Method for operating an electric circuit
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorKlaus Hoermaier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for operating an electric circuit, the electric circuit comprising a low voltage domain and a high voltage domain. The electronic circuit is configured to perform a monitoring routine for detecting a short circuit condition between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain and to perform a short circuit routine upon detection of a short circuit.
Claims19
A method for operating an electric circuit, the electric circuit comprising a low voltage domain and a high voltage domain, the method comprising:
- providing the low voltage domain of the electric circuit with a low supply voltage;
- providing the high voltage domain of the electric circuit with a high supply voltage;
- providing a low voltage domain switch with a low voltage domain transistor for switching the low supply voltage for a low voltage domain load;
- providing a high voltage domain switch with a high voltage domain transistor for switching the high supply voltage for a high voltage domain load;
- controlling the low voltage domain switch and the high voltage domain switch individually into an ON state and an OFF state;
- in a monitoring routine, measuring a monitoring voltage and/or a monitoring current of the low voltage domain transistor and/or of the high voltage domain transistor and evaluating, if the monitoring voltage and/or the monitoring current of the low voltage domain transistor and/or the high voltage domain transistor fulfill(s) a short circuit criterion, wherein the short circuit criterion indicates a short circuit between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain, and, if the result of the evaluation is positive, initiating a short circuit routine.
A smart switch for an electric circuit, the electric circuit comprising a low voltage domain and a high voltage domain, the smart switch comprising:
- a transistor configured to being switched into an ON state and an OFF state;
- and
- a control unit configured to:
- in a monitoring routine, measure a monitoring voltage and/or a monitoring current of the transistor and evaluate, if the monitoring voltage and/or the monitoring current of the transistor fulfill(s) a short circuit criterion, wherein the short circuit criterion indicates a short circuit between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain, and, if the result of the evaluation is positive, initiate a short circuit routine.
A power distribution system for operating an electric circuit, the electric circuit comprising a low voltage domain and a high voltage domain, the power distribution system comprising:
- a low voltage port for providing a low supply voltage to the low voltage domain;
- a high voltage port for providing a high supply voltage to the high voltage domain;
- a low voltage domain switch comprising a low voltage domain transistor for switching the low supply voltage for a low voltage domain load;
- a high voltage domain switch comprising a high voltage domain transistor for switching the high supply voltage for a high voltage domain load;
- a control arrangement configured to:
- in a monitoring routine, measure a monitoring voltage and/or a monitoring current of the low voltage domain transistor and/or of the high voltage domain transistor and evaluate, if the monitoring voltage and/or the monitoring current of the low voltage domain transistor and/or the high voltage domain transistor fulfill(s) a short circuit criterion, wherein the short circuit criterion indicates a short circuit between the low voltage domain and the high voltage domain, and, if the result of the evaluation is positive, initiate a short circuit routine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.