The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 2021

Filed:

Dec. 20, 2017
Applicant:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Inventors:

Nathan F. Hanagami, San Francisco, CA (US);

Jay B. Fletcher, Austin, TX (US);

Assignee:

Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 3/18 (2006.01); H02H 9/02 (2006.01); H03K 17/0812 (2006.01); G05F 1/575 (2006.01); H03K 17/082 (2006.01); G05F 1/46 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 3/18 (2013.01); G05F 1/575 (2013.01); H02H 9/02 (2013.01); H03K 17/0822 (2013.01); H03K 17/08122 (2013.01); G05F 1/46 (2013.01);
Abstract

A circuit and method for protecting from reverse current is disclosed. A reverse current protection circuit is coupled to a pass transistor of power circuitry (e.g., a power switch or voltage regulator), the pass transistor being coupled between first and second voltage nodes, the first voltage node being coupled to a power supply circuit. The reverse current protection circuit includes a sensing circuit that is configured to sense an amount of reverse current flowing through the pass transistor (from the second voltage node to the first voltage node). Responsive to the amount of reverse current exceeding a threshold value, the reverse current sensing circuit activates a shunt circuit, which redirects at least some of the reverse current to a reference node (e.g., ground).


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