# US 7,746,120 B2 · Voltage to current converter

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- Number: US 7,746,120 B2
- Document ID: US7746120B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/359,646
- Filed: 2009-01-26
- Published: 2009-12-03
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2008-06-02
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Toshiyuki Umeda; Shoji Otaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746120B2

## CPC

- H03F 3/082: {with FET's (H03F3/085 takes precedence)}
- H03F: AMPLIFIERS

## Abstract

A signal receiving device includes: a first conversion unit comprising a first input terminal to which a signal including a voltage signal and a reference voltage is inputted, and a first output terminal which output a first current signal voltage-current converted from the signal; a second conversion unit comprising a second input terminal to which the reference voltage is inputted, and a second output terminal which output a second current signal voltage-current converted from the reference voltage; a current mirror circuit comprising a third input terminal to which the second current signal is inputted, and a third output terminal which output a third current signal corresponding to the second current signal; and an output unit connected to both the first and third output terminals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A signal receiving device, comprising:
a first conversion unit comprising a first input terminal to which a signal including a voltage signal and a reference voltage is inputted, and a first output terminal which output a first current signal voltage-current converted from the signal;
a second conversion unit comprising a second input terminal to which the reference voltage is inputted, and a second output terminal which output a second current signal voltage-current converted from the reference voltage;
a current mirror circuit comprising a third input terminal to which the second current signal is inputted, and a third output terminal which output a third current signal corresponding to the second current signal; and
an output unit connected to both the first and third output terminals.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage holding unit connected to the first input terminal, the voltage holding unit holding an applied voltage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage holding unit connected to the second input terminal, the voltage holding unit holding an applied voltage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a reference voltage generation unit generating the reference voltage;
a first switch connecting the reference voltage generation unit and the first input terminal; and
a second switch connecting the reference voltage generation unit and the second input terminal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a third switch connected between the reference voltage generation unit and the first input terminal;
a first voltage holding unit connected between the third switch and the first switch;
a fourth switch connected between the reference voltage generation unit and the second switch;
a second voltage holding unit connected between the fourth switch and the second switch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5,
wherein periods when the first and third switches are ON do not overlap each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The device according to claim 5,
wherein periods when the second and fourth switches are ON do not overlap each other.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The device according to claim 4,
wherein the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage generation unit is variable.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1,
wherein the reference voltage is equal to or lower than threshold voltages of the first and second conversion units.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1,
wherein, when a voltage of the voltage signal is larger than a predetermined voltage, a current outputted from the output unit changes in correspondence with a change of the voltage of the voltage signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device according to claim 10,
wherein the predetermined voltage corresponds to a difference between threshold voltages of the first and second conversion units.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1,
wherein the voltage signal is one of a pair of differential signals, and
the other of the pair of differential signals and the reference voltage are inputted to the second input terminal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a switch making an input of the voltage signal to the first input terminal continued or stopped;
a detection unit detecting generation of an offset voltage in the output unit, when the switch is making the input of the voltage signal to the first input terminal stopped; and
an adjustment unit adjusting the offset voltage by controlling the current mirror circuit or the second conversion unit, when the detection unit detects generation of the offset voltage.