Electronic circuit

• US 6,384,662 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BMW AG (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Thiel, Christian, Essl, Hans-Christian, Panzer, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, MY TRANG
• Application Number:
  US09/786,268
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 327/432, 327/440, 327/478, 327/502-504, 327/514, 327/580, 327/584, 327/594
• US Class Current: 327/514
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1615 Switching on; Switching off, e.g. remotely battery saving circuits associated with selective call operation H04W52/00; details of power consumption reduction in a PLL, H03L7/0802, H03L7/14, H03L2207/08, H03L2207/18; muting amplifiers by gain control see H03G3/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/11 Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic circuit arrangement has a receiving component that detects an incoming physical signal, and supplies an electrical signal current in response thereto, as well as a control and analysis component which is fed by a supply voltage and is acted upon by the electrical signal current. The electronic circuit arrangement can be operated in a working state, in which a power is consumed, and in a rest state, in which no power is consumed. A quiescent current detector is connected in parallel to the receiving component and the control and analysis component. In the rest state of the circuit arrangement (when the supply voltage is switched off), the quiescent current detector detects the signal current supplied by the receiving component, and controls switching-on of the circuit arrangement into the operative state in response thereto.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit arrangement which is operable in a working state when a supply voltage is switched on, and in a rest state, resting without power consumption when the supply voltage is switched off, said electronic circuit arrangement comprising:

a receiving component which detects an incoming physical signal, and supplies an electrical signal current in response thereto;

a control and analysis component connected in series with the receiving component, which control and analysis component is fed by the supply voltage, is acted upon by the electrical signal current, and has a signal output, on which an electric analysis signal can be tapped;

a quiescent-current detector connected parallel to the series connection of the receiving component and the control and analysis component, which quiescent-current detector, in the rest state of the circuit arrangement, detects signal current supplied by the receiving component and, generates a control signal that controls switching-on of the circuit arrangement into the operative state, in response thereto;

wherein,

the quiescent-current detector comprises a switch that is controllable by way of the signal current;

the switch blocks in the operative state as well as in the rest state of the circuit arrangement as long as no signal current is present;

the switch supplies the control signal when a signal current is present in the rest state of the circuit arrangement.

2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein:

the quiescent-current detector comprises a switching transistor having a control connection that is acted upon by the signal current;

one electrode connection of the switching transistor is coupled with the ground; and

another electrode connection of the switching transistor is coupled to the supply voltage by way of a high-ohmic resistor.

3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the switching transistor blocks in each operative state of the circuit arrangement, as long as no signal current is present.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3, further comprising an amplifying transistor connected behind the switching transistor.

5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiving component and the control and analysis component comprise a hard-wired functional module with only three connections, ground, signal output and supply voltage, accessible externally.

6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a logic circuit connected behind the quiescent-current detector, which logic circuit analyses the control signal supplied by the quiescent-current detector in the rest state of circuit arrangement, the logic circuit being kept current-free, and only after a quiescent current is present, the logic circuit being automatically switched on.

7. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiving component comprises a light detector.

8. The circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the light detector is a photodiode.

9. The circuit arrangement according to claim 7, wherein:

the control and analysis component comprises a base emitter path of a transistor; and

the quiescent-current detector connected parallel to the series connection of the photodiode and the base emitter path, has a switching transistor connected complementary to the base emitter path.

10. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the base emitter path is formed by an npn transistor, and the switching transistor of the quiescent-current detector is formed by a pnp transistor.