Patent · US Expired

Voltage regulator circuit

US6031363A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
13References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 1997
Grant dateFeb 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05F3/227
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A voltage regulator which has two regulation circuits and a comparator for controlling the two regulation circuits is disclosed. The input of the comparator is connected to a power supply voltage such that the output of the comparator changes states when the power supply voltage reaches a predetermined voltage of around 8 volts. The first regulation circuit is enabled to provide the Vcc from the battery voltage until the power supply voltage reaches around 8 volts which is when the comparator changes states. At that point, the first regulation is disabled and the second regulation circuit is enabled to provide the Vcc voltage from the power supply voltage. Since the power supply voltage never reaches the load dump high voltages, the second pass transistors never gets exposed to a high voltage condition. Also, the first transistor can withstand higher voltages since its base is grounded.

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