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:
Sep. 30, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 28, 2005
Dipankar Bhattacharya, Macungie, PA (US);
Makeshwar Kothandaraman, Whitehall, PA (US);
John C. Kriz, Palmerton, PA (US);
Bernard L. Morris, Emmaus, PA (US);
Dipankar Bhattacharya, Macungie, PA (US);
Makeshwar Kothandaraman, Whitehall, PA (US);
John C. Kriz, Palmerton, PA (US);
Bernard L. Morris, Emmaus, PA (US);
Agere Systems Inc., Allentown, PA (US);
Abstract
A buffer circuit having enhanced overvoltage protection includes core buffer circuitry couplable to a first voltage source having a first voltage level. The core buffer circuitry is configured to receive a first signal and to generate a second signal which is a function of the first signal. The buffer circuit further includes a protection circuit coupled between the core buffer circuitry and a signal pad. The protection circuit is operative: (i) to clamp the first signal to about the first voltage level when a third signal received at the signal pad exceeds the first voltage level by a first amount; and (ii) to generate the first signal being substantially equal to the third signal when the third signal is less than or substantially equal to the first voltage level.