Patent · US Active

Switching control circuit for thermal protection of transistors

US8624637B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

5References

18Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

Michael Asam · Aichach, DE
Carmelo Giunta · Munich, DE
Wolfgang Horchler · Rosenheim, DE
Markus Winkler · Munich, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 8, 2012
Grant date	Jan 7, 2014
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 8, 2032

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH03K2217/0081
WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A circuit for controlling the switching operation of a transistor is described. A gate driver circuit is operably connected to a control electrode of the transistor and is configured to charge and discharge the control electrode to switch the transistor on and off, respectively, in accordance with a control signal. The charging and discharging of the control electrode is done such that the corresponding transitions in the load current and the output voltage are smooth with a defined slope. A controllable switch is connected to the control electrode such that, when the switch closes, the control electrode is quickly discharged via the switch thus quickly switching off the transistor. A control logic circuit is configured to close the controllable switch for switching off the transistor when at least one of a number of conditions holds true.

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