# US 12,109,958 B2 · In-vehicle semiconductor circuit and semiconductor circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,958 B2 - Document ID: US12109958B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/456,577 - Filed: 2021-11-25 - Published: 2022-03-17 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-17 - Assignees: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Mutsuo Nishikawa; Hirofumi Kato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109958B2 ## CPC - B60R 16/03: for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} - B60R 16/0232: {for measuring vehicle parameters and indicating critical, abnormal or dangerous conditions} - G08B 21/185: {Electrical failure alarms} - H02H 1/0007: {concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445)} - H02H 3/202: {for DC systems} - H02H 7/10: for converters; for rectifiers {(forming part of the control circuit of the converter, see the relevant group in H02M)} - H02H 3/18: responsive to reversal of direct current - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H) ## Abstract Provided is a semiconductor circuit connected to a load circuit and configured to control power supply to the load circuit, comprising: a power line to which a power voltage is applied; an overvoltage protection unit that has an output unit configured to interrupt power supply from the power line to the load circuit when the power voltage in the power line is overvoltage; and a state notification unit configured to notify the outside of a state signal indicating whether the output unit is interrupting the power supply. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor circuit connected to a load circuit and configured to control power supply to the load circuit, comprising: a power line to which a power voltage is applied; an overvoltage protection unit that has an output unit configured to interrupt power supply from the power line to the load circuit when the power voltage in the power line is overvoltage; a state notification unit configured to notify an external circuit different from the load circuit of a state signal indicating whether the output unit is interrupting the power supply; and a state notification line configured to output voltage from the load circuit and the state signal to the external circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the state notification line is configured to output the voltage from the load circuit and the state signal to the external circuit in different voltage ranges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the state notification unit is configured to generate the state signal based on voltage of a detection node for which potential is different in the overvoltage protection unit depending on whether the power supply is being interrupted or the power supply is not being interrupted. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 2, wherein the state notification unit is configured to generate the state signal based on voltage of a detection node for which potential is different in the overvoltage protection unit depending on whether the power supply is being interrupted or the power supply is not being interrupted. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 3, further comprising a reference potential line to which a reference potential is applied, wherein the state notification unit has a state notification switch configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the state notification line to the reference potential line depending on the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 3, wherein the state notification unit has a state notification switch configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the state notification line to the power line depending on the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 3, wherein the state notification unit has a state notification switch configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the state notification line to the load circuit depending on the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 5, further comprising an output line connected to the load circuit, wherein the output unit is an output transistor configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the power line to the output line, and the state notification unit is configured to detect voltage of a gate terminal of the output transistor as the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 6, further comprising an output line connected to the load circuit, wherein the output unit is an output transistor configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the power line to the output line, and the state notification unit is configured to detect voltage of a gate terminal of the output transistor as the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 8, wherein the overvoltage protection unit further has a protection transistor that is provided between the power line and the reference potential line and that is configured to select either voltage corresponding to the power voltage or voltage corresponding to the reference potential depending on magnitude of the power voltage, to apply the selected voltage to a gate terminal of the output transistor, and the state notification unit is configured to detect voltage outputted by the protection transistor to the gate terminal as the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 5, further comprising: an output line connected to the load circuit, wherein the output unit is an output transistor configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the power line to the output line, the overvoltage protection unit further has: a Zener diode; a first resistance element connected in series to the Zener diode; and a protection transistor that is provided between the power line and the reference potential line, that has a gate terminal to which voltage at a connecting point between the Zener diode and the first resistance element is applied, and that is configured to select either voltage corresponding to the power voltage or voltage corresponding to the reference potential, to apply the selected voltage to a gate terminal of the output transistor, and the state notification unit is configured to detect the voltage at the connecting point between the Zener diode and the first resistance element as the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 5, further comprising an output line connected to the load circuit, wherein the output unit is an output transistor configured to switch between connecting and not connecting the power line to the output line, and the state notification unit is configured to detect voltage of the output line as the voltage of the detection node. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 5, further comprising: a disconnection detection unit connected to the power line, the reference potential line, and the state notification line, wherein the disconnection detection unit is configured to notify the external circuit of a disconnection signal indicating whether the in-vehicle semiconductor circuit is disconnected. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 13, wherein the disconnection detection unit has: a second resistance element connected between the power line and the state notification line; a third resistance element connected between the state notification line and the reference potential line; and a fourth resistance element connected between the power line and the reference potential line. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 13, wherein the state notification line is configured to output the disconnection signal to the external circuit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 15, wherein the state notification line is configured to output the voltage from the load circuit, the state signal, and the disconnection signal to the external circuit in different voltage ranges. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the load circuit is a pressure sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor circuit is an in-vehicle semiconductor circuit. ### Claim 19 A semiconductor circuit connected to a load circuit and configured to control power supply to the load circuit, comprising: a power line to which a power voltage is applied; an overvoltage protection unit that has an output unit configured to interrupt power supply from the power line to the load circuit when the power voltage in the power line is overvoltage; a state notification unit configured to notify an external circuit different from the load circuit of a state signal indicating whether the output unit is interrupting the power supply; a disconnection detection unit configured to notify the external circuit of a disconnection signal indicating whether the semiconductor circuit is disconnected; and a state notification line configured to output voltage from the load circuit, the state signal, and the disconnection signal to the external circuit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The semiconductor circuit according to claim 19, wherein the load circuit is a pressure sensor.