Patent ID: 7525348

Claim:
An apparatus including differential voltage comparator circuitry for comparing a differential signal voltage to a differential reference voltage, wherein said differential voltage comparator circuitry comprises: first and second input electrodes via which is conveyed said differential signal voltage with first and second phases that are alternately more positive and negative than a mean voltage; first and second reference electrodes via which is conveyed said differential reference voltage with first and second phases that are more positive and negative, respectively, than said mean voltage; voltage regulation circuitry responsive, substantially independently from said differential signal voltage, to a power supply voltage by providing an internal reference voltage; voltage-to-current conversion circuitry coupled to said voltage regulation circuitry, said first and second input electrodes and to said first and second reference electrodes, and responsive, substantially independently from a differential output voltage, to said internal reference voltage, said differential signal voltage and said differential reference voltage by providing a first output current related to a first summation of said first differential signal voltage phase and said second differential reference voltage phase, and providing a second output current related to a second summation of said second differential signal voltage phase and said first differential reference voltage phase; and current-to-voltage conversion circuitry coupled to said voltage-to-current conversion circuitry and responsive to said first and second output currents by providing said differential output voltage with first and second phases indicative of a difference in magnitude between said differential signal and reference voltages.