US 7,075,287 B1Granted

Current sensor

AssigneeAllegro MicroSystems, LLC

InventorsVijay Mangtani, Michael C. Doogue, William P. Taylor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An integrated circuit current sensor includes a lead frame having at least two leads coupled to provide a current conductor portion, and a substrate having a first surface in which is disposed one or more magnetic field sensing elements, with the first surface being proximate to the current conductor portion and a second surface distal from the current conductor portion. In one particular embodiment, the substrate is disposed having the first surface of the substrate above the current conductor portion and the second surface of the substrate above the first surface. In this particular embodiment, the substrate is oriented upside-down in the integrated circuit in a flip-chap arrangement. The integrated circuit includes an overcurrent circuit responsive to a voltage drop generated by a current.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit, comprising:

a lead frame portion having a plurality of leads;
a current conductor portion comprising at least two of the plurality of leads;
a substrate having first and second opposing surfaces, the first surface proximate to the current conductor portion and the second surface distal from the current conductor portion;
one or more magnetic field sensing elements disposed proximate to the current conductor portion;
a current sensing circuit disposed on the first surface of the substrate and coupled to the one or more magnetic field sensing elements, wherein the current sensing circuit is adapted to provide an output signal indicative of a current flowing through the current conductor portion;
and
an overcurrent circuit disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the overcurrent circuit is adapted to sense a voltage drop associated with a current and further adapted to provide an output signal in response to the voltage drop, wherein the output signal is indicative of the current sensed by the overcurrent circuit being above a predetermined current.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/336,602Filed 20 Jan 2006 · continuation in part
Priority: 26 Aug 2003
Published: US 2006/0152210 A113 Jul 2006
Granted: 11 Jul 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G01R 15/202
Using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices , i.e. measuring a magnetic field via the interaction between a current and a magnetic…:…
G01R 1/36
Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00: overload-protection arrangements or…
G01R 15/207
Using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices , i.e. measuring a magnetic field via the interaction between a current and a magnetic…:…
H10W 72/07636
Techniques: soldering or alloying

Family

Application10/649,450Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Aug 2003
Application11/140,250Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 May 2005
Application11/144,970Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Jun 2005
US 6,995,315 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0045359 A1Published application
US 2005/0224248 A1Published application
US 2005/0248336 A1Published application
US 2006/0152210 A1Published application
US 7,166,807 B2Related patent
US 7,709,754 B2Related patent
US 7,075,287 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.