Back to results
US 9,871,508 B2Granted
Smart switch for connecting an input power supply to a load
AssigneeMonolithic Power Systems, Inc.
InventorsYing Xiao, Rohan Samsi, Jinghai Zhou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch device includes an input pin that receives an input power supply and an output pin that is connected to a load. The monolithic IC switch device includes driving circuitry that controls a switching operation of a power switch to connect and disconnect the input power supply to and from the load. A microcontroller can enable or disable the monolithic IC switch device based on indicator signals received by the microcontroller from the monolithic IC switch device.
Claims16
A system comprising:
- a monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch device, the monolithic IC switch device comprising a first pin that receives an input power supply, a second pin connected to a load, a third pin that receives an enable signal that enables a power switch in the monolithic IC switch device to connect the first pin to the second pin, a fourth pin that outputs a temperature signal indicating a junction temperature of the monolithic IC switch device, a fifth pin that outputs a first supply current indicator signal indicative of an output current of the monolithic IC switch device, and a sixth pin that outputs a second supply current indicator signal indicative of the output current of the monolithic IC switch device;
- and
- a microcontroller having a processor and memory, the microcontroller connected to the fourth, fifth, and sixth pins of the monolithic IC switch device and controls operation of the monolithic IC switch device based on signals received by the microcontroller from the fourth, fifth, and sixth pins of the monolithic IC switch device.
A method comprising:
- receiving an input power supply at a first pin of a monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch device;
- coupling the input power supply at the first pin to a second pin of the monolithic IC switch device by way of a power switch in the monolithic IC switch device;
- receiving an enable signal at a fourth pin of the monolithic IC switch device to enable or disable the power switch;
- outputting a first current indicator signal that is indicative of an output current of the monolithic IC switch device at a sixth pin of the monolithic IC switch device;
- and
- outputting a second current indicator signal that is indicative of the output current of the monolithic IC switch device at a seventh pin of the monolithic IC switch device.
3 more elements
The method of 10, further comprising:
- receiving the combined current indicator signal at a pin of a single-chip microcontroller.
A system comprising:
- a monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch device that receives an input power supply at a first pin of the monolithic IC switch device, couples the input power supply at the first pin to a second pin of the monolithic IC switch device by way of a power switch in the monolithic IC switch device, receives a capacitance at a third pin coupled to the gate of the power switch, controls a switching operation of the power switch, and disables or enables the power switch in accordance with an enable signal at a fourth pin of the monolithic IC switch device;
- and
- a single-chip microcontroller that sends the enable signal to the monolithic IC switch device,
- wherein the monolithic IC switch device outputs a first current indicator signal that is indicative of an output current of the monolithic IC switch device at a sixth pin of the monolithic IC switch device, and
- wherein the monolithic IC switch device outputs a second current indicator signal that is indicative of the output current of the monolithic IC switch device at a seventh pin of the monolithic IC switch device.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.