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. 05, 2014
Filed:
Aug. 31, 2011
Guido DE Sandre, Brugherio, IT;
Luca Bettini, Zurich, CH;
Gianni Giacomi, Verona, IT;
STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza (MB), IT;
Abstract
An embodiment of a discharge circuit for evacuating electric charge accumulated in circuit nodes of a charge pump during a discharge phase consequent to a shutdown of the charge pump is proposed. The charge pump is configured to bias each circuit node with a corresponding pump voltage during an operational phase of the charge pump. The discharge circuit includes a generator circuit configured to generate a discharge current during the discharge phase. The discharge circuit further includes means for evacuating the electric charge stored in each circuit node of the charge pump during a corresponding portion of the discharge phase; such means for evacuating include a respective discharge stage for each circuit node of the charge pump. Each discharge stage includes a first discharge circuit branch and a second discharge circuit branch coupled to the corresponding circuit node. The discharge stage is configured to cause the discharge current flowing through the first discharge circuit branch—during the portion of the discharge phase of the corresponding circuit node—when the pump voltage of the corresponding circuit node is higher than a respective threshold, and through the second discharge circuit branch when the pump voltage of the corresponding circuit node is lower than said respective threshold.