Integrated protection devices with monitoring of electrical characteristics

A process comprising:

• sensing a first electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path;
• sensing a second electrical characteristic at the current path after a time period;
• determining whether to cause the switching mechanism to have the off state responsive to the sensed first and second electrical characteristics meeting or exceeding a threshold;
• and
• providing a reporting signal responsive to the sensed first and second electrical characteristics, the reporting signal indicative of the sensed first and second electrical characteristics.

A process comprising:

• sensing a first electrical characteristic at a current path between a power supply and a device, a switching mechanism being coupled between the power supply and the device, the switching mechanism configured to have an on state in which the power supply is coupled to the device or an off state in which the power supply is de-coupled from the device, the on state allowing current to pass from the power supply to the device along the current path;
• comparing the sensed first electrical characteristic with a first threshold and a second threshold;
• when the sensed first electrical characteristic meets or exceeds the first threshold but does not meet or exceed the second threshold, sensing a second electrical characteristic at the current path;
• when the sensed second electrical characteristic meets or exceeds both the first threshold and the second threshold, causing the switching mechanism to have the off state;
• and
• when the sensed second electrical characteristic does not exceed the second threshold, generating a signal indicative of the sensed first electrical characteristic.