Patent · US Expired

Circuit protection system

US7777996B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 2005
Grant dateAug 17, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 15, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D89/811

Abstract

A system and method for protecting a circuit. The system includes a protection circuit that includes an inverter and a capacitor coupled to the inverter. The inverter and the capacitor are implemented using logic circuits of a circuit core, and the inverter shunts electrostatic discharge ESD current through the capacitor. According to the system and method disclosed herein, because the protection circuit shunt circuit shunts ESD current using logic circuits of the circuit core, ESD protection is achieved while not requiring large FETs. Also, the protection circuit protects circuits against ESD events that conventional FET cannot protect.

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