# US 11,451,193 B2 · Oscillator and imaging device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,193 B2 - Document ID: US11451193B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/001,821 - Filed: 2020-08-25 - Published: 2021-03-04 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-26 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Atsushi Kandori; Noriyuki Kaifu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451193B2 ## CPC - H03B 5/129: {the parameter being a bias voltage or a power supply} - H03B 7/08: being a tunnel diode - H03B: GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; masers or lasers H01S; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H) ## Abstract An oscillator is comprising a plurality of resonators and a voltage bias circuit that applies voltages to the plurality of resonators. Each of the plurality of resonators has a negative resistance element. In the oscillator, the plurality of resonators are connected in parallel to the voltage bias circuit respectively via separate inductors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oscillator comprising: a plurality of resonators, each of the resonators having a negative resistance element; and a voltage bias circuit that applies voltages to the plurality of resonators, wherein the resonators are connected in parallel to the voltage bias circuit respectively via separate inductors, and wherein, at a predetermined frequency or higher, impedance of each of the inductors is higher than impedance of a negative resistance element of a resonator, among the plurality of resonators, that corresponds to the inductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the inductors are respectively disposed on one terminal side of the plurality of resonators and not on the other terminal side. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency is a frequency of at least 10 KHz. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the inductors are disposed on a chip that includes the plurality of resonators. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the inductors are disposed on a package or a printed circuit board, and wherein the package holds a chip that includes the plurality of resonators. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, further comprising a shunt element disposed in parallel with one resonator of the plurality of resonators relative to the voltage bias circuit, wherein impedance of the shunt element is substantially identical to impedance of a negative resistance element of the one resonator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The oscillator according to claim 6, wherein the shunt element is constituted by a capacitive element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The oscillator according to claim 6, wherein in the shunt element a resistive element and a capacitive element are connected in series. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The oscillator according to claim 6, wherein the shunt element and a resonator that is disposed in parallel with the shunt element relative to the voltage bias circuit are connected by wiring of a length not more than ¼ of a wavelength corresponding to a cutoff frequency on a high frequency side. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The oscillator according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the shunt elements are respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of resonators, and wherein the plurality of shunt elements are connected to each other via the inductors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the voltage bias circuit applies AC voltages to the plurality of resonators. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators generates electromagnetic waves of a frequency included in a range of 30 GHz to 30 THz. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An imaging device comprising: a lighting device including the oscillator according to claim 1; and an imaging element for capturing an image of an object that has been irradiated with electromagnetic waves generated by the oscillator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the negative resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, further comprising a package, a printed circuit board, and a surface-mounted element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed on a chip, and wherein a size of the chip is between several millimeters square and several tens of millimeters square. ### Claim 17 An oscillator comprising: a plurality of resonators, each of the resonators having a negative resistance element; a voltage bias circuit that applies voltages to the plurality of resonators; and a shunt element disposed in parallel with one resonator of the plurality of resonators relative to the voltage bias circuit, wherein the resonators are connected in parallel to the voltage bias circuit respectively via separate inductors, and wherein in the shunt element a resistive element and a capacitive element are connected in series. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, wherein impedance of the shunt element is substantially identical to impedance of a negative resistance element of the one resonator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of resonators generates electromagnetic waves of a frequency included in a range of 30 GHz to 30 THz. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, wherein the negative resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, further comprising a package, a printed circuit board, and a surface-mounted element. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed on a chip, and wherein a size of the chip is between several millimeters square and several tens of millimeters square. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The oscillator according to claim 17, wherein the voltage bias circuit applies AC voltages to the plurality of resonators. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) An imaging device comprising: a lighting device including the oscillator according to claim 17; and an imaging element for capturing an image of an object that has been irradiated with electromagnetic waves generated by the oscillator. ### Claim 25 An oscillator comprising: a plurality of antennas; a plurality of resonators, each of the resonators having a negative resistance element; and a voltage bias circuit that applies voltages to the plurality of resonators, wherein the resonators are connected in parallel to the voltage bias circuit respectively via separate inductors, and wherein the antennas are connected between the plurality of resonators and the inductors. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The oscillator according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of resonators generates electromagnetic waves of a frequency included in a range of 30 GHz to 30 THz. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The oscillator according to claim 25, wherein the negative resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The oscillator according to claim 25, further comprising a package, a printed circuit board, and a surface-mounted element. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The oscillator according to claim 25, wherein the plurality of resonators are disposed on a chip, and wherein a size of the chip is between several millimeters square and several tens of millimeters square. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The oscillator according to claim 25, wherein the voltage bias circuit applies AC voltages to the plurality of resonators. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) An imaging device comprising: a lighting device including the oscillator according to claim 25; and an imaging element for capturing an image of an object that has been irradiated with electromagnetic waves generated by the oscillator.