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:
Jul. 24, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 28, 1999
Applicant:
Inventor:
Giuseppe Scilla, Catania, IT;
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 5/04 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H02H 5/04 ;
Abstract
A process-independent thermal protection circuit for microelectronic circuits is disclosed, including a thermal ramp generator suitable to generate a first thermal ramp signal and a second thermal ramp signal, a differentiator suitable to determine the difference between the first and second thermal ramp signals in order to generate a difference voltage signal, and a comparator suitable to compare the difference voltage signal with a reference voltage signal in order to assert a thermal protection signal when the difference voltage signal drops below the reference voltage signal.