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:
May. 17, 2016
Filed:
Aug. 20, 2013
Texas Instruments Incorporated;
Sri Navaneethakrishnan Easwaran, Richardson, TX (US);
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and methods disclosed herein implement steady-state and fast transient electronic current limiting through power transistors, including power transistors used as pass elements associated with general purpose drivers. Embodiments herein prevent excessive steady-state current flow through one or more driver pass elements and/or through load elements in series with the pass element(s) via a current sensing and driver preamplifier feedback loop. A transient over-current protection circuit includes a fast transient switch and a transient over-current control circuit. The transient over-current control circuit rectifies one or more transient voltage spikes to create a momentary direct current (DC) voltage power supply (MVS) to power a fast transient driver circuit and to trip the fast transient switch. The fast transient switch discharges a transient pass element input voltage (e.g., a gate voltage on a MOSFET power transistor in some embodiments) and terminates current flow through the pass element current channel.