Visible light receiver circuit

• US 8,742,317 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Naphas, Renee
• Application Number:
  US13/351,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.1, 257/200
• 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 photodiode having a cathode connected to a positive terminal of a voltage source, wherein the photodiode is configured to output a photocurrent according to an intensity of an incident light;

a first resistive element connected to an anode of the photodiode in series;

an amplifier connected to a node where the anode of the photodiode and the first resistive element are connected; and

a nonlinear resistive circuit connected to the first resistive element in parallel, the nonlinear resistive circuit comprising a Zener diode having a cathode connected to the node and a second resistive element connected to an anode of the Zener diode.

2. The visible light receiver circuit according to claim 1, further comprising one or more nonlinear resistive circuits connected to the first resistive element in parallel.

3. A visible light receiver circuit comprising:

a first resistive element connected to a positive terminal of a voltage source;

a photodiode having a cathode connected to the first resistive element in series, wherein the photodiode is configured to output a photocurrent according to an intensity of an incident light;

an amplifier connected to a node where an anode of the photodiode and the first resistive element are connected; and

a nonlinear resistive circuit connected to the first resistive element in parallel, the nonlinear resistive circuit comprising a Zener diode having a cathode connected to the positive terminal of the voltage source and a second resistive element connected between an anode of the Zener diode and the node.

4. The visible light receiver circuit according to claim 3, further comprising one or more nonlinear resistive circuits connected to the first resistive element in parallel.