circuit comprises at least one low voltage transistor, and
- wherein the damage prevention circuit comprises at least one damage preventing device that is connected to the low voltage transistor in parallel.
6 more elements
A level shifter which applies a third voltage to an output terminal in correspondence to an input signal transitioning from a first voltage to a second voltage, the level shifter comprising:
- a level shifting circuit which is configured to apply the third voltage to the output terminal;
- a driving circuit which is configured to drive the level shifting circuit in correspondence to the input signal transitioning from the first voltage to the second voltage;
- a leakage prevention circuit which is configured to prevent a leakage current of the driving circuit, wherein the level shifting circuit comprises at least one first transistor having a first threshold voltage, the driving circuit comprises at least one second transistor having a second threshold voltage, and the leakage prevention circuit comprises at least one third transistor having a third threshold voltage, and wherein the first threshold voltage, the second threshold voltage, and the third threshold voltage are different from one another;
- a damage prevention circuit that prevents damage to the leakage prevention circuit;
- and
- a contention preventing circuit that reduces possible contention between the level shifting circuit and the driving circuit,
- wherein the contention preventing circuit comprises at least one fifth transistor having a fifth threshold voltage,
- wherein the second threshold voltage is less than the first threshold voltage,
- wherein the damage prevention circuit comprises at least one fourth transistor having a fourth threshold voltage, and
- wherein the fourth threshold voltage is different from the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage.
7 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a level shifting circuit connected to an output terminal;
- a driving circuit connected to an input terminal and configured to receive at the input terminal an input signal and in response thereto to drive the level shifting circuit, wherein when the input signal has a first input voltage level the driving circuit drives the level shifting circuit to output at the output terminal an output voltage having a first output voltage level, and when the input signal has a second input voltage level different from the first input voltage level the driving circuit drives the level shifting circuit to output the output voltage having a second output voltage level different than the first output voltage level and different than the second input voltage level;
- a leakage prevention circuit which is configured to prevent a leakage current of the driving circuit;
- a damage prevention circuit that prevents damage to the leakage prevention circuit;
- and
- a contention preventing circuit that reduces possible contention between the level shifting circuit and the driving circuit,
- wherein the driving circuit comprises at least one native transistor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.