The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1987
Filed:
Dec. 09, 1985
Silvo Stanojevic, Milpitas, CA (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A threshold detector circuit and method for providing an output signal indicative of the relative magnitude of an input signal and a predetermined threshold value. The circuit, which is powered by the input signal and does not require a separate power source, includes a reference stage which switches from one state to another state when the input to the reference exceeds a predetermined reference voltage. The reference voltage is equal to the sum of two voltages having positive and negative temperature coefficients, respectively so that the total coefficient is small. A pair of transistors operating at different emitter current densities provide a difference in base-to-emitter voltages used to derive the first voltage and an absolute base-to-emitter voltage is used for the second voltage. An input stage is included which has a transistor for coupling the detector input to the reference stage input. The input transistor is saturated when the detector input approaches the threshold voltage so that the overall temperature coefficient remains low. An output stage produces an output signal which changes when the input signal causes the reference stage to change states.