Differential amplifying circuit and microphone/amplifier system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509264-B2
Application number	US-201414479779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

The differential amplifying circuit includes a first bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the first input terminal and the reference voltage node. The differential amplifying circuit includes a second bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the second input terminal and the reference voltage node. The differential amplifying circuit includes a controlling circuit that controls the resistance of the first bias resistor and the resistance of the second bias resistor in synchronization with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A differential amplifying circuit that amplifies signals input to a first input terminal and a second input terminal and outputs amplified signals, the differential amplifying circuit comprises:
a first input resistor connected to the first input terminal at a first end thereof;
a second input resistor connected to the second input terminal at a first end thereof;
an operational amplifier that is connected to a second end of the first input resistor at a non-inverting input terminal thereof and to a second end of the second input resistor at an inverting input terminal thereof and outputs a first differential signal at an inverting output terminal thereof and a second differential signal at a non-inverting output terminal thereof;
a first feedback resistor connected between the inverting output terminal and the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier;
a second feedback resistor connected between the non-inverting output terminal and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier;
a first bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the first end of the first input resistor and a reference voltage node; and
a second bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the first end of the second input resistor and the reference voltage node.

2. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a controlling circuit that controls the resistance of the first bias resistor and the resistance of the second bias resistor in synchronization with each other.

3. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a reference voltage generating circuit that generates a reference voltage and outputs the reference voltage to the reference voltage node.

4. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 3 , further comprising a controlling circuit that controls the resistance of the first bias resistor and the resistance of the second bias resistor in synchronization with each other.

5. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 2 , wherein the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at a first value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at a second value at a time of power-on, and
then sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at a third value greater than the first value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at a fourth value greater than the second value.

6. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at the third value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at the fourth value when a preset predetermined period of time elapses after the reference voltage generating circuit starts operating.

7. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the third value for the first bias resistor and the fourth value for the second bias resistor are greater than resistances of the first input resistor and the second input resistor and smaller than resistances of the first feedback resistor and the second feedback resistor.

8. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at the third value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at the fourth value when an average value of the first differential signal and the second differential signal reaches an operating point of the operational amplifier.

9. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at the third value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at the fourth value when the reference voltage reaches a preset value.

10. The differential amplifying circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the reference voltage generating circuit starts operating and generates the reference voltage in response to an enable signal, and
the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at the first value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at the second value in response to the enable signal, and
then sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at the third value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at the fourth value when a preset predetermined time elapses.

11. A microphone/amplifier system, comprising:
a microphone that has a condenser microphone and a load resistor connected in series with each other between a power supply and a ground and outputs an analog signal between the condenser microphone and the load resistor;
a first capacitor connected between an output of the microphone and a first input terminal;
a second capacitor connected between the ground and a second input terminal; and
a differential amplifying circuit that amplifies signals input to the first input terminal and the second input terminal and outputs the amplified signals,
wherein the differential amplifying circuit comprises:
a first input resistor connected to the first input terminal at a first end thereof;
a second input resistor connected to the second input terminal at a first end thereof;
an operational amplifier that is connected to a second end of the first input resistor at a non-inverting input terminal thereof and to a second end of the second input resistor at an inverting input terminal thereof and outputs a first differential signal at an inverting output terminal thereof and a second differential signal at a non-inverting output terminal thereof;
a first feedback resistor connected between the inverting output terminal and the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier;
a second feedback resistor connected between the non-inverting output terminal and the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier;
a first bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier and a reference voltage node; and
a second bias resistor having a variable resistance and connected between the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier and the reference voltage node.

12. The microphone/amplifier system according to claim 11 , wherein the differential amplifying circuit further comprises a controlling circuit that controls the resistance of the first bias resistor and the resistance of the second bias resistor in synchronization with each other.

13. The microphone/amplifier system according to claim 11 , wherein the differential amplifying circuit further comprises a reference voltage generating circuit that generates a reference voltage and outputs the reference voltage to the reference voltage node.

14. The microphone/amplifier system according to claim 13 , wherein the differential amplifying circuit further comprises a controlling circuit that controls the resistance of the first bias resistor and the resistance of the second bias resistor in synchronization with each other.

15. The microphone/amplifier system according to claim 12 , wherein the controlling circuit
sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at a first value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at a second value at a time of power-on, and
then sets the resistance of the first bias resistor at a third value greater than the first value and the resistance of the second bias resistor at a fourth value greater than the second value.

16. The microphone/amplifier system according to claim 15 , wherein the third value for the first bias resistor

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Imayama Teruo

Classifications

• H03F3/45

  Differential amplifiers (differential sense amplifiers G11C7/062) · CPC title

• H03F3/187

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F2200/03

  the amplifier being designed for audio applications · CPC title

• H03F3/45475 Primary

  using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit · CPC title

• H03F2203/45544

  the IC comprising one or more capacitors, e.g. coupling capacitors · CPC title