# US 10,504,478 B2 · Semiconductor device having shifted operation voltages in different modes and electronic apparatus thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,478 B2 - Document ID: US10504478B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/894,089 - Filed: 2018-02-12 - Published: 2018-06-14 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-25 - Assignees: Synaptics Japan GK - Applicants: Synaptics Japan GK - Inventors: Noriyuki Ishii; Atsushi Shikata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504478B2 ## CPC - G09G 3/3696: {Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers} - G09G 2330/02: Details of power systems and of start or stop of display operation - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract A semiconductor device has a first mode in which the semiconductor device is used alone and a second mode in which the semiconductor device is used in combination with another semiconductor device. In case that one driven device is driven using the semiconductor device in the first mode and the second mode, power supply lines are caused to allow electrical conduction to each other outside of each semiconductor device in order to cancel errors of operation power supply voltages of each semiconductor device. In case that a power supply unit of each semiconductor device is operable by receiving an instruction for release of a low power consumption state, a supply start timing of the operation power supply voltages in the second mode is delayed as compared to that in the first mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device configured to operate in a first mode and a second mode, the semiconductor device comprising: a power supply unit configured to output an operation voltage on a power supply line; drive circuitry coupled to the power supply line to receive the operation voltage; and control circuitry configured to control supply of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry by starting the supply of the operation voltage and releasing discharge of the power supply line, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to shift supply start timings of the operation voltage when operating in the first mode relative to operating in the second mode and match timings of the discharge release of the power supply line when operating in the first and second modes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control cutoff of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry by stopping the supply of the operation voltage and discharging the power supply line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the supply of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry starts upon release of a low power consumption state of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising a terminal configured to connect the power supply line to an external device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a first display driver that includes the terminal, wherein the external device comprises a second display driver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to match timings of a start to discharging the power supply line when operating in the first and second modes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the drive circuitry is configured to drive a display panel. ### Claim 8 An electronic apparatus comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices, each semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices separately outputting a drive signal to a device, each semiconductor device comprising: a power supply unit configured to output an operation voltage on a power supply line; drive circuitry coupled to the power supply line to receive the operation voltage; and control circuitry configured to control supply of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry by starting the supply of the operation voltage and discharge release of the power supply line, wherein a first power supply start timing of the operation voltage in a first semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices, operating in a first mode, is shifted relative to a second power supply start timing of the operation voltage in a second semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices, operating in a second mode, and wherein timings of the discharge release of the power supply line are the same between the first and second semiconductor devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control cutoff of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry by stopping the supply of the operation voltage and discharging the power supply line. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second semiconductor devices comprise a respective terminal connected in common to an external line, wherein the respective terminals are connected to power supply lines in the first and second semiconductor devices. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second semiconductor devices comprise a respective terminal configured to output the operation voltage to an external device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first semiconductor device operates in a slave mode and the second semiconductor device operates in a master mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second semiconductor devices comprises register circuitry configured to indicate a shift amount of the first or second power supply start timing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drive circuitry is configured to drive a display panel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electronic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the drive circuitry comprises a source driver and a gate control driver for driving source electrodes and gate electrodes. ### Claim 16 A method for controlling operation of a semiconductor device comprising a power supply unit and drive circuitry, the method comprising: supplying an operation voltage to the drive circuitry through a power supply line from the power supply unit by starting the supply of the operation voltage and releasing a discharge of the power supply line; cutting off the supply of the operation voltage to the drive circuitry by stopping the supply of the operation voltage and starting to discharge the power supply line; shifting supply start timings of the operation voltage when operating the semiconductor device in a first operation mode relative to operating the semiconductor device in a second operation mode; and controlling timings of releasing the discharge of the power supply line to be the same in the first and second operation modes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein supplying the operation voltage to the drive circuitry starts upon release of a low power consumption state of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: outputting the operation voltage to a display driver that is external to the semiconductor device using a terminal connected to the power supply line. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: controlling timings of starting the discharge of the power supply line to be the same in the first and second operation modes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: driving a display panel using the drive circuitry.