# US 12,222,406 B2 · Integrated circuit device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,406 B2 - Document ID: US12222406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/011,461 - Filed: 2021-02-05 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-22 - Assignees: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. - Inventors: Yasuo Shima; Keishi Komoriyama; Yoichiro Kobayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222406B2 ## CPC - G01R 31/54: Testing for continuity - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H03K 17/145: {in field-effect transistor switches} - H03K 17/18: Modifications for indicating state of switch - G01R 31/2829: {Testing of circuits in sensor or actuator systems (testing of apparatus for measuring electric or magnetic variables G01R35/00; testing of indicating or recording apparatus G01D; in airbag systems B60R21/0173; checking gas analysers G01N33/007; monitoring or fail-safe circuits for electromagnets H01F7/1844)} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - 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 Poor opening is detected with certainty and reliability with respect to a ground line of an integrated circuit device regardless of the connection state of a load and the operating state of a drive circuit. In an integrated circuit device 10, a drive circuit 30 switches between conduction and interruption of a load current using switch elements 40 and 45. The ground line 31 is grounded via the GND terminal 32 to the common ground provided outside the integrated circuit device 10 and is connected to the drive circuit 30. The ground line 21 is grounded to the common ground via the GND terminal 22 and is connected to the control circuit 20. The diagnostic current supply circuit 90 supplies a predetermined diagnostic current to the ground line 31. The rectifying elements 61 and 62 are connected between the ground line 21 and the ground line 31. The diagnostic circuit 70 measures the potential difference between the ground line 31 and the ground line 21 and compares the potential difference with the predetermined comparison voltage 73 to diagnose the grounding state of the ground line 31. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated circuit device connected to a load and controlling a load current supplied to the load, the integrated circuit device comprising: a drive circuit having a switch element and using the switch element to switch between conduction and interruption of the load current; a control circuit generating a signal for operation of the drive circuit; a first ground line grounded to a common ground provided outside the integrated circuit device via a first ground connection terminal and connected to the drive circuit; a second ground line grounded to the common ground via a second ground connection terminal and connected to the control circuit; a diagnostic current supply circuit supplying a predetermined diagnostic current to the first ground line; a bidirectional rectifying element connected between the first ground line and the second ground line; and a diagnostic circuit measuring a potential difference between the first ground line and the second ground line and comparing the potential difference with a predetermined comparison voltage to diagnose a grounding state of the first ground line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the switch element includes a high-side switch element and a low-side switch element each switchable to an ON state or an OFF state, the drive circuit uses the high-side switch element to conduct or interrupt the load current between a power supply supplying the load current and the load and uses the low-side switch element to conduct or interrupt the load current between the first ground line and the load, and the control circuit repeatedly generates a signal for operation of the drive circuit to alternately and complementarily switch the high-side switch element and the low-side switch element to the ON state or the OFF state. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein the high-side switch element and the low-side switch element are configured using MOS transistors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The integrated circuit device according to claim 2, wherein the load is an inductive load, the load is connected between the drive circuit and the common ground, and the diagnostic circuit inverts polarity of the potential difference and performs comparison with the comparison voltage when the high-side switch element is switched from the ON state to the OFF state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic current supply circuit is configured to modify the diagnostic current based on whether the drive circuit is in operation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic circuit changes the comparison voltage in accordance with a temperature of the rectifying element based on a temperature dependency of a forward voltage of the rectifying element. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit stops the operation of the drive circuit in a case where the diagnostic circuit diagnoses that the grounding state of the first ground line is abnormal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The integrated circuit device according to claim 1, wherein the load is a solenoid for operating a vehicular automatic transmission, and the automatic transmission is controlled by controlling the load current flowing through the solenoid.