US3617778A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic circuit arrangement with at least one integrated electronic circuit utilizing constant current sources in connection with galvanic coupling between transistor stages coupled with each other in lieu of high ohmic resistors
Assignee: Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Forschung an der Eidgenoessischen Technischen Hochschule
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Filing: 1969-06-11
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Granted: 1971-11-02
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Expires: 1989-06-11
Abstract
Abstract Integrated circuit arrangement, wherein the difficulties of building up high ohmic resistors with good properties within integrated circuits have been removed by means of replacing the high ohmic collector resistors and the high ohmic base biasing resistors of conventional integrated circuits by constant current sources in connection with galvanic coupling between transistor stages following one another. The mean collector current and the mean base biasing current of galvanically coupled transistors following one another are delivered by one constant current source. The alternating collector current superposed to this means collector current flows directly and completely into the base-emitter circuit of the galvanic coupled following transistor.
Inventors
- 👤 Arpad Korom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:52
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04G; G04G99/00; G04G3/00; G04G3/02; G05; G05F; G05F3/00; G05F3/02; G05F3/08; G05F3/10; G05F3/16; G05F3/20; G05F3/26; G05F3/265; H; H03; H03K; H03K19/00; H03K19/02; H03K19/08; H03K19/082; H03K19/088; H03K23/00; H03K23/002; H03K3/00; H03K3/02; H03K3/26; H03K3/28; H03K3/281; H03K3/286; H03K3/288
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
280 words
Electronic circuit arrangement comprising at least one integrated circuit and having a plurality of controlled transistors of equal conduction type, the collector currents of which being alterable by control signals in their base-emitter circuits and to the collectors of which load resistance being coupled galvanically, said load resistances being formed each by at least one of the group comprising the base-emitter circuits of the controlled transistors and other load resistances, characterized in that the collectors of at least a part of the controlled transistors and the base-emitter circuits of at least a part of the controlled transistors are connected to constant current sources which deliver the mean collector currents of controlled transistors respectively connected to the constant current sources by their collectors and the mean base currents of controlled transistors respectively connected to the constant current sources by their base-emitter circuits and tHe mean currents of other load resistances respectively connected to the constant current sources, the constant current sources comprise, as constant current-maintaining elements, transistors being of a conduction type complementary to the conduction type of the controlled transistors and being provided on their base-emitter paths with reference voltages influencing the currents flowing in their collector-emitter circuits, said currents flowing in said collector-emitter circuits determining the currents delivered by the constant current sources, said reference voltages being delivered, respectively for a plural number of the constant current-maintaining elements incorporated within the same integrated circuit, from an appertaining common reference source, said reference voltages being temperature-dependent and the alteration of which with temperature changes running in the same sense as an alteration of the reference voltage with temperature changes effecting temperature-independent collector currents of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
280 words
Electronic circuit arrangement comprising at least one integrated circuit and having a plurality of controlled transistors of equal conduction type, the collector currents of which being alterable by control signals in their base-emitter circuits and to the collectors of which load resistance being coupled galvanically, said load resistances being formed each by at least one of the group comprising the base-emitter circuits of the controlled transistors and other load resistances, characterized in that the collectors of at least a part of the controlled transistors and the base-emitter circuits of at least a part of the controlled transistors are connected to constant current sources which deliver the mean collector currents of controlled transistors respectively connected to the constant current sources by their collectors and the mean base currents of controlled transistors respectively connected to the constant current sources by their base-emitter circuits and tHe mean currents of other load resistances respectively connected to the constant current sources, the constant current sources comprise, as constant current-maintaining elements, transistors being of a conduction type complementary to the conduction type of the controlled transistors and being provided on their base-emitter paths with reference voltages influencing the currents flowing in their collector-emitter circuits, said currents flowing in said collector-emitter circuits determining the currents delivered by the constant current sources, said reference voltages being delivered, respectively for a plural number of the constant current-maintaining elements incorporated within the same integrated circuit, from an appertaining common reference source, said reference voltages being temperature-dependent and the alteration of which with temperature changes running in the same sense as an alteration of the reference voltage with temperature changes effecting temperature-independent collector currents of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the reference source is formed by a two-pole which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, said temperature-dependent resistance having relative changes in dependence on temperature which correspond at least approximately to relative changes in dependence on temperature of such resistances resulting from input resistances at reference voltage inputs of the constant current-maintaining elements by division by the respective current amplification factor of said constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 characterized in that all constant current-maintaining elements of the whole circuit arrangement are provided with reference voltage from one common reference source.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 3 comprising only one integrated circuit, wherein said common reference source is formed by a two-pole which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, said two-pole being formed by at least one semiconductor element incorporated within the integrated circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 3 wherein said common reference source is formed by a two-pole which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, the arrangement comprising a constant ohmic resistor for supplying said two-pole with said reference current from a DC source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the resistance of said constant ohmic resistor is firstly greater than the resistance of said two-pole at 20* C. and is secondly greater than five times the change in resistance of said two-pole within the temperature range from 0* C. to 40* C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 5 wherein said constant ohmic resistor is a discrete resistor not incorporated in the integrated circuit and arranged between said DC source and the integrated circuit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 5 wherein said constant ohmic resistor is a discrete resistor not incorporated in the integrated circuit and arranged between said DC source and the integrated circuit and wherein only semiconductor elements, but on ohmic resistor, are incorporated within the integrated circuit.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of reference sources, each of which belonging to a group of the constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
108 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 9 comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, each of which comprising one group of the constant current-maintaining elements and the belonging one of the reference sourcEs, each reference source being formed by a two-pole which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, said two-pole being formed by at least one semiconductor element incorporated within the respective integrated circuit and being connected to a common DC source of the circuit arrangement via a constant ohmic resistor, each said group of the constant current-maintaining elements comprising all constant current-maintaining elements of the respective integrated circuit.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 10 wherein each said constant ohmic resistor is incorporated within the same integrated circuit as the two-pole connected over the resistor to the DC source.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
220 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 9 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, each said two-pole being connected to an appertaining further constant current source which delivers the reference current for the connected two-pole, said further constant current sources comprise, as constant current-maintaining elements, transistors being of the same conduction type as the conduction type of the controlled transistors and being provided on their base-emitter paths with reference voltages influencing the currents flowing in their collector-emitter circuits, which currents determine the reference currents delivered by said further constant current sources, said reference voltages for the constant current-maintaining elements of these further constant current sources being delivered from a common further reference source, said further reference source being formed by a further two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant basic current, the resistance of said further two-pole having relative changes in dependence on temperature which correspond at least approximately to relative changes in dependence on temperature of such resistances resulting from input resistance at reference voltage inputs of the constant current-maintaining elements connected to said further reference source by division by the respective current amplification factor of the respective constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 12 wherein each group of constant current-maintaining elements comprises a plurality of said elements incorporated within the same integrated circuit and the two-pole forming the reference source belonging to the group is formed by at least one semiconductor element incorporated within the same integrated circuit as the constant current-maintaining elements of the group.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said further two-pole is connected to a DC source via a constant ohmic resistor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said further two-pole is connected to a DC source via a constant ohmic resistor, the resistance of which being firstly greater than the resistance of said further two-pole at 20* C. and being secondly greater than five times the change in resistance of the said further two-pole within the temperature range from 0* C. to 40* C.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
43 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said further two-pole is connected to a DC source via a constant ohmic resistor, which is a discrete resistor not incorporate in the integrated circuit and arranged between said DC source and the integrated circuit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 12 characterized in that only semiconductor elements, but no ohmic resistor, are incorporated within the integrated circuits.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of a number of the constant current sources comprises, as constant current-maintAining element, only one transistor, the base-emitter paths of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements and being connected to the same reference source are connected in parallel.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
54 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18 wherein the collectors of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements constitute the outputs of the constant current sources, to which outputs said collectors of at least a part of the controlled transistors and said base-emitter circuits of at least a part of the controlled transistors are connected.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
131 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by a transistor, the emitter electrode of which forms one pole of the two-pole and the collector-electrode of which and the base-electrode of which are connected together and form the other pole of the two-pole, said parallel-connected base-emitter paths of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements being connected in parallel to the two-pole, the transistor forming the two-pole being of the same conduction type and being incorporated within the same integrated circuit as said transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements and being, by their parallel-connected base-emitter paths, connected in parallel to the two-pole.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
96 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by a diode, said parallel-connected base-emitter paths of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements being connected in parallel to the diode, the diode being passed by said reference current and being incorporated within the same integrated circuit as said transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements and being, by their parallel-connected base-emitter paths, connected in parallel to the diode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
51 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 18 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by said parallel-connected base-emitter paths of the transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
118 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of a number of the constant current sources comprises, as constant current-maintaining elements, a pair of transistors, the base-emitter paths of each such pair of transistors being connected in series, the series connections of base-emitter paths of pairs of transistors, which are connected to the same reference source, are connected in parallel, and wherein the collectors of the transistors forming each with its emitter one terminal of one of the series connections constitute the outputs of the constant current sources, to which outputs said collectors of at least a part of the controlled transistors and said base-emitter circuits of at least a part of the controlled transistors are connected.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 23 wherein at least a pair of transistors has the collectors of the pair of transistors connected together.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
180 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 23 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by a pair of transistors, the base-emitter paths of this pair of transistors being connected in series, the emitter electrode at one end of this series connection forms one pole of the two-pole, the base-electrode at the other end of this series connection and the collector electrode of the transistor forming with its emitter said one end of this series connection are connected together and form the other pole of the two-pole, said parallel-connected series connections of base-emitter paths of pairs of transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements being connected in parallel to the two-pole, the pair of transistors forming the two-pole being of the same conduction type and being incorporated within the same integrated circuit as said pairs of transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements and being, by said parallel-connected series connections of their base-emitter paths, connected in parallel to the two-pole.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 25 wherein at least one pair of transistors forming the two-pole has the collectors of the pair of transistors connected together.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
121 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 23 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by a pair of diodes connected in series, said parallel-connected series connections of base-emitter paths of pairs of transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements being connected in parallel to the two-pole, the series connection of said pair of diodes being passed by said reference current and said pair of diodes being incorporated within the same integrated circuit as said pairs of transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements and being, by said parallel-connected series connections of their base-emitter paths, connected in parallel to the two-pole.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
56 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 23 wherein each reference source is formed by a two-pole, which has a temperature-dependent resistance and which is charged with an at least approximately constant reference current, at least one two-pole being formed by said parallel-connected series connections of base-emitter paths of the pairs of transistors forming constant current-maintaining elements.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
296 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 comprising at least one bistable multivibrator, the multivibrator comprising four said controlled transistors, two of which being associated with a first switching stage of the multivibrator and two of which being associated with a second switching stage of the multivibrator, the multivibrator being further provided with two said constant current sources, one of said two constant current sources having connected thereto the collectors of the two controlled transistors associated with said first switching stage and the base of one of the two transistors associated with said second switching stage and, via a diode connected in pass direction, the base of one of the two transistors associated with the first switching stage, the other one of said two constant current sources having connected thereto the collectors of the two transistors associated with the second switching stage and the base of the other of the two transistors associated with the first switching stage and, via a diode connected in pass direction, the base of the other of the two transistors associated with the second switching stage, the emitters of the four controlled transistors of the multivibrator being connected together, the multivibrator having an input and an output, the input being formed by two connection points, one of which being the connection point of the four emitters and the other one of which being connected, respectively via a diode connected in the barrier direction and acting as a capacitance, with the base of said one of the two transistors associated with the first switching stage and with the base of said other of the two transistors associated with the second switching stage, the output of the multivibrator being connected in parallel to the collector-emitter path of one of the four contRolled transistors.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
77 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 29 comprising a plurality of bistable multivibrators connected to form a chain of binary stages, wherein each of the multivibrators forms one of the binary stages and the stages are interconnected respectively by connecting the signal output of the multivibrator forming the first one of the two binary stages following one another with the signal input of the multivibrator forming the second one of said two binary stages following one another.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
51 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 30 wherein the emitter surfaces of the transistors forming the constant current-maintaining elements of the constant current sources associated with the individual bistable multivibrators decrease in size from binary stage by 30 to 50 percent of the emitter surfaces in the respectively preceding binary stage.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
143 words
Electronic circuit arrangement according to claim 1 comprising at least one NAND gate, the NAND gate comprising two said controlled transistors and being provided with two said constant current sources, one of said two controlled transistors being a multiemitter transistor and the other one being a normal three-electrode transistor, the base of the multiemitter transistor being connected to one of said two constant current sources and the collector of the multiemitter transistor being connected to the base of said normal transistor and the collector of said normal transistor being connected to the other of said two constant current sources, the inputs of the NAND gate being formed each by one of the emitters of the multiemitter transistor and the emitter of said normal transistor and the output of the NAND gate being connected in parallel to the collector-emitter path of said normal transistor.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3518449A
Cited
US3522446A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-11-01 | 1975-05-03 | 1975-11-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-11-01 | 1979-05-03 | 1979-11-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-11-01 | 1983-05-03 | 1983-11-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |