Patent · US Active

Method and circuit for over-current protection

US7948729B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
2References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 29, 2009
Grant dateMay 24, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 28, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M1/0009
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment the present invention includes an over-current protection method. The method comprises generating a switching signal, starting and stopping a timer, sensing a current through a switch, comparing a response time to a reference time, and generating an over-current alarm signal. The switching signal activates one or more switches in a switching regulator. The timer is started in response to the switch being activated and is stopped in response to the sensed current exceeding a threshold. The response time indicates the time period between the starting and the stopping of the timer. The over-current alarm signal is generated if the response time is less than the reference time.

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