Systems and Methods for Powering Circuits for a Communications Interface

• US 20120033747A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. (Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. (Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chi, Hongwu, Yang, Kewei
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/028 Arrangements specific to the transmitter end

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods of powering data communications transmitter circuitry using current sinked from biasing circuitry used to bias a transmission line between the data communications transmitter circuitry and data communications receiver circuitry. In some embodiments, the current sinked from the biasing circuitry is sourced by a power supply configured to power the data communications receiver circuitry. The current sinked from the biasing circuitry is then re-used to power the data communications transmitter circuitry. The data communications transmitter circuitry can be operated using less power overall than the prior art by re-using the current first used to bias the transmission line to power the data communications transmitter circuitry. Various embodiments include HDMI transceivers, DVI transceivers, and DisplayPort transceivers.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit comprising:

a current regulator configured to sink a current regulated to be approximately constant; and

a voltage regulator including a power output and configured to regulate a voltage of the power output to be approximately constant, the voltage regulator being configured to receive the current sinked by the current regulator from the current regulator, and configured to supply the current sinked by the current regulator to another electronic circuit through the power output.

2. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a transmission line and bias circuitry coupled with the current regulator, the bias circuitry configured to bias the transmission line at a bias voltage.

3. The electronic circuit of claim 2, wherein the current regulator is configured to sink the current from the bias circuitry, and the voltage regulator is configured to power a data communications transmitter module configured to transmit data to a data communications receiver module via the transmission line.

4. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein the data communications transmitter module is DC-coupled with the data communications receiver module.

5. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein the data communications transmitter module is AC-coupled with the data communications receiver module.

6. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein the data communications receiver module is configured to source the current sinked by the current regulator from the bias circuitry.