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:
Mar. 31, 2009
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2007
Alexander Fairgrieve, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Alexander Fairgrieve, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Intersil Americas Inc., Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
A transistor for use in an output stage is selectively part of one of two different circuits, one circuit being an electrostatic discharge (ESD) clamp circuit, the other circuit being an output stage circuit. For example, the transistor can be selectively connected such that it is part of the ESD clamp circuit, e.g., when a load (e.g., laser diode) connected to a current path terminal (e.g., drain or collector) of the transistor is not to be driven by a drive circuit. However, when the load connected to the current path terminal of the transistor is to be driven by the drive circuit, the transistor can be connected such that it receives a drive signal at its control terminal, from the drive circuit. This abstract is not intended to describe all embodiments of the present invention.