# US 2014/0197869 A1 · Circuit control device

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- Number: US 2014/0197869 A1
- Document ID: US20140197869A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/154,645
- Filed: 2014-01-14
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-16
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Yousuke WATANABE; Junichi FUKUTA; Tsuneo MAEBARA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197869A1

## CPC

- H03K 17/18: Modifications for indicating state of switch
- 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 circuit control device controlling a switching circuit which has a semiconductor switching element, having a main controller, a drive signal output portion and an obtaining portion. The main controller outputs a drive control signal. The drive signal output portion receives the drive control signal and outputs a drive signal to the switching element, the switching element acting on the basis of the drive signal. The obtaining portion obtains circuit information on status of the switching circuit in synchronization with the drive control signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit control device controlling a switching circuit which has a semiconductor switching element, comprising:
a main controller that outputs a drive control signal;
a drive signal output portion that receives the drive control signal and outputs a drive signal to the switching element, the switching element acting on the basis of the drive signal;
an obtaining portion that obtains circuit information on status of the switching circuit in synchronization with the drive control signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit control device according to claim 1, further comprising a malfunction detection portion that detects occurrence of malfunction in the switching circuit and outputs a malfunction detection signal to the main controller,
wherein,
the main controller stops the output of the drive control signal when receiving the malfunction detection signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit control device according to claim 1, wherein
the obtaining portion obtains the circuit information in synchronization with an input period of the drive control signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit control device according to claim 1, wherein
the drive control signal is a pulsed signal; and
the obtaining portion has storage medium that stores the circuit information, the obtaining portion being triggered to update the stored content of the circuit information by an input of the pulse.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The circuit control device according to claim 2, wherein
the drive signal output portion has a capacity to receive the malfunction detection signal outputted from the malfunction detection portion, and stops the output of the drive signal when receiving the malfunction detection signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The circuit control device according to claim 2, wherein
the obtaining portion has a sender; and
the sender sends the circuit information to the main controller, when or after the malfunction detection portion detects malfunction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The circuit control device according to claim 6, wherein
the sender is triggered to send the circuit information to the main controller by the stop of the output of the drive control signal from the main controller.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The circuit control device according to claim 6, wherein
the sender is triggered to stop sending the circuit information to the main controller by the stop of the output of the drive control signal from the main controller.