Systems and methods for powering circuits for a communications interface

• US 8,063,504 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. (Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Analogix Semiconductor, Inc. (Beijing Shanhai Capital Management Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chi, Hongwu
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/220,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 307/1, 455/402
• US Class Current: 307/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/028 Arrangements specific to the transmitter end

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods of powering data communications transmitter circuitry using current sinked from biasing circuitry used to bias a transmission line between the data communications transmitter circuitry and data communications receiver circuitry. In some embodiments, the current sinked from the biasing circuitry is sourced by a power supply configured to power the data communications receiver circuitry. The current sinked from the biasing circuitry is then re-used to power the data communications transmitter circuitry. The data communications transmitter circuitry can be operated using less power overall than the prior art by re-using the current first used to bias the transmission line to power the data communications transmitter circuitry. Various embodiments include HDMI transceivers, DVI transceivers, and DisplayPort transceivers.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit comprising:

transmission line driver circuitry coupled with a transmission line, the transmission line coupled with a first power supply through an impedance;

digital data circuitry coupled with the transmission line driver circuitry and configured to transmit data over the transmission line using the transmission line driver circuitry, the digital data circuitry configured to receive power from a second power supply;

current regulator circuitry coupled with the transmission line driver circuitry and configured to regulate a current received from the first power supply through the transmission line driver circuitry to be approximately constant; and

voltage regulator circuitry coupled with the current regulator circuitry and configured to provide the second power supply having an approximately constant voltage, the second power supply supplying current received from the first power supply through the current regulator circuitry to at least the digital data circuitry.

2. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the digital data circuitry is configured to transmit data over the transmission line using a protocol selected from the group consisting of HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort.

3. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the transmission line driver circuitry is DC-coupled with receiver circuitry via the transmission line.

4. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein the receiver circuitry is configured to be powered by the first power supply.

5. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the transmission line driver circuitry is AC-coupled with receiver circuitry via the transmission line.

6. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the digital data circuitry is configured to be powered by a combination of the second power supply and a third power supply.

7. A system for data communications comprising:

data communications transmitter circuitry configured to transmit data via a transmission line;

biasing circuitry configured to bias the transmission line at a bias voltage by sinking current from a first power supply; and

voltage regulator circuitry coupled with the biasing circuitry and configured to regulate an approximately constant voltage at a second power supply, the second power supply coupled with the data communications transmitter circuitry, the voltage regulator circuitry being further configured to supply current sinked by the biasing circuitry from the first power supply to the data communications transmitter circuitry via the second power supply.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmission line and the first power supply are coupled with data communications receiver circuitry configured to receive data transmitted by the data communications transmitter circuitry.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data communications transmitter circuitry is DC-coupled with the data communications receiver circuitry via the transmission line.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data communications receiver circuitry is configured to be powered by the first power supply.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the data communications transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit data using a differential signaling protocol.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the data communications transmitter circuitry is configured to transmit video data for display on a video display.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the data communications transmitter circuitry is configured to be powered by a combination of the second power supply and a third power supply.

14. A method for powering circuits for a communications interface comprising:

biasing a transmission line using biasing circuitry coupled with the transmission line and configured to draw current from a first power supply;

sinking the current from the first power supply through the biasing circuitry;

regulating a voltage of a second power supply to be approximately constant, the second power supply configured to power circuitry for a communications interface; and

supplying current sinked from the first power supply to the circuitry for the communications interface via the second power supply.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising powering communications transmitter circuitry for the communications interface using the second power supply.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising powering communications receiver circuitry coupled with the transmission line, the powering being performed by the first power supply.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting video data over the transmission line to communications receiver circuitry for display on a video display.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising regulating the current sinked from the first power supply through the biasing circuitry to be approximately constant.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising powering communications transmitter circuitry for the communications interface using a combination of power from the second power supply and a third power supply.