Dual-switching sensing device, and dual-function switching circuit thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9151675-B2
Application number	US-201414282365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A dual-switching sensing device includes two sensor modules and a dual-function switching circuit with an operational amplifier and two integrator modules. Each of the integrator modules includes a transistor, an integrator capacitor and a switching unit. Through control of the switching unit, each of the integrator modules may operate in different modes, so that the dual-switching sensing device may be used to sense different targets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-switching sensing device comprising:
two sensor modules, each of which is configured to sense a respective target, and to generate a sensor current corresponding to the target sensed thereby; and
a dual-function switching circuit including:
an operational amplifier having a first input, two second inputs, and two outputs; and
two integrator modules, each of which is coupled to a respective one of said sensor modules for receiving a corresponding sensor current therefrom, is configured to convert the sensor current into an integrator voltage associated with a magnitude of the sensor current, and includes:
an output terminal for providing the integrator voltage;
a transistor having a first terminal coupled to the respective one of said sensor modules for receiving the sensor current therefrom, a second terminal, and a control terminal;
an integrator capacitor having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said transistor, and a second terminal; and
a switching unit to be coupled to a ground node, and coupled to said output terminal, a respective one of said second inputs of said operational amplifier, a respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier, said transistor and said integrator capacitor, wherein:
said switching unit is operable to
 electrically couple one of said first terminal and said second terminal of said transistor to the respective one of said second inputs of said operational amplifier;
 electrically couple said control terminal of said transistor to one of the ground node and the respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier;
 electrically couple said second terminal of said integrator capacitor to one of the ground node and the respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier; and
 electrically couple said output terminal to one of said first terminal and said second terminal of said integrator capacitor.

2. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising two sample-and-hold modules, each of which is coupled to a respective one of said integrator modules for receiving the integrator voltage therefrom, and is operable to sample and hold the integrator voltage received thereby for providing an output voltage proportional to the integrator voltage.

3. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein each of said sample-and-hold modules includes:
a readout switch having a first terminal coupled to said output terminal of the respective one of said integrator modules, and a second terminal;
a sampling capacitor coupled between the ground node and said second terminal of said readout switch; and
a sampling reset switch coupled to said sampling capacitor in parallel, and operable to make electrical connection to clear electrical charges stored in said sampling capacitor.

4. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said sensor modules includes a photodiode having a cathode disposed to receive a common voltage, and an anode coupled to said first terminal of said transistor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules.

5. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said integrator modules further includes an integrator reset switch coupled to said integrator capacitor in parallel, and operable to make electrical connection to clear electrical charges stored in said integrator capacitor.

6. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said operational amplifier includes:
a first transistor having a first terminal disposed to receive a first voltage, a second terminal, and a control terminal disposed to receive a bias voltage;
a second transistor, a third transistor and a fourth transistor, each of which has a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said first transistor, a second terminal, and a control terminal, said control terminal of each of said second transistor and said fourth transistor serving as a respective one of said second inputs of said operational amplifier, said control terminal of said third transistor serving as said first input of said operational amplifier; and
a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor and a seventh transistor, each of which has a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of a respective one of said second transistor, said third transistor and said fourth transistor, a grounded second terminal, and a control terminal coupled to said second terminal of said third transistor, said first terminal of each of said fifth transistor and said seventh transistor serving as a respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier.

7. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said switching unit of each of said integrator modules includes:
a first switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said first terminal of said transistor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the respective one of said second inputs of said operational amplifier;
a second switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said second terminal of said transistor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the respective one of said second inputs of said operational amplifier;
a third switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said control terminal of said transistor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier;
a fourth switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said control terminal of said transistor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the ground node;
a fifth switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said second terminal of said integrator capacitor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the ground node;
a sixth switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said second terminal of said integrator capacitor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and the respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier;
a seventh switch operable to make or break electrical connection between said first terminal of said integrator capacitor of the corresponding one of said integrator modules and said output terminal of the corresponding one of said integrator modules; and
an eighth switch operable to make or break electrical connection between the respective one of said outputs of said operational amplifier and said output terminal of the corresponding one of said integrator modules;
wherein each of said integrator modules is configured to operate in one of a capacitive transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) mode in which said first switch, said third switch, said fifth switch and said seventh switch thereof break electrical connections and said second switch, said fourth switch, said sixth switch, said eighth switch thereof make electrical connections, and a buffer direct injection (BDI) mode in which said first switch, said third switch, said fifth switch and said seventh switch thereof make electrical connections and said second switch, said fourth switch, said sixth switch, said eighth switch thereof break electrical connections.

8. The dual-switching sensing device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of said sensor modules includes:
a biosensor unit configured to convert a biological signal into a first current;
a photosensor unit configured to sense a light, and to generate a second current; and
a function selector coupled to said biosensor unit, said photosensor unit and the respective one of said integrator modules, and operable to select one of the first current and the second current to serve as the sen

Assignees

• Univ Nat Chi Nan

Inventors

• Sun Tai-Ping
• Lu Yi-Chuan
• Mao Hung-Wei
• Wang Yao-Syun

Classifications

• H04N25/00

  Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/11 Primary

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N25/70

  SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith · CPC title

• G01J5/02 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N5/335

  Electricity · mapped topic