Chip, multichip module, and apparatus provided with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9362896-B2
Application number	US-201514679939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Provided is a chip including a plurality of unit cells; a scanning circuit adapted to scan the plurality of unit cells, thereby making each of the plurality of unit cells output a signal; a voltage-to-current conversion circuit; a current-to-voltage conversion circuit; an output terminal; and an input terminal. The current-to-voltage conversion circuit is adapted to convert a first current signal input into the input terminal, into a first voltage signal, the scanning circuit starts scanning in response to the first voltage signal output from the current-to-voltage conversion circuit, and the voltage-to-current conversion circuit is adapted to convert a second voltage signal output from the scanning circuit into a second current signal, and to output the second current signal from the output terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A chip comprising:
a plurality of unit cells; a scanning circuit adapted to scan the plurality of unit cells, thereby making each of the plurality of unit cells output a signal; a voltage-to-current conversion circuit; a current-to-voltage conversion circuit; an output terminal; and an input terminal, wherein
the current-to-voltage conversion circuit is adapted to convert a first current signal input into the input terminal, into a first voltage signal,
the scanning circuit starts scanning in response to the first voltage signal output from the current-to-voltage conversion circuit, and
the voltage-to-current conversion circuit is adapted to convert a second voltage signal output from the scanning circuit into a second current signal, and to output the second current signal from the output terminal.

2. A multichip module comprising:
a first chip and a second chip each of which includes: a plurality of unit cells; a scanning circuit which is adapted to scan the plurality of unit cells, thereby making each of the plurality of unit cells output a signal; a voltage-to-current conversion circuit; a current-to-voltage conversion circuit; an output terminal; and an input terminal, wherein
the voltage-to-current conversion circuit in the first chip is adapted to convert a first voltage signal which shows start timing for a scan of the scanning circuit in the second chip into a current signal,
the output terminal of the first chip being connected to the input terminal of the second chip, such that said current signal is passed to the input terminal of the second chip,
the current-to-voltage conversion circuit in the second chip is adapted to convert the current signal, which is input into the input terminal of the second chip, into a second voltage signal, and
the scanning circuit in the second chip is adapted to start scanning of the plurality of unit cells in the second chip, based on the second voltage signal which has been provided by the current-to-voltage conversion circuit in the second chip.

3. The multichip module according to claim 2 , wherein
each of the first chip and the second chip has an output part which outputs a signal based on the signals that have been output from the plurality of unit cells, to an outside of each chip, and
the current signal which the first chip outputs is a signal that is output from the output terminal of the first chip before the output part in the first chip ends an operation of outputting the signal to the outside of the chip.

4. The multichip module according to claim 3 , wherein the output part of the second chip is adapted to start the operation, based on the second voltage signal which has been provided by the current-to-voltage conversion circuit in the second chip.

5. The multichip module according to claim 4 , wherein the output part is an amplifier which outputs an amplified signal of the signal that has been output from each of the plurality of unit cells.

6. The multichip module according to claim 4 , wherein
each of the plurality of unit cells has a light-receiving part which outputs a signal based on incident light, and
the output part outputs an amplified signal of the signal that has been output from each of the light-receiving parts in the plurality of unit cells.

7. An apparatus comprising an image reading part which includes the multichip module according to claim 2 .

8. A copier comprising:
a document reading part including the multichip module according to claim 2 , which generates an image signal based on a document by being relatively scanned to the document; and
a printing part which copies the document onto a print medium based on the image signal.

9. An apparatus which has a multichip module comprising: a first chip and a second chip each of which includes: a plurality of unit cells including a liquid ejecting part; a scanning circuit which is adapted to scan the plurality of unit cells, and thereby makes each of the plurality of unit cells input a signal; a voltage-to-current conversion circuit; a current-to-voltage conversion circuit; an output terminal; and an input terminal, wherein
the voltage-to-current conversion circuit in the first chip is adapted to convert a first voltage signal which shows start timing for a scan of the scanning circuit in the second chip, into a current signal,
the output terminal of the first chip being connected to the input terminal of the second chip, such that said current signal is passed to the input terminal of the second chip,
the current-to-voltage conversion circuit in the second chip is adapted to convert the current signal which is input into the input terminal of the second chip, into a second voltage signal, and
the scanning circuit in the second chip is adapted to start scanning of the plurality of unit cells in the second chip, based on the second voltage signal which has been provided by the current-to-voltage conversion circuit in the second chip.

10. A printer comprising: the apparatus according to claim 9 and a print medium feeding part which is adapted to feed a print medium, wherein the printer is adapted to print an image on the print medium by using the apparatus.

11. A manufacturing apparatus comprising the apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to eject a liquid to a structure which is being formed, thereby manufacturing the structure.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Tatsuya
• Ohmura Masanobu

Classifications

• H04N25/711

  Time delay and integration [TDI] registers; TDI shift registers · CPC title

• H04N25/672

  between adjacent sensors or output registers for reading a single image · CPC title

• H03K3/013 Primary

  Modifications of generator to prevent operation by noise or interference · CPC title

• B41J29/00

  Details of, or accessories for, typewriters or selective printing mechanisms not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• H04N1/04

  Scanning arrangements {, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa}(H04N1/387 takes precedence) · CPC title