SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND DRIVE RECORDER USING SAME

• US 20100271509A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Marumoto, Kyoji, Kurotsuchi, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 8,421,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A semiconductor device of the present invention is provided with a terminal for connecting a plurality of buses to the outside of the semiconductor device, a bus interface circuit for treating the plurality of buses as the same bus within the semiconductor device and a controller connected to the bus interface circuit.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a terminal for connecting a plurality of buses to an outside of the semiconductor device;

a bus interface circuit for treating the plurality of buses as a same bus within the semiconductor device; and

a controller connected to the bus interface circuit.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1,

wherein the bus interface circuit comprises:

a signal distribution function portion that distributes a single output signal output from the controller and transmits the single output signal to the plurality of buses.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1,

wherein the bus interface circuit comprises:

a signal combination function portion that combines a plurality of input signals input from the plurality of buses and that transmits a combined signal to the controller.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1,

wherein the bus interface circuit comprises:

a level shift function portion that shifts a voltage level of a signal between internal voltages supplied to the controller and an interface voltage supplied to the plurality of buses.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4,

wherein the controller performs address control and chip select control on devices connected to the plurality of buses.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1,

wherein different interface voltages are supplied to the plurality of buses according to power supply voltages of devices connected thereto.

7. The semiconductor device of any one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the plurality of buses are serial buses or parallel buses.

8. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first input terminal to which a first device driven by a first power supply voltage is connected;

a second input terminal to which a second device driven by a second power supply voltage is connected;

a first level shifter which is connected to the first input terminal and which performs conversion into a third power supply voltage;

a second level shifter which is connected to the second input terminal and which performs conversion into the third power supply voltage; and

a control portion which is driven by the third power supply voltage and to which an output of the first level shifter and an output of the second level shifter are connected.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8, further comprising:

a third level shifter that converts the third power supply voltage into the first power supply voltage;

a fourth level shifter that converts the third power supply voltage into the second power supply voltage;

a first output terminal that outputs to the first device a signal based on a signal from the third level shifter; and

a second output terminal that outputs to the second device a signal based on a signal from the fourth level shifter.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9,

wherein the first output terminal is a same terminal as the first input terminal.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 9,

wherein the second output terminal is a same terminal as the second input terminal.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 10, further comprising:

a transistor which is connected between a connection point between the first level shifter and the first input terminal and a reference voltage, and in which a signal of the third level shifter is input to a control terminal; and

a resistor connected between the first input terminal and the first power supply voltage.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising:

a transistor which is connected between a connection point between the second level shifter and the second input terminal and a reference voltage, and in which a signal of the forth level shifter is input to a control terminal; and

a resistor connected between the second input terminal and the second power supply voltage.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 8,

wherein the first device is a camera and the second device is a memory.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14,

wherein a real time clock that generates a date and time and that outputs the date and time to the semiconductor device is further connected as the second device.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 8,

wherein the first power supply voltage is 2.85 volts.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 8,

wherein the second power supply voltage is 3.3 volts.

18. A drive recorder comprising:

the semiconductor device of claim 8;

a camera module connected to the first input terminal; and

a memory connected to the second input terminal.

19. The drive recorder of claim 18,

wherein the memory is an EEPROM.

20. The drive recorder of claim 18, further comprising:

a real time clock that is connected to the second input terminal, and that generates a date and time and outputs the date and time to the semiconductor device

21. The drive recorder of claim 18, further comprising:

a first resistor inserted between the first input terminal and the first power supply voltage.

22. The drive recorder of claim 21, further comprising:

a second resistor inserted between the second input terminal and the second power supply voltage.

23. The drive recorder of claim 21,

wherein the first power supply voltage is 2.85 volts.

24. The drive recorder of claim 23,

wherein the second power supply voltage is 3.3 volts.