# US 10,320,378 B2 · Passive leakage management circuit for a switch leakage current > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,378 B2 - Document ID: US10320378B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/502,544 - Filed: 2015-08-07 - Published: 2017-08-10 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-15 - Assignees: GE Aviation Systems LLC - Applicants: GE Aviation Systems Limited - Inventors: Peter James Handy; Nicholas George Tembe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320378B2 ## CPC - H03K 17/16: Modifications for eliminating interference voltages or currents - H03K 19/0016: {by using a control or a clock signal, e.g. in order to apply power supply} - H03K 19/0013: {in field effect transistor circuits} - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A passive leakage management circuit for a switch leakage current includes a switch being operable in a first operating mode, wherein the switch output supplies an output current having a first predetermined voltage. In a second operating mode, the switch output supplies a leakage current having a second voltage, a first current path, and a leakage current path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A passive leakage management circuit for a switch leakage current comprising: a switch having a switch input, and a switch output electrically coupled with an electrical load, and operable in a first and a second operating mode, wherein in the first operating mode the switch output supplies an output current provided to the input and having a first predetermined voltage, and in the second operating mode the switch output supplies a leakage current from the input and having a second voltage lower than the first voltage; a first current path comprising at least a first transistor, wherein the first transistor conducts current along the first current path based on the switch output; and a leakage current path comprising at least a second transistor, wherein the second transistor conducts current along the leakage current path based on the first transistor conducting current; wherein at least one of the first current path or leakage current path conducts current automatically based on the switch output, without an additional power source beyond the switch output, and independent of the state of the switch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the leakage current path further comprises a first resistor configured to dissipate a first amount of power when the leakage current path conducts current. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 2, wherein the first current path further comprises a second resistor configured to dissipate a second amount of power when the first current path conducts current. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 3, wherein the first amount of power is less than the second amount of power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 2, wherein the first resistor further comprises a resistor configured to dissipate the leakage current. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 5, wherein the first resistor comprises at least one of a shunt resistor, a variable resistor, or a zener diode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a solid state power controller (SSPC). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined voltage is 270 VDC. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the second voltage is 25 VDC. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the first transistor comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 10, wherein the MOSFET comprises a gate terminal, a source terminal, and a drain terminal, and wherein the MOSFET is configured to conduct current between the source terminal and drain terminal when the gate terminal is exposed to a voltage greater than the MOSFET threshold voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein the second transistor comprises a bipolar transistor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first current path or the leakage current path conducts current automatically based on the switch output, without awareness of the state of the switch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 3, wherein the first resistor further comprises a resistor configured to dissipate the leakage current. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The passive leakage management circuit of claim 4, wherein the first resistor further comprises a resister configured to dissipate the leakage current.