# US 10,771,060 B2 · Semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,060 B2 - Document ID: US10771060B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/530,464 - Filed: 2019-08-02 - Published: 2020-07-09 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-09 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation - Inventors: Hitoshi Imai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771060B2 ## CPC - H03K 17/78: using opto-electronic devices, i.e. light-emitting and photoelectric devices electrically- or optically-coupled - H03K 2217/0036: Means reducing energy consumption - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes a transmission circuitry, a reception circuitry, a comparison circuitry, a timer circuitry, and a switch circuitry. The transmission circuitry converts a first signal based on an input signal into a second signal and transmits the second signal. The reception circuitry is electrically insulated from the transmission circuitry, receives the second signal, and outputs a third signal. The comparison circuitry compares a reference voltage and a comparison object signal being one of the input signal and the third signal, and outputs a fourth signal. The timer circuitry outputs, when the fourth signal shifts, a fifth signal based on timing of the shift. The switch circuitry switches and outputs the reference voltage, based on the fifth signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: a transmission circuitry which converts a first signal based on an input signal into a second signal and transmits the second signal; a reception circuitry which is electrically insulated from the transmission circuitry, receives the second signal, and outputs a third signal; a comparison circuitry which compares a reference voltage and a comparison object signal being one of the input signal and the third signal, and outputs a fourth signal which shifts when the comparison object signal shifts to a state of being higher than a first voltage from a state of being lower than the first voltage or when the comparison object signal shifts to a state of being lower than the first voltage from a state of being higher than the first voltage; a timer circuitry which outputs a fifth signal based on the fourth signal; and a switch circuitry which switches and outputs the reference voltage being one of the first voltage, a second voltage, and a third voltage, based on the fifth signal, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage, the third voltage being higher than the first voltage, wherein the timer circuitry outputs the fifth signal: at a first time when the comparison object signal shifts from a state of being lower than the first voltage to a state of being higher than the first voltage; at a second time after a first predetermined time from the first time; at a third time when the comparison object signal shifts from a state of being higher than the first voltage to a state of being lower than the first voltage; and at a fourth time after a second predetermined time from the third time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuitry selects and outputs, based on the fifth signal: the reference voltage being the second voltage until the first predetermined time after the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being lower than the first voltage to the state of being higher than the first voltage; and the reference voltage being the third voltage until the second predetermined time after the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being higher than the first voltage to the state of being lower than the first voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: an output of the reception circuitry and an output of the switch circuitry are connected with inputs of the comparison circuitry; an output of the comparison circuitry is connected with an output terminal and an input of the timer circuitry; an output of the timer circuitry is connected with an input of the switch circuitry; and the comparison object signal is the third signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: an output of the comparison circuitry is connected with an input of the transmission circuitry and an input of the timer circuitry; an output of the timer circuitry is connected with an input of the switch circuitry; an output of the switch circuitry are connected with an input of the comparison circuitry; the comparison object signal is the input signal; and the fourth signal is the first signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission circuitry and the reception circuitry include at least one of a photocoupler, a capacitive coupling element, and a magnetic coupling element. ### Claim 6 A semiconductor device comprising: a transmission circuitry which converts a first signal based on an input signal into a second signal and transmits the second signal; a reception circuitry which is electrically insulated from the transmission circuitry, receives the second signal, and outputs a third signal; a comparison circuitry which compares a reference voltage and a comparison object signal being one of the input signal and the third signal, and outputs a fourth signal which shifts when the comparison object signal shifts to a state of being higher than a first voltage from a state of being lower than the first voltage or when the comparison object signal shifts to a state of being lower than the first voltage from a state of being higher than the first voltage; a timer circuitry which outputs a fifth signal based on the fourth signal; and a switch circuitry which switches and outputs the reference voltage being one of the first voltage, a second voltage, and a third voltage, based on the fifth signal, the second voltage being lower than the first voltage, the third voltage being higher than the first voltage, wherein the timer circuitry continuously outputs the fifth signal: for a period from a first time when the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being lower than the first voltage to the state of being higher than the first voltage to a second time after a first predetermined time from the first time; and for a period from a third time when the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being higher than the first voltage to the state of being lower than the first voltage to a fourth time after a second predetermined time from the third time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the switch circuitry selects and outputs, based on the fifth signal: the reference voltage being the second voltage until the first predetermined time after the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being lower than the first voltage to the state of being higher than the first voltage; and the reference voltage being the third voltage until the second predetermined time after the comparison object signal shifts from the state of being higher than the first voltage to the state of being lower than the first voltage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein: an output of the reception circuitry and an output of the switch circuitry are connected with inputs of the comparison circuitry; an output of the comparison circuitry is connected with an output terminal and an input of the timer circuitry; an output of the timer circuitry is connected with an input of the switch circuitry; and the comparison object signal is the third signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein: an output of the comparison circuitry is connected with an input of the transmission circuitry and an input of the timer circuitry; an output of the timer circuitry is connected with an input of the switch circuitry; an input terminal and an output of the switch circuitry are connected with an input of the comparison circuitry; the comparison object signal is the input signal; and the fourth signal is the first signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the transmission circuitry and the reception circuitry include at least one of a photocoupler, a capacitive coupling element, and a magnetic coupling element.