Driver circuit for providing an output signal
First Claim
1. A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
- a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load;
a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and formed to impress a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and based on a drive signal; and
a comparator comprising a first input for receiving a gate voltage of the field-effect transistor and a second input for receiving the output signal,wherein the comparator is formed to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off has a field-effect transistor having a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load, a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor to impress a charge change current on the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor based on a drive signal, and a comparator having a first input for receiving the gate voltage and a second input for receiving the output signal to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that the charge change current is changed in magnitude when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled as compared to the charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
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a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load; a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and formed to impress a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and based on a drive signal; and a comparator comprising a first input for receiving a gate voltage of the field-effect transistor and a second input for receiving the output signal, wherein the comparator is formed to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
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providing a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load; impressing a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor based on a drive signal by a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor; and comparing a gate voltage of the field-effect transistor and the output signal by a comparator to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
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a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load; a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and formed to impress a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor based on a drive signal; and a comparator comprising a first input for receiving a gate voltage of the field-effect transistor and a second input for receiving the output signal, wherein the comparator is formed to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled, wherein the driver circuit comprises an input for receiving a control signal to effect switching on and/or switching off of the electrical load, wherein the comparator is formed to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit when a control signal is applied that effects switching on of the electrical load, and when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, so that the charge change current at the field-effect transistor increases, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit when the control signal is applied which effects the switching off of the electrical load, and when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, so that the charge change current at the field-effect transistor is reduced. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
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a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load; a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and formed to impress a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor based on a drive signal; a comparator comprising a first input for receiving a gate voltage of the field-effect transistor and a second input for receiving the output signal; wherein the comparator is formed to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled; wherein the comparator comprises a third input for receiving an activation signal to allow the comparator to be switched on and off; and wherein the comparator comprises; a first transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a second transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a third transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a fourth transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; and a first current source, wherein the first transistor is coupled to the first input of the comparator with the first terminal, to the control terminal of the second terminal with the second terminal and to the third input of the comparator with the control terminal, wherein the second transistor is coupled to a supply voltage with the first terminal and to the first current source with the second terminal, wherein the third transistor is coupled to a fourth terminal of the comparator with the first terminal, to the first current source with the second terminal and to the second terminal of the fourth transistor with the control terminal, wherein the fourth transistor is coupled to the second input of the comparator with the first terminal and to the third input of the comparator with the control terminal, and wherein the first current source is further connected to a reference potential.
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22. A driver circuit for providing an output signal for switching an electrical load on and off, comprising:
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a field-effect transistor comprising a gate terminal and an output for providing the output signal to the electrical load; a buffer circuit connected to the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor and formed to impress a charge change current at the gate terminal of the field-effect transistor based on a drive signal; and a comparator comprising a first input for receiving a gate voltage of the field-effect trnasistor and a second input for receiving the output signal, wherein the comparator is formed to determine whether the gate voltage and the output voltage fulfill a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, and to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit so that, when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, the charge change current is changed in magnitude as compared to a charge change current when the predetermined relationship is not fulfilled, wherein the driver circuit comprises an input for receiving a control signal to effect switching on or switching off of the electrical load, wherein the comparator is formed to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit when a control signal is applied that effects switching on of the electrical load, and when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled, so that the charge change current at the field-effect transistor increases; and
to provide the drive signal to the buffer circuit when the control signal is applied which effects the switching off of the electrical load, and when the predetermined relationship is fulfilled , so that the charge change current at the field-effect transistor is reduced,wherein the comparator comprises a third input for receiving an activation signal to allow the comparator to be switched on and off, and wherein the comparator comprises; a first transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a second transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a third transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; a fourth transistor comprising a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal; and a first current source, wherein the first transistor is coupled to the first input of the comparator with the first terminal, to the control terminal of the second terminal with the second terminal and to the third input of the comparator with the control terminal, wherein the second transistor is coupled to a supply voltage with the first terminal and to the first current source with the second terminal, wherein the third transistor is coupled to a fourth terminal of the comparator with the first terminal, to the first current source with the second terminal and to the second terminal of the fourth transistor with the control terminal, wherein the fourth transistor is coupled to the second input of the comparator with the first terminal and to the third input of the comparator with the control terminal, and wherein the first current source is further connected to a reference potential.
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Specification