Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150084802 | SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - According to an embodiment, a signal processing device includes an integrator, a setting unit, and an analog-to-digital converter. The integrator is configured to integrate an electrical charge corresponding to electromagnetic waves. The integrator includes a capacitor configured to store the electrical charge corresponding to the electromagnetic waves and a discharging circuit configured to discharge the capacitor. The setting unit is configured to set a period of integration of the electrical charge with respect to the integrator. The analog-to-digital converter includes a comparator configured to compare an integration output and a threshold value and a counter configured to output, as digital data of the electrical charge, the number of times for which a value of the integration output becomes not less than the threshold value. The converter is configured to discharge the capacitor during the period of integration by supplying a comparison output of the comparator to the discharging circuit. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085985 | SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - According to an embodiment, a signal processing device includes an integrator, a first analog-to-digital converter, and a histogram creator. The integrator is configured to integrate an electrical charge corresponding to electromagnetic waves. The first analog-to-digital converter is configured to perform an analog-to-digital conversion operation that generates digital data of the electrical charge using an integration output from the integrator, on a parallel with an integration operation performed by the integrator. The histogram creator is configured to create a histogram that represents an energy distribution of the electromagnetic waves, from the digital data generated by the first analog-to-digital converter. | 03-26-2015 |
20150130538 | DIFFERENTIAL AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT - In one embodiment, a differential amplifier circuit includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a current source, a first output terminal, a second output terminal, a first passive element, and a second passive element. The first (second) transistor has a control terminal connected to the first (second) input terminal. The third transistor has a control terminal. The control terminal is applied predetermined bias voltage. The current source is connected to a first terminal in each of the first transistor, second transistor, and third transistor. The first (second) output terminal is connected to a second terminal of the first (second) transistor. The first (second) passive element is connected between the first (second) input terminal and the first (second) output terminal. | 05-14-2015 |
20150137858 | BUFFER CIRCUIT - In one embodiment, a buffer circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a first current source, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a second current source, and a third current source. The first transistor has a control terminal connected to an input terminal, and a first terminal connected to an output terminal. The second transistor has a control terminal connected to the input terminal, a first terminal connected to the output terminal, and a second terminal connected to a first power source. The third transistor has a first terminal connected to the output terminal. The fourth transistor has a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the first transistor, a control terminal applied bias voltage, and a second terminal connected to a control terminal of the third transistor. | 05-21-2015 |
20150138007 | ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER AND ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION METHOD - According to an embodiment, an analog-to-digital (AD) converter includes a first AD conversion unit, a selector and a second AD conversion unit. The first AD conversion unit performs AD conversion of an analog signal in a first period to generate an upper-bit digital signal. The selector selects not less than one reference voltage based on the upper-bit digital signal to obtain a selected reference voltage group in a voltage range narrower than a full scale. The second AD conversion unit performs AD conversion of the analog signal by using the selected reference voltage group. The first period starts before settling of the analog signal up to an accuracy corresponding to a total resolution of the first AD conversion unit and the second AD conversion unit. | 05-21-2015 |
20150162929 | ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER AND IMAGE SENSOR - An analog-to-digital converter has a comparator to compare, within a predetermined period, an input signal with a ramp signal or with a triangle wave signal, a first counter to count up or down in accordance with a logic of a signal that indicates a comparison result of the comparator within the predetermined period, a count value storage to sequentially store count values of the first counter whenever the logic of the signal that indicates a comparison result of the comparator changes within the predetermined period, a second counter to count the number of times the logic of the signal that indicates a comparison result of the comparator changes, and an arithmetic module to output a value obtained by adding up the count values stored in the count value storage and dividing the added-up value by a count value of the second counter. | 06-11-2015 |
20150194973 | ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER AND IMAGE SENSOR - An analog-to-digital converter has a sampler to hold a sampled signal, an input signal predictor to generate a prediction signal at predetermined timing before a signal level of a ramp signal that monotonically increases or monotonically decreases with time crosses a signal level of the sampled signal, a comparator to compare signal levels of the ramp signal and the sampled signal to output a comparison signal showing whether the signal level of the ramp signal is larger than the signal lever of the sampled signal, a first counter to perform a count operation in synchronism with a first clock signal within a period from start of a comparison operation by the comparator to generation of the prediction signal, and a second counter to perform a count operation in synchronism with a second clock signal. | 07-09-2015 |
20150200636 | AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT, A/D CONVERTER, AND COMMUNICATION APPARATUS - An amplifier circuit according to one embodiment includes an input terminal, an output terminal, an amplifier, a first switch, and a first signal setter. An input side of the amplifier is connected to the input terminal and an output side is connected to the output terminal. A difference between a signal input from the input side and a predetermined reference signal is amplified with a predetermined gain. The first switch opens and closes between the output side of the amplifier and the output terminal. The first signal setter sets a signal of the output terminal to the predetermined signal when the first switch opens. | 07-16-2015 |