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. 13, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 19, 2008
Deepak Gajanana, Diemen, NL;
Yorgos Christoforou, Arnhem, NL;
Deepak Gajanana, Diemen, NL;
Yorgos Christoforou, Arnhem, NL;
ST-Ericsson SA, Plan-les Ouates, CH;
Abstract
An integrated circuit () for use in a DC-DC converter is protected against damage from electrostatic discharge when not in use in the DC-DC converter. The integrated circuit includes a control circuit () and a switching transistor () coupled between a first and second terminal () of the integrated circuit (). During DC-DC conversion the control circuit controls periodic switching of the switching transistor. The integrated circuit () furthermore comprises an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit, with a high pass filter circuit () with inputs between terminals () of the integrated circuit () and an output coupled to a detector transistor (). The detector transistor () charges a chargeable circuit (). From a node between the detector transistor () and the chargeable circuit () the switching transistor () is made conductive when the detector transistor () becomes conductive. By using a high pass filter circuit () the ESD protection circuit is made to work outside normal use. When the DC-DC converter contains multiple switching transistors all are preferably made conductive upon detection of ESD.