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.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 24, 2007

Filed:

Mar. 15, 2005
Applicants:

Zoltan Zansky, San Carlos, CA (US);

William F. M. Jacobsen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Inventors:

Zoltan Zansky, San Carlos, CA (US);

William F. M. Jacobsen, Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Assignee:

Network Appliance, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01R 31/02 (2006.01); G01R 31/327 (2006.01); G01R 23/20 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a test circuit having an auxiliary low power test signal generator, filters, and a detector to test a power switch. The generator sends an auxiliary low power test signal having a different frequency than a power signal for the switch to an input of the switch. The detector detects the auxiliary low power test signal at an output of the switch. Test circuit filters are used to filter out the power signal from reaching the auxiliary low power test signal generator or the detector circuit. A circuit of the test circuit is tuned to the test signal's different frequency to ensure that the detector only detects the test signal when the switch is in one position. Thus, by detecting or sensing the test signal across the switch, the detector can detect whether the switch is operating properly.


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