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:
Sep. 02, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 31, 2001
James Donald Quarfoot, Richardson, TX (US);
Marco Corsi, Parker, TX (US);
Richard Knight Hester, McKinney, TX (US);
Kenneth George Maclean, Dallas, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for operating driver amplifier ( ) of a line driver circuit ( ) from a lower set of power supply voltages, and from a higher set of voltages only when the amplitude of the signal ( ) being transmitted by the line driver ( ) requires it as determined by a comparator ( ). Advantageously, this reduces the power dissipation in the line driver ( ) by operating the line amplifier ( ) the majority of the time from the lower supply voltage. A delay circuit ( ) delays the signal to be amplified sufficient to allow the transitioning of the power supply voltages provided to the amplifier hysteresis of this power supply voltage switching may also be used to further reduce power dissipation.