Patent ID: 7514988

Claim:
A band gap constant-voltage circuit configured to supply a constant-voltage to an output terminal, comprising: a first level shifter circuit comprising a first transistor configured to shift the voltage at the output terminal to a first level voltage, and a second level shifter circuit comprising a second transistor configured to shift the voltage at the output terminal to a second level voltage; a differential amplifier configured to maintain the voltage at the output terminal at a constant level, the differential amplifier having a first input terminal to receive the first level voltage from the first level shifter and a second input terminal to receive the second level voltage from the second level shifter such that the differential amplifier thereby adjusts the voltage at the output terminal according to a difference between the first and second level voltages; and a startup circuit comprising an output voltage detecting circuit configured to monitor the voltage at the output terminal and a current source responsive, when the voltage at the output terminal is detected by the output voltage detecting circuit to be lower than a predetermined voltage, to modify a current for gating the first transistor of the first level shifter circuit to thereby create a voltage difference between the first and second input terminals of the differential amplifier in order to rapidly raise the voltage at the output terminal, wherein the output voltage detecting circuit comprises a detection transistor gated by the voltage at the output terminal and a constant current circuit configured to supply a constant current to the detection transistor, the detection transistor comprising an n-type transistor connected to the output terminal at its gate, to the constant current circuit at its source and to a ground at its drain, and the constant current circuit comprising a constant current source and a current mirror circuit configured to supply the detection transistor with a current mirrored from a current flowing through the constant current source, the constant current source comprising an n-type depression transistor connected to the current mirror circuit at its drain and to the ground at its source and gate, the startup circuit further comprises an inverter responsive to the current flowing through the detection transistor to turn on and off the current source, the inverter comprising a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor gates of which are connected to each other to constitute an input of the inverter which is connected to the source of the detection transistor, and drains of which are connected to each other to constitute an output of the inverter which gates the current source, and the current source comprises a p-type transistor which is gated by the output of the inverter and connected at its drain to a gate of the first transistor of the first level shifter circuit.