Patent ID: 7872501

Claim:
An integrated circuit that produces an internal signal having a upper switching threshold (Voh) and a lower switching threshold (Vol), the internal signal responsive to an input signal with a lower switching threshold (Vil) and an upper switching threshold (Vih) different from the Voh of the internal signal, the integrated circuit comprising: a detection circuit that uses capacitive coupling of the input signal to isolate the detection circuit from a steady-state value of the input signal and that produces a detection signal that indicates a transition of the input signal from above Vih to below Vih; a first field-effect transistor (FET) that, in response to the detection signal, drives the internal signal above Voh and that, in response to the input signal exceeding Vil, releases the internal signal; and a second FET that drives the internal signal below Vol in response to the input signal being above Vil and that releases the internal signal in response to the input signal being below Vil.