Motorola Corporation

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Francoise Vareilhias

Pierre Turpin

Uli Joos

Ricardo Erckert

Josef Schnell

Philippe Rosado

Will Specks

Markus Strecker

Laurent Guillott

Power supply apparatus with overload protection comprising a switch responsive to an input signal for switching between an ON-state for supplying current from a source of power to a load and an OFF-state for interrupting the supply of current to the load, and protection means responsive to an overload condition to switch the switch to the OFF-state. The protection means is responsive to a first overload condition during an initial phase after the switch switches to the ON-state so as to switch the switch back to the OFF-state and maintain the switch in the OFF-state. The protection means is subsequently responsive to a second overload condition if the first overload condition is not detected during the initial phase so as to switch the switch to the OFF-state and subsequently switch the switch back to the ON-state after an interval of time. The protection means is responsive to the current exceeding a first threshold value in detecting the first overload condition, and is responsive to the current exceeding a second threshold value in detecting the second overload condition, the second threshold value being lower than the first threshold value. The protection means is responsive to a temperature of the switch means exceeding a temperature threshold value in detecting at least the first overload condition.

Power switching apparatus with overload protection

An electronic system ( ) for use in a car has an electronic control unit ( ) and, in the alternative, either a passive load ( ) or an active logic ( ) attached thereto. The control unit ( ) comprises a push-pull arrangement ( ) which can provide drive signals for the load ( ) as well as for the logic ( ), a multiplexer ( ) to alternatively forward a load drive signal of a bus signal to the arrangement ( ), and a register ( ) to store a mode signal. Further, the control unit ( ) automatically determines whether either the load ( ) or the logic ( ) is attached by analyzing electrical parameters.

Electronic driver circuit with multiplexer for alternatively driving a load or a bus line, and method

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Toulouse, France

Francoise Vareilhias