Suppressing electrical bus transients in electronic circuitry
US8704554B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 22, 2011 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/166
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method for protecting a switch from overvoltage transients that might otherwise occur when the switch is turned off. A transient-suppression controller controls a rate-of-change of voltage across a switch by delivering control signals to the switch. Controlling the rate-of-change of voltage enables controlled absorption of stored parasitic energy that might otherwise cause overvoltage transients. In some embodiments the switch is a MOSFET and the control signals are currents delivered to the gate of the MOSFET. In some embodiments, control is open-loop; in other embodiments closed-loop control is used to maintain essentially constant voltage across the switch as it turns off.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.