Visible Light Receiver Circuit

• US 20120112046A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Company Limited (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Original Assignee: Taiyo Yuden Company Limited (Taiyo Yuden Co)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kousuke, Yamada, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,742,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/087 with IC amplifier blocks H03F3/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A visible light receiver circuit, which reduces the influence of ambient light, has a simple configuration, and generates low noise, is provided. The visible light receiver circuit includes a photoelectric conversion unit. The photoelectric conversion unit includes a photodiode having a cathode connected to a power source, a resistor connected in series to an anode of the photodiode, and a nonlinear resistive circuit connected in parallel to the resistor. The nonlinear resistive circuit includes, for example, a series circuit including a Zener diode and a resistor.

Claims

1. A visible light receiver circuit comprising a photoelectric conversion unit, wherein the photoelectric conversion unit includes:

a light receiving element having a bias voltage applied thereto and configured to output a photocurrent to an output terminal thereof according to a light intensity of an incident light;

a first resistive element connected between the output terminal and ground; and

a nonlinear resistive circuit unit connected to the first resistive element in parallel, the nonlinear resistive circuit unit having a resistance decreasing with an increase in an applied voltage thereof.

2. The visible light receiver circuit of claim 1, wherein the nonlinear resistive circuit unit includes one or more nonlinear resistive circuits connected to the first resistive element in parallel.

3. The visible light receiver circuit of claim 2, wherein each of the one or more nonlinear resistive circuits includes a Zener diode and a resistive element connected in series.