Switch device
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsAnton Mauder, Kay Krupka, Jens Barrenscheen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to an embodiment of a switch device, the switch device includes a first switch, a second switch and an evaluation circuit. The evaluation circuit is configured to evaluate a temporal behavior of a node between the first switch and the second switch to detect a possible fault condition of at least one of the first switch or the second switch. A corresponding fault detection method for a switch device having a first switch and a second switch is also provided.
Claims18
A switch device, comprising:
- a first switch;
- a second switch;
- and
- an evaluation circuit configured to evaluate a temporal behavior of a node between the first switch and the second switch to detect a possible fault condition of at least one of the first switch or the second switch,
- wherein the temporal behavior of the node comprises an information indicative of a rate or speed of change of a voltage at the node,
- wherein the evaluation circuit comprises a measurement transistor, wherein a control terminal of the measurement transistor is coupled to the node.
A fault detection method for a switch device having a first switch and a second switch, the method comprising:
- Evaluating, by an evaluation circuit, a temporal behavior of a node between the first and second switches;
- and
- Determining, by the evaluation circuit, a possible fault condition of at least one of the first switch or the second switch based on the temporal behavior,
- placing the first and second switches in an open condition;
- closing the first switch;
- and
- pre-charging the node to a positive voltage,
- wherein the temporal behavior of the node comprises an information indicative of a rate or speed of change of a voltage at the node, and
- wherein evaluating the temporal behavior comprises evaluating if the voltage at the node drops sufficiently to a second voltage after closing the first switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.