CURRENT DISTRIBUTION CIRCUIT HAVING AN ADDITIONAL PARALLEL DC-CURRENT SINKING BRANCH

Abstract: A current distribution circuit for application in a communication device, such as a telephone subscriber circuit comprises a first current sinking branch, which is connected in parallel to a second current sinking branch. Both branches sink at least the DC current on the telephone line, whereas an excess current in the DC line is taken up by the second current sinking branch, which is provided with a current sinking transistor, whose collector/emitter voltage is relatively large. This leads to a reduced effectively needed chip area. The DC line-current can be measured by means of a low pass filter, preferable connected to a current mirror means.

Description: Current distribution circuit having an additional Parallel DC-current sinking branch. The present invention concerns a current distribution circuit comprising: a first at least DC current sinking branch, which is provided with the main current stream of a first controlled semiconductor having a first control input, a second current sinking branch connected in parallel to the series arrangement of the first current sinking branch, which second current sinking branch is provided with a second control input, and means for controlling the currents through the first and second current sinking branches, which controlling means are coupled to the first and second control inputs respectively. The present invention also concerns a telecommunication device provided with a current distribution circuit. Such a current distribution circuit and device are known from application note ETT/AN93015 on the TEA 1093 chip. In particular this note discloses a current distribution circuit comprising: a first AC and DC current sinking branch, which is provided with the series arrangement of the main current stream of a first current controlled semiconductor having a first combined AC/DC current control input, and a stabilising circuit for providing a DC supply voltage, a second AC current sinking branch connected in parallel to the series arrange- ment of the first current sinking branch, which second current sinking branch is provided with a second AC current control input, and means for controlling said currents through the first and second current sinking branches, which controlling means are coupled to the first and second current control inputs respectively. Such a current distribution circuit is being applied in telecommunication devices, such as for example a subscriber telephone, a handsfree telephone, a facsimile, a WEB- television having a telephone card, a personal computer having a telephone card etc. Usually such telephone ICs' are capable of controlling the AC-speech signals on the telephone line to facilitate communication between the telecommunication device and a central device. Furthermore they are equipped for processing the DC-line-current from the telephone line in the first current sinking branch. The stabilising circuit provides the DC supply voltage having a relative high magnitude. Processing a necessary maximum DC-line- current in the first current sinking branch of say for example approximately 140 mA would lead to an IC having a relatively large chip area for the DC current controlled semi-conductor transistor used in that first current sinking branch, because said transistor has to have a certain limited collector/emitter voltage. This collector/emitter voltage is limited and has to be kept limited because the DC supply voltage needs to have a relative high magnitude for controlling present day telephone add-on equipment, such as handsfree facilities, extra loudspeakers, and other peripheral devices. It is an object of the present invention to sink the necessary maximum DC-line-current at all times under all operating conditions and with a minimal chip area. Thereto the present invention is characterised in that the current distribution circuit comprises an at least DC current measuring means coupled to the controlling means for providing a measure for at least the DC-current in the first current sinking branch, and that the second current sinking branch is a second at least DC-current sinking branch whose second control input is connected to the controlling means for leading an excessive part of at least the DC-current through the second current sinking branch. The idea underlying the present invention is that the first current sinking branch sinks a part of the line-current normally used for deriving a DC supply voltage there from, whereas the second current sinking branch is used to sink a surplus part of at least the DC-line-cuιτent. Because the second current sinking branch does not contain the stabilising circuit, sinking the surplus, excess or top-part of at least the DC-current of the first current sinking branch through the second current sinking branch can take place in said second current sinking branch at a relatively high collector/emitter voltage. As a consequence thereof the chip area for taking up such a relatively high magnitude of DC current at larger collector/emitter voltages is reduced. A further advantage of the current distribution circuit and device according to the invention is, that controlling the AC-currents in the first and second current sinking branches is still possible. In fact a possible simultaneous AC/DC current control in both the first current sinking branch and the second current sinking branch provides for a double control function in in particular the second current sinking branch. At present the invention will be elucidated further together with the additional advantages with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein corresponding parts in the different figures are indicated by means of the same reference numerals. In the drawing: Fig. 1 shows a possible embodiment of the current distribution circuit according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a general outline of a further embodiment of the current distribution circuit according to the invention, and Fig.3 schematically shows a telecommunication device provided with a current distribution circuit according to the present invention. The schematic view of Fig. 1 shows a current distribution circuit 1 , comprising a first DC current branch 2, a second current sinking branch 3 and means 4 for sensing at least the current through the first current sinking branch 2. In addition the current distribution circuit comprises means 5 (see fig. 2) for controlling the AC current through branch 2. The first current sinking branch 2 comprises the series arrangement of a first for example current controlled semi-conductor transistor 6, and a circuit 7 which could for example be a stabilising circuit. The stabilising circuit 7 is shown to have a zenerdiode 8 connected in parallel to a capacitor 9 for supplying a supply voltage V s . Resistor R s is a series resistor determining the voltage current slope between terminals 10 and 11. The schematically shown second current sinking branch 3 comprises a second for example current or voltage controlled semi-conductor transistor 12, provided with a control input 13. Furthermore the current distribution circuit 1 comprises an at least DC current measuring means, which is in this embodiment built up as a current mirror 14. Herewith the main current through the transistor 6 is mirrored into the transistor 4 by a ratio 1:N. The at least DC measuring means 14 is connected in series with a low pass filter 15, 16 whose RC value is chosen such, that frequencies of for example 5 Hz or lower are passed to a comparator means 17. The comparator has two inputs 18 and 19. Input 18 is connected to the low pass filter 15, 16, whereas input 19 is connected to a reference voltage V ref supplied by a DC voltage reference source (not shown). Furthermore the comparator 17 is provided with an output 20 connected to the control input 13 of the transistor 12. V ref is chosen such that the second current sinking branch 3 comes into operation in cases wherein it is necessary that an excess DC current above for example 40 mA flows through the second current sinking branch 3. Because of the larger collector/emitter voltage across the transistor 12 in the second current sinking branch its transistor chip area is lower than the chip area for a transistor which would be equipped to take up a similar current in cases wherein its collector/emitter voltage is lower. In an embodiment not further elucidated the information about the point whereon the second branch 3 has to come into operation, can also be deduced from the voltage across the series resistor, which resistor is connected in series with one of the line terminals 10 and 11. Fig. 2 shows a bloc schematic view of the various ways of controlling the AC and DC current through both branches 2 and 3. In a way known per se the AC control through branches 2 and 3 is such that in order to prevent distortion during large AC signals the second branch transistor 12 takes over the line-current on terminals 10, 11 during large AC signal excursions on the line 10, 11. Second branch transistor 12 will preferable sink the AC current during large AC signal excursions in addition to taking over a surplus part of the DC current in branch 2, in order to decrease the effectively needed chip area. Figure 3 schematically shows a network 21 connected through the line terminals 10, 11 to a telecommunication device 22 which is provided with a telephone set 23 having a current distribution circuit 1.

Claims: CLAIMS: 1. A current distribution circuit comprising: a first at least DC current sinking branch, which is provided with the main current stream of a first controlled semiconductor having a first control input, a second current sinking branch connected in parallel to the series arrangement of the first current sinking branch, which second current sinking branch is provided with a second control input, and means for controlling the currents through the first and second current sinking branches, which controlling means are coupled to the first and second control inputs respectively, characterised in that the current distribution circuit comprises an at least DC current measuring means coupled to the controlling means for providing a measure for at least the DC-current in the first current sinking branch, and that the second current sinking branch is a second at least DC-current sinking branch whose second control input is connected to the controlling means for leading an excessive part of at least the DC-current through the second current sinking branch. 2. The current distribution circuit according to claim 1 , characterised in that the current distribution circuit comprises a comparator coupled to the at least DC current measuring means and to a reference source for determining at least the DC current value in the first current sinking branch where above the second current sinking branch comes into operation. 3. The current distribution circuit according to claim 2, characterised in that the at least DC current measuring means comprises a low pass filter. 4. The current distribution circuit according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the at least DC current measuring means comprises a current mirror means. 5. The current distribution circuit according to one of the claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterised in that the at least DC current measuring means comprises a line-current series resistor. 6. The current distribution circuit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the first and/or second controlled semi-conductor comprises at least a transistor means. 7. The current distribution circuit according to one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, characterised in that the first and second current sinking branches are formed as DC and AC current sinking branches, and that the means for controlling the current through the first and second current sinking branches are means for controlling the AC and DC currents through the first and second current sinking branches. 8. Telecommunication device provided with the current distribution circuit according to one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.

Inventors: LABBE ERIC CHRISTOPHE, MULDER JACOB, THUS FRANSISCUS JOHANNES MARIA, LABBE, ERIC, CHRISTOPHE, MULDER, JACOB, THUS, FRANSISCUS, JOHANNES, MARIA
Applicants: LABBE ERIC CHRISTOPHE, MULDER JACOB, PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NV, PHILIPS NORDEN AB, THUS FRANSISCUS JOHANNES MARIA, LABBE, ERIC, CHRISTOPHE, MULDER, JACOB, PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V., THUS, FRANSISCUS, JOHANNES, MARIA
Application year: 1997
Main classification: H04L25
IPC codes: G05F3, H04M19