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:
Aug. 24, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 23, 1998
Ricardo Erckert, Bad Aibling, DE;
Peter Kirchlechner, Hohenthann, DE;
STMicroelectronics, GmbH, Grasbrunn, DE;
Abstract
Driver and overload protection circuit for an electrical switch means. Switching control pulses with a minimum edge duration are fed to a two stage comparator circuit having first, lower and second, higher comparator threshold values. When the lower comparator threshold value is exceeded by a switching control pulse, the electrical switch means is rendered conducting. There is provided an overload detection circuit which, upon detection of overload of the electrical switch means, effects switching off of the same. For avoiding that turning on spikes upon each turning on of the electrical switch means, for example when switching capacitive loads, lead to deactivation of the switch means, any overload signal of the overload detector means is blocked as long as the instantaneous voltage value of the particular switching control pulse is not above the upper comparator threshold.