Patent ID: 7880527

Claim:
A level converter for providing an output signal switchable between a first output signal level and a second output signal level at a circuit output on the basis of an input signal comprising a first input signal state and a second input signal state, the level converter comprising: an output coupling circuit formed to receive a first partial output signal assuming two different signal levels depending on a state of the input signal at a first output coupling circuit input, and a second partial output signal assuming two different signal levels depending on the state of the input signal at a second output coupling circuit input, to couple the first partial output signal to the circuit output if the first partial output signal comprises an active state, and to couple the second partial output signal to the circuit output if the second partial output signal comprises an active state; and a driver circuit formed to provide the second partial output signal so that the second partial output signal is switchable between two different signal levels depending on the state of the input signal, wherein a level range between the two signal levels of the first partial output signal and a level range between the two signal levels of the second partial output signal are shifted with respect to each other, wherein an input of the driver circuit is capacitively coupled to an input of the level converter in order to allow for switching between signal levels of the second partial output signal by the capacitive coupling in response to a change in the state of the input signal, and wherein the level converter comprises a holding circuit formed to keep a state of the second partial output signal constant in the case of a constant state of the input signal.