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. 20, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 26, 2000
Andrea Milanesi, Castelnoceto, IT;
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, IT;
Abstract
Non linear circuit for open load control in Low-Side Driver type circuits, including at least two power transistors, scaled according to an area ratio 1 to M, with M>1, wherein the power transistor having the smaller area is controlled by a circuit input signal while the transistor having the larger area is controlled by an output value of an AND type logic gate, managed by a control circuit, that is regulated by the output value of a voltage sensor, placed in parallel with the power transistor having the larger area, and by the output value of a current sensor, placed in series with the power transistor having the smaller area, so that, when a current flowing in the power transistor having the smaller area is less than a predetermined value of the threshold current, the control circuit signals the open load on an output pin.