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:
Dec. 30, 1997
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1996
Donald L Mueller, Centerville, OH (US);
Benjamin L Miciano, El Paso, TX (US);
ITT Automotive Electrical Systems, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A power-on-reset and watchdog circuit is disclosed which employs discrete bipolar transistors to provide reset capability for microprocessors in the event of power-up or microprocessor malfunction. The present invention has a watchdog detection circuit which monitors a pulsed microprocessor output signal. As long as the watchdog detection circuit receives the pulsed microprocessor output signal, the microprocessor will not reset. In the event of microprocessor malfunction the pulsed microprocessor output signal will latch either high or low, initiating an oscillator circuit to reset the microprocessor. Upon power-up, the watchdog detection circuit will be forced into the off state for a specified amount of time so as to invoke the oscillator circuit, thereby resetting the microprocessor.