Patent · US Expired

Circuitry for controlling load current

US5796278A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 26, 1996
Grant dateAug 18, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 26, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K17/145
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Circuitry for controlling load current, in accordance with the present invention, utilizes a load drive transistor configuration operable to provide a first load current path having a first fraction of load current flowing therethrough and a second load current path having a second smaller fraction of load current flowing therethrough. The circuit includes a sense resistor associated with the load drive transistor to detect various load current threshold values. In order to reduce debiasing effects of the sense resistor upon the second load current path of the load drive transistor, a compensation resistor is provided between drive inputs associated with each of the two current paths. The compensation resistor has a compensation voltage established thereacross which is operable to negate the debiasing effect of the sense resistor on the load driving device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.