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:
Feb. 01, 2011
Filed:
Jun. 09, 2006
Tomoyuki Kamiyama, Tochigi, JP;
Sukeyuki Shinotsuka, Tochigi, JP;
Masaki Kunigami, Tochigi, JP;
Makoto Furukawa, Tochigi, JP;
Tomoyuki Kamiyama, Tochigi, JP;
Sukeyuki Shinotsuka, Tochigi, JP;
Masaki Kunigami, Tochigi, JP;
Makoto Furukawa, Tochigi, JP;
Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An optical sensor circuit has a photodiode PD, a MOS transistor Q, a voltage controllerwhich supplies a gate voltage and a drain voltage to the transistor, etc. The voltage controller includes initial setting means. In the initial setting means, an electrostatic capacitance element of the photodiode is charged/discharged while setting a gate voltage of the transistor Qto a high gate voltage value VgH, only for a predetermined time period, and setting a drain voltage to a low drain voltage value VdL, only for a predetermined time period. Thereafter, the drain voltage is set to VdH, and, after elapse of a predetermined time period, the gate voltage is set to VgL. VgH, VdH, and VdL satisfy relational expressions of 'VgH−VdH<Vth and VgH−VdL>Vth where Vth: a threshold voltage of the MOS transistor Q