Current source circuit and detection circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816883-B2
Application number	US-201615287171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A current source circuit flowing an output current to at least one detection element including a first terminal to which a first voltage is supplied and a second terminal being connected to the current source circuit includes a reference resistance, a current mirror circuit including at least one first transistor and at least one second transistor, and a control circuit controlling a voltage of a common wire that is connected to a terminal provided at the first transistor and a terminal provided at the second transistor such that a voltage of a terminal provided at the reference resistance comes to be equal to a reference voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A current source circuit flowing an output current to at least one detection element including a first terminal to which a first voltage is supplied and a second terminal being connected to the current source circuit, comprising:
a reference resistance including a first terminal being connected to a first wire to which the first voltage is supplied;
a current mirror circuit including
at least one first transistor including a first terminal and a first control terminal that are connected to a second terminal of the reference resistance; and
at least one second transistor including a second control terminal that is connected to the first control terminal,

the current mirror circuit in which the second transistor includes the first terminal that is connected to the second terminal provided at the detection element, and in which the first transistor includes a second terminal that is connected to a second terminal provided at the second transistor; and
a control circuit controlling a voltage of a common wire that is connected to the second terminal provided at the first transistor and the second terminal provided at the second transistor such that a voltage of the second terminal provided at the reference resistance comes to be equal to a reference voltage.

2. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the first transistor corresponds to a plurality of first transistors,
the second transistor corresponds to a plurality of second transistor, and
the current mirror circuit corresponds to a cascode current mirror circuit in which the plurality of first transistors is serially connected to one another and in which the plurality of second transistors is serially connected to one another.

3. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third transistor including a first terminal that is connected to the common wire, the third transistor including a second terminal that is connected to a second wire to which a second voltage that is different from the first voltage is supplied, the third transistor including a third control terminal that is connected to an output terminal of the control circuit, wherein
the control circuit controls the voltage of the common wire via the third transistor.

4. The current source circuit according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a third transistor including a first terminal that is connected to the common wire, the third transistor including a second terminal that is connected to a second wire to which a second voltage that is different from the first voltage is supplied, the third transistor including a third control terminal that is connected to an output terminal of the control circuit, wherein
the control circuit controls the voltage of the common wire via the third transistor.

5. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the second transistors corresponds to a plurality of second transistors,
the detection element corresponds to a plurality of detection elements, and
the plurality of second transistors each flows the output current to each of the plurality of detection elements.

6. The current source circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the second transistors corresponds to a plurality of second transistors,
the detection element corresponds to a plurality of detection elements, and
the plurality of second transistors each flows the output current to each of the plurality of detection elements.

7. The current source circuit according to claim 3 , wherein
the second transistors corresponds to a plurality of second transistors,
the detection element corresponds to a plurality of detection elements, and
the plurality of second transistors each flows the output current to each of the plurality of detection elements.

8. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection element corresponds to a strain gauge; and
the reference resistance is made from a same material as a material of the detection element.

9. The current source circuit according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection element corresponds to a strain gauge; and
the reference resistance is made from a same material as a material of the detection element.

10. The current source circuit according to claim 3 , wherein
the detection element corresponds to a strain gauge; and
the reference resistance is made from a same material as a material of the detection element.

11. The current source circuit according to claim 5 , wherein
the detection element corresponds to a strain gauge; and
the reference resistance is made from a same material as a material of the detection element.

12. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage generation circuit generating the reference voltage, the voltage generation circuit generating the reference voltage such that the reference voltage has a constant differential voltage relative to the first voltage.

13. The current source circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage generation circuit generating the reference voltage, the voltage generation circuit generating the reference voltage that is in proportion to the first voltage.

14. A detection circuit, comprising:
two detection elements corresponding to a first detection element and a second detection element, the two detection elements each including a first terminal to which a first voltage is supplied, the two detection elements each changing a resistance value in response to a physical quantity of a detection target;
a current source circuit being connected to second terminals provided at the two detection elements, the current source circuit supplying an output current to each of the detection elements; and
a differential amplifier including an input terminal being connected to the second terminals provided at the two detection elements, the differential amplifier outputting detection signals by differently amplifying an input voltage; wherein
the first detection element is disposed so as to change a resistance value of the first detection element in response to the physical quantity of the detection target;
the second detection element is disposed such that a changing ratio of a resistance value of the second detection element in response to the physical quantity of the detection target is different from a changing ratio of a resistance value of the first detection element; and
the current source circuit includes;
a reference resistance including a first terminal being connected to a first wire to which a first voltage is supplied;
a current mirror circuit including
a first transistor including a first terminal and a first control terminal that are connected to a second terminal provided at the reference resistance; and
two second transistors each including a second control terminal that is connected to the first control terminal,

the current mirror circuit in which the two second transistors includes respective first terminals, each of the first terminals being connected to a second terminal provided at the detection element, and in which the first transistor includes the second terminal that is connected to each of the second terminals provided at the two second transistors; and
a control circuit including a first input terminal that is connected to a second terminal provided at the reference resistance, the control circuit including a second input terminal to which the reference voltage is supplied, the control circuit controlling a voltage of a common wire that is connected to the second terminal provided at the first transistor and the respect

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Kato Manabu

Classifications

• G01R27/2605

  Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24) · CPC title

• G01R27/00

  Arrangements for measuring resistance, reactance, impedance, or electric characteristics derived therefrom · CPC title

• G01R27/02

  Measuring real or complex resistance, reactance, impedance, or other two-pole characteristics derived therefrom, e.g. time constant (by measuring phase angle only G01R25/00) · CPC title

• G01N17/00

  Investigating resistance of materials to the weather, to corrosion, or to light · CPC title

• G05F3/26

  Current mirrors · CPC title