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US 2019/0245328 A1Published application
Methods and apparatus for a current circuit
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorYasuhiro NODAKE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments of the present technology comprise a method and apparatus for a current circuit. According to various embodiments, the current circuit may be utilized for current detection or current limiting. The current circuit may be configured to compensate for a base current, making detection of an input current more accurate.
Claims20
A current circuit capable of generating a base current, comprising:
- a first current mirror circuit;
- a current source connected to the first current mirror circuit and configured to generate a source current;
- a second current mirror circuit connected to the first current mirror circuit;
- an input circuit comprising:
- a first transistor;
- and
- a second transistor;
- wherein a base terminal of the first transistor is connected to a base terminal of the second transistor at a first node;
- and
- a current compensation circuit connected between the first node and the second current mirror circuit;
- wherein the current detection circuit outputs a detection signal based on a load current.
8 more elements
A method for detecting a load current, comprising:
- receiving the load current;
- providing a source current;
- generating a base current;
- compensating for the base current;
- and
- generating a detection signal according to the load current;
- wherein the detection signal is independent of:
- the base current;
- and
- a change in temperature.
7 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a load configured to generate a load current;
- an igniter, connected to the load and configured to detect the load current, comprising:
- an operational amplifier comprising:
- a cascoded current mirror circuit;
- a current splitting circuit connected to the cascoded current mirror circuit;
- an input circuit configured to detect the load current and comprising:
- a bipolar first transistor;
- and
- a second bipolar transistor connected to the first bipolar transistor;
- wherein first transistor and the second transistor share a base terminal;
- and
- a current compensation transistor connected between the base terminal and the second current mirror circuit;
- a sense resistor connected to a first terminal of the operational amplifier;
- and
- a reference resistor connected to a second terminal of the operational amplifier;
- wherein the igniter outputs a detection signal based on the load current.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.