Monolithic optical read-out circuit

• US 20070298845A1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horst Knoedgen
• Original Assignee: Horst Knoedgen
• Inventors: Knoedgen, Horst
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A circuit and method are given, to realize a loudness control for mobile phone earpieces and speakers with the help of a proximity sensor, which is realized as an infrared photo-electric guard circuit, where only very few external parts are needed. As a novelty here, the necessary photo sensors are integrated onto a single chip. To form the photodiodes within a single IC together with the other circuit elements are much less expensive. Using the advantages of that solution the circuit of the invention is manufactured with standard CMOS technology and only very few discrete external components. This solution reduces also power consumption and manufacturing cost.

Claims

1. A circuit, capable of detecting and sensing photons and generating an appropriate output signal having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

a photo diode connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a switching device;

said switching device also connected to said supply voltage;

said field effect transistor connected with its drain input to said supply voltage and connected with its source input to both a current source and a control circuit;

said current source also connected to ground; and

said control circuit generating said appropriate output signal of the circuit.

2. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a mobile phone to computer data link.

3. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a computer-to-computer data link.

4. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to peripheral data link.

5. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to television set data link.

6. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a data link with additional power regulation features.

7. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a radiation intensity measurement system.

8. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system.

9. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a position detection system.

10. The circuit according to claim 1 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system with visible or invisible light spectra.

11. The circuit according to claim 1 manufactured in monolithic integrated circuit technology.

12. The circuit according to claim 11 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology.

13. The circuit according to claim 12 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

14. The circuit according to claim 12 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

15. The circuit according to claim 12 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

16. The circuit according to claim 12 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in N-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

17. The circuit according to claim 12 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

18. A circuit manufactured as an integrated circuit formed on a single chip, capable of detecting and sensing photons and generating an appropriate output signal having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

a photo diode connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a switching device;

said switching device also connected to said supply voltage;

said field effect transistor connected with its drain input to said supply voltage and connected with its source input to both a current source and a control circuit;

said current source also connected to ground; and

said control circuit generating said appropriate output signal of the circuit.

19. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a mobile phone to computer data link.

20. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a computer-to-computer data link.

21. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to peripheral data link.

22. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to television set data link.

23. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a data link with additional power regulation features.

24. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a radiation intensity measurement system.

25. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system.

26. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a position detection system.

27. The circuit according to claim 18 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system with visible or invisible light spectra.

28. The circuit according to claim 18 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology.

29. The circuit according to claim 28 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

30. The circuit according to claim 28 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

31. The circuit according to claim 28 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

32. The circuit according to claim 28 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in N-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

33. The circuit according to claim 28 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

34. A circuit, capable of detecting and sensing photons and generating an appropriate output signal having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

a photo diode having an anode terminal connected to ground and a cathode terminal connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a single pole switch;

a switching device having said one single pole switch with a single contact on each side wherefrom said one contact is connected to one of said terminals of supply voltages and said contact on the other side of said switch is connected to both said cathode of said photo diode and said gate input of said field effect transistor;

said field effect transistor having said gate input and drain and source connections wherein said drain connection is wired to one of said terminals of supply voltages and said source connection to one terminal of a current source and wherein said gate input is connected to said cathode and switch contact connection point;

said current source having two terminals and driving said field effect transistor wherefrom said one terminal is connected to ground and said other terminal to both said source connection of said field effect transistor and an input terminal of a control circuit thus delivering an intermediate output voltage signal; and

said control circuit in form of a three-pole circuit having said input and an output terminal and a common ground terminal for both said input and output for the processing of said intermediate output voltage signal, delivered from said field effect transistor, thus generating said appropriate output signal of the circuit.

35. The circuit according to claim 34 manufactured in monolithic integrated circuit technology.

36. The circuit according to claim 35 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology.

37. The circuit according to claim 36 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

38. The circuit according to claim 36 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

39. The circuit according to claim 36 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

40. The circuit according to claim 36 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in N-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

41. The circuit according to claim 36 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

42. A circuit manufactured as an integrated circuit formed on a single chip, capable of detecting and sensing photons and generating an appropriate output signal having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

a photo diode having an anode terminal connected to ground and a cathode terminal connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a single pole switch;

a switching device having said one single pole switch with a single contact on each side wherefrom said one contact is connected to one of said terminals of supply voltages and said contact on the other side of said switch is connected to both said cathode of said photo diode and said gate input of said field effect transistor;

said field effect transistor having said gate input and drain and source connections wherein said drain connection is wired to one of said terminals of supply voltages and said source connection to one terminal of a current source and wherein said gate input is connected to said cathode and switch contact connection point;

said current source having two terminals and driving said field effect transistor wherefrom said one terminal is connected to ground and said other terminal to both said source connection of said field effect transistor and an input terminal of a control circuit thus delivering an intermediate output voltage signal; and

said control circuit in form of a three-pole circuit having said input and an output terminal and a common ground terminal for both said input and output for the processing of said intermediate output voltage signal, delivered from said field effect transistor, thus generating said appropriate output signal of the circuit.

43. The circuit according to claim 42 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology.

44. The circuit according to claim 43 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

45. The circuit according to claim 43 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

46. The circuit according to claim 43 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

47. The circuit according to claim 43 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

48. A circuit, capable of detecting and sensing photons under consideration of side effects such as temperature changes, drift, aging and ambient light influences thus generating an appropriately corrected output signal of the circuit, and having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

two sets of a basic photo sensitive circuit being operated in parallel to each other, one set in light mode and the other in dark mode;

each set comprising;

a photo diode connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a switching device;

said switching device also connected to said supply voltage;

said field effect transistor connected with its drain input to said supply voltage and connected with its source input to both a current source and an amplifier input;

said current source also connected to ground; and

a common differential amplifier used commonly for both sets thus having two of said amplifier inputs and outputs;

with

a common control circuit for the processing of the signals delivered from said outputs of said operational amplifier, thus generating said appropriately corrected output signal of the circuit.

49. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a mobile phone to computer data link.

50. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a computer-to-computer data link.

51. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to peripheral data link.

52. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a computer to television set data link.

53. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a data link with additional power regulation features.

54. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a radiation intensity measurement system.

55. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system.

56. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a position detection system.

57. The circuit according to claim 48 representing an essential part of implementing a reflection measurement system with visible or invisible light spectra.

58. The circuit according to claim 48 manufactured in monolithic integrated technology.

59. The circuit according to claim 58 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology.

60. The circuit according to claim 59 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

61. The circuit according to claim 59 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

62. The circuit according to claim 59 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

63. The circuit according to claim 59 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in N-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

64. The circuit according to claim 59 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

65. A circuit manufactured as an integrated circuit formed on a single chip, capable of detecting and sensing photons under consideration of side effects such as temperature changes, drift, aging and ambient light influences thus generating an appropriately corrected output signal of the circuit, and having an optical input facility and an output terminal as well as terminals for supply voltages and ground connections, comprising:

two sets of a basic photo sensitive circuit being operated in parallel to each other, one set in light mode and the other in dark mode;

each set comprising;

a photo diode connected to both the gate input of a field effect transistor and to one contact of a switching device;

said switching device also connected to said supply voltage;

said field effect transistor connected with its drain input to said supply voltage and connected with its source input to both a current source and an amplifier input;

said current source also connected to ground; and

a common differential amplifier used commonly for both sets thus having two of said amplifier inputs and outputs;

with

a common control circuit for the processing of the signals delivered from said outputs of said operational amplifier, thus generating said appropriately corrected output signal of the circuit.

66. The circuit according to claim 65 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology.

67. The circuit according to claim 66 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep N-well technology features.

68. The circuit according to claim 66 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS circuit technology with additional deep P-well technology features.

69. The circuit according to claim 66 manufactured in monolithic integrated CMOS technology with additional triple well technology features.

70. The circuit according to claim 66 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in N-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.

71. The circuit according to claim 66 wherein said means for photon sensing is manufactured in P-well technology together with some kind of guard ring.