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:
Oct. 07, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 05, 2013
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Aline C. Sadate, Allen, TX (US);
William E. Grose, Allen, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
An IC generally comprises enable pin, ground pin, input pin, output pin, load switch, control circuitry, and level shifter. Load switch is coupled between the input pin and output pin and receives a negative voltage through the input pin. The control circuitry is coupled to the enable pin, the ground pin, and the load switch and controls the load switch and uses ground pin as positive supply rail and input pin as an internal ground. Voltage applied to the input terminal is negative, enabling pulling of the gate of a transistor of a level shifter to ground turns transistor as 'on,' enabling a negative output signal to be provided through output pin VOUT. Therefore, the output signal (at output pin VOUT) can be ground (applied to the ground pin GND) when the transistor is 'off' and can be the negative voltage (applied to the input pin VIN) when transistor is “on.”