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. 20, 2012
Filed:
Apr. 08, 2009
Takao Imai, Aichi, JP;
Hiroshi Mori, Aichi, JP;
Jun Ito, Toyota, JP;
Hisao Niwa, Nagoya, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
A short circuit protection circuit which readily recovers a relay drive circuit to an output operation state after a short circuit is cancelled while preventing the relay drive circuit from being damaged by a short circuit. The relay drive circuit outputs a drive current to a load in accordance with a first control signal. A short circuit detection circuit detects the occurrence of a short circuit at an output side of the relay drive circuit and suspends output operation of the relay drive circuit when a short circuit occurs. Further, the short circuit detection circuit intermittently transmits a recovery signal to the relay drive circuit in a certain time interval after a predetermined time elapses from when the short circuit occurs to recover the output operation of the relay drive circuit. The time interval is gradually increased whenever the recovery signal is transmitted.