System and method for limiting voltage
AssigneeQualiTau, Inc.
InventorJames Borthwick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A voltage limiting circuit for limiting the voltage developed across a current sensing circuit and a method are disclosed. The voltage limiting circuit includes an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from the current sensing circuit, and an output terminal configured to receive an output signal from the current sensing circuit. A voltage sense circuit is connected to the input terminal and output terminal to detect that a predefined threshold voltage is developed between the input terminal and output terminal. An activation circuit receives a signal from the voltage sense circuit to activate the voltage limiting circuit, and a level shifting circuit interfaces the voltage sense circuitry to the activation circuitry and other circuits by level shifting signals to required levels.
Claims17
A voltage limiting circuit for limiting a voltage developed across a current sensing circuit, the voltage limiting circuit comprising:
- an input terminal configured to receive an input signal from the current sensing circuit;
- an output terminal configured to receive an output signal from the current sensing circuit;
- a voltage sense circuit configured to detect that a predefined threshold voltage is developed between the input terminal and output terminal;
- a level shifting circuit configured to level shift signals;
- and
- an activation circuit configured to activate the voltage limiting circuit.
A method of limiting voltage developed across a current sensing circuit using a voltage limiting circuit, the method comprising:
- receiving at an input terminal an input signal from the current sensing circuit;
- receiving at an output terminal an output signal from the current sensing circuit;
- detecting by a voltage sense circuit that a predefined threshold voltage is developed between the input terminal and output terminal;
- level shifting signals;
- and
- activating the voltage limiting circuit to shunt current from the current sensing circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.