Drive state detection circuit

• US 20060038538A1
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. (Minebea Mitsumi, Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Fumihiro, Endo, Naoto, Edamura, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,274,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/157
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04

Abstract

A drive state detection circuit is disclosed that detects a drive state of plural parts driven by alternating currents. The drive state detection circuit comprises current detecting parts to detect alternating current detection signals of the respective alternating currents flowing through the driven parts, a maximum value output part to output an alternating current detection signal having a maximum value among the alternating current detection signals detected by the current detecting parts, a coefficient multiplication part to multiply the signal output from the maximum value output part by a coefficient, a comparing part to compare the multiplied signal with the alternating current detection signals so as to output state signals corresponding to the respective driven parts, a logic synthesizing part to generate an output by logically synthesizing the state signals output from the comparing part, and an output part to generate a drive state detection signal based on the output from the logic synthesizing part.

Claims

1. A drive state detection circuit to detect a drive state of a plurality of parts driven by alternating currents, comprising:

current detecting part to detect alternating current detection signals of the respective alternating currents flowing through the driven parts;

a maximum value output part to output an alternating current detection signal having a maximum value among the alternating current detection signals detected by the current detecting parts;

a coefficient multiplication part to multiply the signal output from the maximum value output part by a coefficient;

a comparing part to compare the multiplied signal with the alternating current detection signals so as to output state signals corresponding to the respective driven parts;

a logic synthesizing part to generate an output by logically synthesizing the state signals output from the comparing part; and

an output part to generate a drive state detection signal based on the output from the logic synthesizing part.

2. The drive state detection circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a reference voltage generating part to generate a reference voltage corresponding to a lower limit of a maximum value; and

a second comparing part to compare the signal output from the maximum value output part with the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage generating part, and output a state signal based on a comparison result to the logic synthesizing part.

3. The drive state detection circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage detecting part to detect voltages applied to the driven parts;

a second reference voltage generating part to generate a reference voltage corresponding to an upper limit of a voltage applied to the driven parts; and

a third comparing part to compare the voltages detected by the voltage detecting parts with the reference voltage generated by the second reference voltage generating part, and output a state signal based on a comparison result to the logic synthesizing part.

4. The drive state detection circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output part is adapted to invert the drive state detection signal when the output from the logic synthesizing part stays in a predetermined condition during a predetermined time.

5. The drive state detection circuit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the output part comprises:

a capacitor;

a charging part to charge the capacitor;

a discharging part to discharge the capacitor according to the output of the logic synthesizing part; and

an output circuit to invert the drive state detection signal according to a charging voltage of the capacitor.

6. The drive state detection circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of driven parts are Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps.