Electronic circuit and electronic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11303266-B2
Application number	US-202117187414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Sep 1, 2020
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An electronic circuit according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a first circuit, a second circuit electrically insulated from the first circuit, and a transmitter transmitting a signal between the first and the second circuits. The first circuit receives an input signal, generates a first reference signal, and converts frequencies of the input signal and the first reference signal. The transmitter transmits the frequency-converted input signal and first reference signal to the second circuit. The second circuit converts the frequencies of the transmitted input signal first reference signal to obtain a restored input signal and a restored first reference signal, generates a second reference signal, calculates a gain to be adjusted of the restored input signal based on the restored first reference signal and the second reference signal to adjust the gain of the restored input signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic circuit, comprising:
a first circuit;
a second circuit electrically insulated from the first circuit; and
a transmitter configured to transmit signals between the first circuit and the second circuit, wherein
the first circuit includes:
an input terminal receiving an analog input signal;
a first reference signal generator generating an analog first reference signal; and
a first frequency converter converting a frequency of the analog input signal and a frequency of the analog first reference signal,

the transmitter transmits the frequency-converted input signal and the frequency-converted first reference signal from the first circuit to the second circuit, and
the second circuit includes:
a second frequency converter converting the frequency of the transmitted input signal and the frequency of the transmitted first reference signal to obtain a restored input signal and a restored first reference signal;
a second reference signal generator generating an analog second reference signal;
a gain calculator calculating a gain to be adjusted of the restored input signal based on the restored first reference signal and the analog second reference signal;
a gain adjustment device adjusting the gain of the restored input signal based on the calculated gain; and
an output terminal outputting the gain-adjusted input signal.

2. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the second circuit further includes a clock signal generator generating a first clock signal and a second clock signal,
the transmitter transmits the first clock signal from the second circuit to the first circuit,
the first frequency converter converts the frequency of at least one of the analog input signal and the analog first reference signal, to a frequency corresponding to the first clock signal, and
the second frequency converter converts the frequency of at least one of the transmitted input signal and the transmitted first reference signal, to a frequency corresponding to the second clock signal.

3. The electronic circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the first frequency converter uses the first clock signal as driving power.

4. The electronic circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the transmitter includes a first insulation element transmitting the frequency-converted input signal and the frequency-converted first reference signal from the first circuit to the second circuit through electromagnetic field coupling,
the first frequency converter supplies one of the frequency-converted input signal and the frequency-converted first reference signal to the first insulation element by switching based on the first clock signal, and
the second frequency converter identifies whether the signal input to the second frequency converter is the frequency-converted input signal or the frequency-converted first reference signal, based on the second clock signal.

5. The electronic circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the first frequency converter includes:
a first mixer converting the frequency of the analog input signal; and
a second mixer converting the frequency of the analog first reference signal, and

at least one of the first mixer and the second mixer uses the first clock signal as driving power.

6. The electronic circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the clock signal generator further generates a third clock signal,
the transmitter transmits the third clock signal from the second circuit to the first circuit, and
the first frequency converter includes:
a first mixer converting the frequency of the analog input signal to the frequency corresponding to the first clock signal; and
a second mixer converting the frequency of the analog first reference signal to the frequency corresponding to the third clock signal.

7. The electronic circuit according to claim 6 , wherein
the first mixer uses the first clock signal as driving power, and
the second mixer uses the third clock signal as driving power.

8. The electronic circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the clock signal generator further generates a fourth clock signal, and
the second frequency converter includes:
a third mixer converting the frequency of the transmitted input signal to the frequency corresponding to the second clock signal; and
a fourth mixer converting the frequency of the transmitted first reference signal to a frequency corresponding to the fourth clock signal.

9. The electronic circuit according to claim 8 , wherein
the third mixer uses the second clock signal as driving power, and
the fourth mixer uses the fourth clock signal as driving power.

10. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the gain adjustment device includes a clock signal generator generating a first clock signal and a second clock signal, and determines frequencies of the first clock signal and the second clock signal based on the calculated gain,
the transmitter transmits the first clock signal from the second circuit to the first circuit,
the first frequency converter converts the frequency of at least one of the analog input signal and the analog first reference signal, to a frequency corresponding to the first clock signal, and
the second frequency converter converts the frequency of at least one of the transmitted input signal and the transmitted first reference signal, to a frequency corresponding to the second clock signal.

11. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter includes:
a first insulation element transmitting the frequency-converted input signal from the first circuit to the second circuit through electromagnetic field coupling; and
a second insulation element transmitting the frequency-converted first reference signal from the first circuit to the second circuit through electromagnetic field coupling.

12. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first frequency converter includes:
a first mixer converting the frequency of the analog input signal; and
a second mixer converting the frequency of the analog first reference signal.

13. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the second frequency converter includes:
a third mixer converting the frequency of the transmitted input signal to obtain the restored input signal; and
a fourth mixer converting the frequency of the transmitted first reference signal to obtain the restored first reference signal.

14. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter transmits the signals between the first circuit and the second circuit by using at least one of a capacitor and a transformer.

15. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a first chip and a second chip, wherein
the first circuit is disposed on the first chip, and
the second circuit is disposed on the second chip.

16. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first reference signal generator uses the signal transmitted from the second circuit to the first circuit through the transmitter, as driving power.

17. The electronic circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first reference signal generator further generates an analog third reference signal,
the first frequency converter converts a frequency of the analog third reference signal,
the transmitter transmits the frequency-converted third reference signal from the first circuit to the second circuit,
the second frequency converter converts the frequency of the transmitted third reference signal to obtain a restored third reference signal,

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ishihara Hiroaki
• Takaya Satoshi

Classifications

• H03D7/161

  all the frequency changers being connected in cascade · CPC title

• H03D7/1466

  Passive mixer arrangements · CPC title

• H03K5/00006 Primary

  Changing the frequency (modulating pulses H03K7/00; frequency dividers H03K21/00 - H03K29/00; additive or subtractive mixing of two pulse rates into one G06F7/605; pulse rate dividers G06F7/68) · CPC title

• H03K5/24

  the characteristic being amplitude · CPC title

• G06F1/08

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title