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:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 08, 1994
Sergio Palara, Acitrezza, IT;
Stefano Sueri, Catania, IT;
SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Consorzio per la Ricerca sulla Microelettronica nel Mezzogiorno, , IT;
Abstract
A diagnostic signal, indicative of the reaching of a predefined level, lower than a fixed maximum limit value, by the current flowing through a power transistor, is generated while employing a single comparator of a reference voltage with the voltage present across a sensing resistance, thus preventing problems arising from different offset characteristics of distinct comparators. By the use of current mirrors, the generation of a diagnostic signal when the current reaches a level that can be fixed very close to the maximum limit value, may be reliably triggered, irrespectively of the offset characteristic of the single comparator employed.