Thin-oxide current clamp
US8649136B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 7, 2011 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H9/041
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A thin-oxide current clamp includes a clamp transistor in current-conducting relation between a voltage-sensitive circuit and a common return of a power supply, the clamp transistor responsive to a sense output signal to provide a low-resistance current flow path from the voltage-sensitive circuit to the common return and thereby clamp a voltage in the voltage-sensitive circuit. The thin-oxide current clamp also includes a current source and a reference current mirror, the reference current mirror providing a reference current. Further, the thin-oxide current clamp includes a sense current mirror providing a sense current. Further, the thin-oxide current clamp also includes an output transistor that receives the sense current and provides a current flow to a gate of the clamp transistors if the sense current exceeds the reference current.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.