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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 30, 1996
Filed:
Feb. 07, 1994
Bruce M Cassidy, Boca Raton, FL (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A branch protection circuit is provided to isolate a power network from a faulty load such as an overcurrent condition. The circuit employs a current-sense field effect transistor formed from two power field effect transistors integrated onto the same silicon substrate. The current-sense-FET is provided to detect if the electrical current in the larger FET has exceeded a predetermined threshold level. The circuit does not measure the specific current flowing through the transistors, and the circuitry employed to detect if the threshold current level is exceeded is significantly less complex than circuitry otherwise required to determine a specific current flow through one of the transistors.