Output circuit capable of driving a vibration device

• US 5,387,875 A
• Filed: 01/21/1994
• Issued: 02/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rion Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Rion Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tateno, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullins, James B.
• Application Number:
  US08/183,975
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 330/10, 330/207 A, 330/251, 381/68.4, 381/120
• US Class Current: 330/10
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2173 of the bridge type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/502 using analog signal processing

Abstract

In an output circuit for pulse width modulation of an input signal and output of it to a predetermined vibrating section, power consumption is remarkably reduced with a comparatively simple configuration. The output circuit with a comparatively simple configuration which can drive a vibrating section at high efficiency without consuming unnecessary power can be realized by providing a polarity inverter circuit which inverts the polarity of an input signal and outputs it as an inverted input signal, comparing the instantaneous level of the input signal with that of the output signal from an oscillator circuit by a first comparator circuit, comparing the instantaneous level of the inverted input signal with that of an output signal from the oscillator circuit by a second comparator circuit, and thereafter, forming a drive signal based on the first and second comparison results and sending it to a drive section, thus obtaining the formation of a drive signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the instantaneous amplitude of the input signal.

Claims

1. An output circuit for generating a pulse form drive signal in accordance with an input signal having an input frequency band and a changing voltage level, said drive signal being capable of driving a predetermined vibration means, said output circuit comprising:

oscillation means for producing an output oscillation signal having a voltage level of triangular waveform and having a frequency higher than said input frequency band, said oscillation means being an amplitude adjustable type for varying the amplitude of the output oscillation signal and thereby varying the amplitude at which said vibration means is driven;

polarity inversion means for inverting the polarity of said input signal and producing a corresponding inverted input signal;

first comparison means for comparing the voltage level of said input signal with the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and producing a first comparison signal;

second comparison means for comparing the voltage level of said inverted input signal with the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and producing a second comparison signal; and

pulse application means for selectively supplying to said vibration means a pulse signal having a positive voltage for a period of time in which the voltage level of said input signal is higher than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and for a period of time in which the voltage level of said inverted input signal is lower than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal, and for selectively supplying to said vibration means a pulse signal having a negative voltage for a period of time in which the voltage level of said input signal is lower than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and for a period of time in which the voltage level of said inverted input signal is higher than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal.

2. An output circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first comparison means and said second comparison means comprises a voltage comparator for comparing a respective one of said input signal and said inverted input signal with said output oscillation signal.

3. An output circuit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first comparison means and said second comparison means comprises an adder circuit for adding a respective one of said input signal and said inverted input signal with said output oscillation signal and a zero-level comparator for comparing the output of said adder circuit with a zero level.

4. An output circuit according to claim 1, wherein said pulse application means supplies pulse signals from said first and second comparison means to positive and negative terminals of said vibration means.

5. An output circuit according to claim 4 wherein said vibration means is an earphone.

6. An output circuit according to claim 4 wherein said vibration means is an audio speaker.

7. An output circuit for generating a pulse form drive signal in accordance with an input signal having an input frequency band and a changing voltage level, said drive signal being capable of driving a predetermined vibration means, said output circuit comprising:

oscillation means for producing an output oscillation signal having a voltage level of triangular waveform and having a frequency higher than said input frequency band;

phase shifting means for shifting the phase of said input signal and producing a corresponding phase shifted input signal, said phase shifting means having a phase-shifting circuit for varying the amplitude at which said vibration means is driven by adjusting the phase of said input signal;

first comparison means for comparing the voltage level of said input signal with the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and producing a first comparison signal;

second comparison means for comparing the voltage level of said shifted input signal with the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and producing a second comparison signal; and

pulse application means for supplying to said vibration means a pulse signal having a positive voltage for a period of time in which the voltage level of said input signal is higher than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal and for a period of time in which the voltage level of said phase shifted input signal is lower than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal, and for supplying to said vibration means a pulse signal having a negative voltage for a period of time in which the voltage level of said input signal is lower than the voltage of said output oscillation signal and for a period of time in which the voltage level of phase shifted input signal is higher than the voltage level of said output oscillation signal.