Voltage detection circuit and power-on reset circuit

US2021265991A1 · US · A1

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-2021265991-A1
Application numberUS-202017019865-A
CountryUS
Kind codeA1
Filing dateSep 14, 2020
Priority dateFeb 26, 2020
Publication dateAug 26, 2021
Grant date

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

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A voltage detection circuit includes a first transistor and a first resistor connected in series between a power supply voltage node and a reference voltage node, a second transistor and a second resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node, a third transistor and a third resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node, and a signal generator that outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of a connection node between the third transistor and the third resistor. The second transistor is first turned on among the first to third transistors and a voltage level of the power supply voltage node increases, turning off the third transistor, and then a current flows through the first transistor and the first resistor. When the third transistor is turned on, the signal generator changes a logic of the signal.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

1 . A voltage detection circuit comprising: a first transistor and a first resistor connected in series between a power supply voltage node and a reference voltage node; a second transistor and a second resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; a third transistor and a third resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; and a signal generator that outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of a connection node between the third transistor and the third resistor, wherein the second transistor is first turned on among the first to third transistors when power is on and a voltage level of the power supply voltage node increases, turning off the third transistor, and then a current flowing through the first transistor and the first resistor, to turn off the second transistor and turn on the third transistor, and the signal generator changes a logic of the signal when the third transistor is turned on. 2 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , wherein: the third transistor is turned on or off according to a voltage of a connection node between the second transistor and the second resistor; and the second transistor is turned on or off according to a voltage of a connection node between the first transistor and the first resistor. 3 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , wherein: a size of the second transistor is greater than a size of the first transistor and a size of the third transistor; and the size of the third transistor is greater than the size of the first transistor. 4 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , wherein a resistance value of the first resistor is greater than a resistance value of the second resistor and a resistance value of the third resistor. 5 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth transistor and a fourth resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node, wherein: the fourth transistor forms a current mirror circuit with the first transistor; and a current flows through the first transistor and the first resistor in accordance with a current flowing through the fourth transistor and the fourth resistor. 6 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 5 , wherein: a size of the fourth transistor is the same as the size of the first transistor; and a resistance value of the fourth resistor is smaller than the resistance value of the first resistor. 7 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 5 , further comprising a fifth resistor connected in parallel between a drain and a source of the fourth transistor. 8 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 7 , wherein a voltage level of the power supply voltage node to turn off the second transistor is adjusted in accordance with a resistance value of the fifth resistor. 9 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first to third transistors are p-type MOS transistors; and the signal generator changes a logic of the signal when the voltage level of the power supply voltage node increases to a predetermined voltage level. 10 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 5 , wherein the fourth transistor is a p-type MOS transistor. 11 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 1 , wherein: a gate of the second transistor is connected to a drain of the first transistor; a gate of the third transistor is connected to a drain of the second transistor; and the signal generator outputs the signal in accordance with a drain voltage of the third transistor. 12 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 7 , further comprising: a first mask signal generator that generates a first mask signal for a first power supply voltage; a second mask signal generator that generates a second mask signal for a second power supply voltage that is lower than the first power supply voltage; and a signal synthesizer that outputs a mask signal obtained by synthesizing the first mask signal and the second mask signal, wherein: the first mask signal generator comprises a first voltage detector comprising fifth to eighth transistors and sixth to tenth resistors having a connection relationship that is the same as a connection relationship of the first to fourth transistors and the first to fifth resistors, the first power supply voltage being applied to a power supply voltage node of the first mask signal generator; and the second mask signal generator comprises a second voltage detector comprising ninth to twelfth transistors and eleventh to fifteenth resistors having a connection relationship that is that same as a connection relationship of the first to fourth transistors and the first to fifth resistors, the second power supply voltage being applied to a power supply voltage node of the second mask signal generator. 13 . The voltage detection circuit of claim 12 , wherein the signal synthesizer changes a logic of the mask signal when both a logic of the first mask signal and a logic of the second mask signal change. 14 . A power-on reset circuit comprising: a first comparator that detects whether a first power supply voltage goes beyond a first threshold voltage; a second comparator that detects whether a second power supply voltage goes beyond a second threshold voltage; a first mask signal generator comprising a first voltage detection circuit that generates a first mask signal for the first power supply voltage; a second mask signal generator comprising a second voltage detection circuit that generates a second mask signal for the second power supply voltage, which is lower than the first power supply voltage; and a signal synthesizer that outputs a mask signal obtained by synthesizing the first mask signal and the second mask signal; and a power-on reset signal generator that outputs a power-on reset signal for cancelling a power-on reset state when the first comparator detects that the first power supply voltage goes beyond the first threshold voltage, the second comparator detects that the second power supply voltage goes beyond the second threshold voltage, and the signal synthesizer changes a logic of the mask signal, the first voltage detection circuit comprising: a first transistor and a first resistor connected in series between a first power supply voltage node to which the first power supply voltage is applied and a reference voltage node; a second transistor and a second resistor connected in series between the first power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; a third transistor and a third resistor connected in series between the first power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; and a first signal generator that outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of a connection node between the third transistor and the third resistor, the second voltage detection circuit comprising: a fourth transistor and a fourth resistor connected in series between a second power supply voltage node to which the second power supply voltage is supplied and a reference voltage node; a fifth transistor and a fifth resistor connected in series between the second power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; a sixth transistor and a sixth resistor connected in series between the second power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node; and a second signal generator that outputs a signal corresponding to a voltage of a connection node between the sixth transistor and the sixth resistor, wherein the second transistor is first turned on among the first to third transistors when power is on and a

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Combinations of field-effect devices and one or more diodes, capacitors or resistors · CPC title

  • Modifications for compensating variations of physical values, e.g. of temperature · CPC title

  • using FET's · CPC title

  • H03K17/223Primary

    in field-effect transistor switches · CPC title

  • Electricity · mapped topic

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What does patent US2021265991A1 cover?
A voltage detection circuit includes a first transistor and a first resistor connected in series between a power supply voltage node and a reference voltage node, a second transistor and a second resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and the reference voltage node, a third transistor and a third resistor connected in series between the power supply voltage node and …
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Kioxia Corp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H03K17/223. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Thu Aug 26 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (A1). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).