Patent ID: 8749292
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
1. A voltage level shifter comprising: an input port operable to receive a binary input signal transitioning from a first input voltage representative of a first logic state to a second input voltage representative of a second logic state; an output port operable to provide a binary output signal transitioning from a first output voltage representative of the first logic state to a second output voltage representative of the second logic state; a detector operably coupled to the input port and the output port, and configured to determine an operating condition, the detector comprising a detector output operable to provide a mode selection signal transitioning, based on the operating condition, between a first mode selection voltage representative of a first operating mode of the voltage level shifter and a second mode selection voltage representative of a second operating mode of the voltage level shifter; a mode selection unit operable to receive the mode selection signal, the mode selection unit configured to select, based on the mode selection signal, between the first operating mode of the voltage level shifter and the second operating mode of the voltage level shifter; and a first pull-up-pull-down stage and a second pull-up-pull-down stage operably coupled to the input port, the output port, and the mode selection unit, the first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage configured to translate the binary input signal to the binary output signal, the binary output signal having a first delay relative to the binary input signal and the voltage level shifter having a first leakage current when the voltage level shifter is in the first operating mode, the binary output signal having a second delay relative to the binary input signal and the voltage level shifter having a second leakage current when the voltage level shifter is in the second operating mode, the second delay is shorter than the first delay and the second leakage current is higher than the first leakage current.