# US 11,121,779 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 11,121,779 B2 - Document ID: US11121779B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/298,155 - Filed: 2019-03-11 - Published: 2020-03-05 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28 - 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/US11121779B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/802: {for isolation, e.g. using optocouplers} - H04B 10/502: {LED transmitters} - H04B 10/671: {for controlling the input optical signal} - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes light-emitting elements, a selection circuit, a control circuit, light-receiving elements, and switch elements. The selection circuit is configured to accept one input signal and output a signal for selecting an element to emit light among the light-emitting elements. The control circuit is configured to control the light-emitting elements, based on the signal outputted from the selection circuit. The light-receiving elements are each configured to receive light of each of the light-emitting elements and generate a signal for driving a switch, based on a light-receiving state. The switch elements are each configured to be driven by application of voltage outputted from each of the light-emitting elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: light-emitting elements; a selection circuit configured to accept one input signal and output a signal for selecting an element to emit light among the light-emitting elements; a control circuit configured to control the light-emitting elements, based on the signal outputted from the selection circuit; light-receiving elements each configured to receive light of each of the light-emitting elements and generate a signal for driving a switch, based on a light-receiving state; and switch elements each configured to be driven by application of voltage outputted from each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the input signal is an analog signal that transmits a signal, based on a voltage value thereof; and the selection circuit includes comparators and outputs a signal for selecting one of the light-emitting elements to be driven, based on a voltage value of the input signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: the light-emitting elements are LEDs; and the control circuit performs control of driving each of the LEDs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein: the light-receiving elements are photodiodes; the switch elements are transistors; and the transistors are driven by outputs of the photodiodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein: the light-receiving elements are photodiodes; the switch elements are transistors; and the transistors are driven by outputs of the photodiodes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the transistors are MOSFETs whose drive states are decided by application of voltage to gates thereof, based on the outputs of the photodiodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the transistors are MOSFETs whose drive states are decided by application of voltage to gates thereof, based on the outputs of the photodiodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a threshold generation circuit configured to generate a threshold with respect to each of the comparators. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The semiconductor device according to claim 2, further comprising: a threshold generation circuit configured to generate a threshold with respect to each of the comparators. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The semiconductor device according to claim 3, further comprising: a threshold generation circuit configured to generate a threshold with respect to each of the comparators. ### Claim 10 A semiconductor device comprising: light-emitting elements; a selection circuit configured to accept one input signal and output a signal for selecting an element to emit light among the light-emitting elements; a control circuit configured to control the light-emitting elements, based on the signal outputted from the selection circuit; light-receiving elements each configured to receive light of each of the light-emitting elements and generate a signal for driving a switch, based on a light-receiving state; and switch elements each configured to be driven by application of voltage outputted from each of the light-receiving elements, wherein the input signal is a digital signal of a PWM mode, and the selection circuit outputs a signal for selecting one of the light-emitting elements to be driven, based on a duty ratio of the digital signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the light-emitting elements are LEDs; and the control circuit performs control of driving each of the LEDs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein the light-receiving elements are photodiodes; the switch elements are transistors; and the transistors are driven by outputs of the photodiodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The semiconductor device according to claim 10, further comprising: a PWM detection circuit configured to detect that the input signal is of the PWM mode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device according to claim 11, further comprising: a PWM detection circuit configured to detect that the input signal is of the PWM mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The semiconductor device according to claim 12, further comprising: a PWM detection circuit configured to detect that the input signal is of the PWM mode. ### Claim 16 A semiconductor device comprising: signal transmitting elements; a selection circuit configured to accept one input signal and output a signal for selecting an element to transmit a signal among the signal transmitting elements; a control circuit configured to control the signal transmitting elements, based on the signal outputted from the selection circuit; signal receiving elements each configured to receive the signal transmitted from each of the signal transmitting elements and generate voltage for driving a switch, based on a receiving state; and switch elements each configured to be driven by application of voltage outputted from each of the signal receiving elements, wherein the input signal is an analog signal that transmits a signal, based on a voltage value thereof; and the selection circuit includes comparators and outputs a signal for selecting one of the signal transmitting elements to be driven, based on a voltage value of the input signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device according to claim 16, wherein the signal transmitting elements are magnetically or capacitively coupled with the signal receiving elements. ### Claim 18 A semiconductor device comprising: signal transmitting elements; a selection circuit configured to accept one input signal and output a signal for selecting an element to transmit a signal among the signal transmitting elements; a control circuit configured to control the signal transmitting elements, based on the signal outputted from the selection circuit; signal receiving elements each configured to receive the signal transmitted from each of the signal transmitting elements and generate voltage for driving a switch, based on a receiving state; and switch elements each configured to be driven by application of voltage outputted from each of the signal receiving elements, wherein the input signal is a digital signal of a PWM mode, and the selection circuit outputs a signal for selecting one of the signal transmitting elements to be driven, based on a duty ratio of the digital signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The semiconductor device according to claim 18, wherein the signal transmitting elements are magnetically or capacitively coupled with the signal receiving elements.