Automatic level control

• US 8,004,354 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Ming-Chich, Pu, Chiang, Chern, Chan-Hong, Yang, Tien-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOE, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US12/704,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 330/86, 330/260, 330/69
• US Class Current: 330/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5776 Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719

Abstract

Some embodiments regard a circuit comprising: a high voltage transistor providing a resistance; an amplifier configured to receive a current and to convert the current to a first voltage that is used in a loop creating the current; and an automatic level control circuit that, based on an AC amplitude of the first voltage, adjusts a second voltage at a gate of the high voltage transistor and thereby adjusts the resistance and the first voltage; wherein the automatic level control circuit is configured to adjust the first voltage toward the first reference voltage if the first voltage differs from a first reference voltage.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a high voltage transistor providing a resistance;

an amplifier configured to receive a current and to convert the current to a first voltage that is used in a loop creating the current; and

an automatic level control circuit that, based on an AC amplitude of the first voltage, adjusts a second voltage at a gate of the high voltage transistor and thereby adjusts the resistance and the first voltage;

wherein the automatic level control circuit is configured to adjust the first voltage toward the first reference voltage if the first voltage differs from a first reference voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1 wherein

the automatic level control circuit comprises a second reference voltage and the automatic level control circuit is configured to:

adjust the first voltage toward the first reference voltage if the first voltage is lower than the first reference voltage; and

adjust the first voltage toward the second reference voltage if the first voltage is higher than the second reference voltage.

3. The circuit of claim 2 wherein adjusting the first voltage toward the first reference voltage or toward the second reference voltage is by a capacitive device being discharged or charged up.

4. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the automatic level control circuit generates

a first control voltage corresponding to the first reference voltage and controlling a first transistor, and

a second control voltage corresponding to the second reference voltage and controlling a second transistor.

5. The circuit of claim 4 wherein if the first control voltage causes the second voltage to change in a first direction then the second control voltage causes the second voltage to change in a second direction different from the first direction.

6. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the first reference voltage is configured to be equal to the second reference voltage or to differ from the second reference voltage.

7. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the first reference voltage is configured such that the first voltage is high enough to be recognized by a CMOS detector.

8. The circuit of claim 2 wherein the second reference voltage is configured such that the first voltage is limited to a level with respect to an operating supply voltage to avoid damage related circuitry.

9. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the current is provided from a microelectromechanical structure.

10. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the first voltage includes a DC level and an AC component;

the DC level corresponding to a commode mode input of the amplifier;

the AC component corresponding the AC amplitude and to an AC component of the current.

11. The circuit of claim 1 wherein the automatic level control circuit includes a first transistor configured to provide a third voltage that is proportional to the first voltage and is used in comparing against the first reference voltage to adjust the first voltage.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the automatic level control circuit further includes a second transistor configured to absorb leakage current from the first transistor.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the second transistor is biased in a sub-threshold region.

14. A method comprising:

converting a current provided by a microelectromechanical structure to a first voltage;

an amplitude of the first voltage being proportional to an amplitude of the current;

providing a second voltage;

an amplitude of the second voltage is proportional to the amplitude of the first voltage;

based on the amplitude of the second voltage with reference to a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage, adjusting a voltage level of a third voltage, thereby adjusting the amplitude of the first voltage and of the second voltage;

wherein if the amplitude of the second voltage is lower than the first reference voltage then adjusting the voltage level of the third voltage such that the amplitude of the second voltage changes toward the first reference voltage and if the amplitude of the second voltage is higher than the second reference voltage then adjusting the voltage level of the third voltage such that the amplitude of the second voltage changes toward the second reference voltage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the third voltage being a voltage at the gate of a transistor.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising using the first voltage at a gate of a transistor and using the second voltage at a source of the transistor.

17. The method of claim 16 further using a second transistor to limit the amplitude of the second voltage.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein

adjusting the voltage level of the third voltage toward the first reference voltage is by controlling a first transistor;

adjusting the voltage level of the third voltage toward the second reference voltage is by controlling a second transistor; and

if the first transistor operates at a first mode then the second transistor operates at a second mode different from the first mode.