Differential amplifier, data driver and display

1. A differential amplifier comprising:

first and second terminals for receiving signals;

a third terminal for outputting a signal;

first and second differential pairs, each having an input pair and an output pair, said first and second differential pairs being supplied with currents from associated current sources, respectively;

a load circuit connected to output pairs of said first and second differential pairs;

an amplifier stage for receiving, as an input, a signal of at least one connection node of a connection node pair of said load circuit and output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, said amplifier stage having an output connected to said third terminal; and

a connection switching circuit for controlling the switching between

a first connection state in which first and second inputs of the input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said first and second terminals, respectively, and in which first and second inputs of the input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said first terminal and to said third terminal, respectively, and

a second connection state in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said third and first terminals, respectively, and in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said second terminal and to said first terminal, respectively.

2. A differential amplifier comprising:

first and second terminals for receiving signals;

a third terminal for outputting a signal; first and second differential pairs, each having an input pair and an output pair, said first and second differential pairs being supplied with currents from associated current sources, respectively;

a load circuit connected to output pairs of said first and second differential pairs;

an amplifier stage for receiving, as an input, a signal of at least one connection node of a connection node pair of said load circuit and output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, said amplifier stage having an output connected to said third terminal; and

a connection switching circuit for controlling the switching between

a first connection state in which first and second inputs of an input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said first and second terminals, respectively, and in which first and second inputs of an input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said first terminal and to said third terminal, respectively, and

a second connection state in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said second and first terminals, respectively, and in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said third terminal and to said first terminal, respectively.

3. The differential amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein said connection switching circuit controls, in addition to the switching between said first and second connection states,

a third switching state in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said first and third terminals, respectively, and in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said first terminal and to said second terminal, respectively, and

a fourth connection state in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said first differential pair are connected to said second and first terminals, respectively, and in which the first and second inputs of the input pair of said second differential pair are connected to said third terminal and to said first terminal, respectively.

4. The differential amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein first outputs of output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node; and

wherein said connection switching circuit performs switching control so that, in said first connection state, said first connection node is connected, as an output end of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to an input end of said amplifier stage, and so that, in said second connection state, said second connection node is connected, as an output end of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to the input end of said amplifier stage.

5. The differential amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein first outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node;

said amplifier stage is composed by a differential amplifier stage having an input pair; and wherein

said connection switching circuit performs switching control so that, in said first connection state, said first and second connection nodes are connected, as output ends of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to first and second inputs of the input pair of said differential amplifier stage, respectively, and so that, in said second connection state, said first and second connection nodes are connected, as output ends of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to the second and first inputs of the input pair of said differential amplifier stage, respectively.

6. The differential amplifier according to claim 3 , wherein

first outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node; and, wherein

said connection switching circuit performs control so that, in said first and third connection states, said first connection node is connected, as an output end of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to the input end of said amplifier stage, and so that, in said second and fourth connection states, said second connection node is connected, as an output of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to an input end of said amplifier stage.

7. The differential amplifier according to claim 3 , wherein first outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node;

said amplifier stage is composed by a differential amplifier stage having an input pair; and, wherein

said connection switching circuit performs control so that, in said first and third connection states, said first and second connection nodes are connected, as output ends of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to first and second inputs of the input pair of said differential amplifier stage, respectively, and so that, in said second and fourth connection states, said first and second connection nodes are connected, as output ends of the output pairs of said first and second differential pairs, to said second and first inputs of the input pair of said differential amplifier stage, respectively.

8. The differential amplifier according to claim 1 , wherein said load circuit is a current mirror;

first outputs of output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node; and, wherein

said connection switching circuit performs control so that in said first connection state, said first connection node is connected to an output of said current mirror and to an input of said amplifier stage, and said second connection node is connected to an input of said current mirror, and so that in said second connection state, said first connection node is connected to the input of said current mirror and said second connection node is connected to the output of said current mirror and to the input of said amplifier stage.

9. The differential amplifier according to claim 3 , wherein said load circuit is a current mirror;

first outputs of output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a first connection node;

second outputs of output pairs of said first and second differential pairs are connected to each other at a second connection node; and, wherein

said connection switching circuit performs switching control so that

in said first and third connection states, said first connection node is connected to an output of said current mirror and to an input of said amplifier stage, and said second connection node is connected to an input of said current mirror, and so that

in said second and fourth connection states, said first connection node is connected to the input of said current mirror and said second connection node is connected to the output of said current mirror and to the input of said amplifier stage.

10. A display comprising a data driver including said differential amplifier as set fourth in claim 1 , and a display panel; wherein

a data line of said display panel is driven based on an output signal of said data driver.

11. A display comprising:

a plurality of data lines extending in one direction parallel to one another; a plurality of scan lines extending parallel to one another in a direction perpendicular to said one direction;

a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in the form of a matrix at points of intersection of said data lines and said scan lines;

a plurality of transistors associated with said pixel electrodes so that first ends of drain inputs and source inputs of the transistors are connected to the pixel electrodes associated therewith, second ends of the drain inputs and the source inputs are connected to said data lines, associated therewith, and so that gates of the transistors are connected to said scan lines; a gate driver for supplying scan signals to said scan lines; and a data driver for supplying gray-scale signals, associated with input data, to said data lines; said data driver being the data driver as set fourth in claim 10 .