Secondary protection approach for power switching applications
First Claim
1. An electronic system for providing power to a load, comprising:
- a plurality of first switches providing parallel paths from a power source to the load and being operable to control a flow of current from the power source to the load, each of the first switches having an input, an output, and a gate;
a controller, wherein the controller is operable to detect a fault condition and to turn OFF the plurality of first switches to prevent the flow of current from the power source to the load in response to the detected fault condition;
a plurality of first fuses, each first fuse being coupled to an input of an associated one of the plurality of first switches, each of the plurality of first fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current from the power source to the input of its associated switch if a current flowing to the input of its associated switch exceeds a first fuse current threshold; and
a plurality of second fuses, each second fuse being coupled to a gate of an associated one of the plurality of first switches, each of the second plurality of fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current to the gate of its associated switch if the current flowing to the gate of its associated switch exceeds a second fuse current threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for providing a primary and a secondary protection to a load in a power switching application uses an electronic circuit breaker to selectively permit a flow of current from an input to a load. The circuit breaker comprises a plurality of first switches coupled in parallel, and a plurality of fuses coupled to the plurality of first switches. In a disclosed embodiment, each first switch is coupled to a first fuse and to a second fuse. A controller opens and closes the plurality of first switches by commanding a driver current ON and OFF. The controller is operable to detect a fault condition and to open the plurality of first switches in response to the fault condition by commanding the driver current OFF. If the controller fails to open one of the first switches, one of the fuses coupled to the switch is operable to blow. In addition, the circuit breaker also comprises a charge pump that provides an electric current to a second plurality of switches to prevent the second plurality of switches form shorting the driver current.
25 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An electronic system for providing power to a load, comprising:
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a plurality of first switches providing parallel paths from a power source to the load and being operable to control a flow of current from the power source to the load, each of the first switches having an input, an output, and a gate; a controller, wherein the controller is operable to detect a fault condition and to turn OFF the plurality of first switches to prevent the flow of current from the power source to the load in response to the detected fault condition; a plurality of first fuses, each first fuse being coupled to an input of an associated one of the plurality of first switches, each of the plurality of first fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current from the power source to the input of its associated switch if a current flowing to the input of its associated switch exceeds a first fuse current threshold; and a plurality of second fuses, each second fuse being coupled to a gate of an associated one of the plurality of first switches, each of the second plurality of fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current to the gate of its associated switch if the current flowing to the gate of its associated switch exceeds a second fuse current threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of providing fault protection, comprising the steps of:
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detecting a fault condition; opening a plurality of first switches in response to the fault condition; blowing a first fuse coupled to an input of a one of the plurality of switches in response to said one of the plurality of switches not turning OFF; blowing a second fuse coupled to a gate of one of the plurality of switches in response to a gate of said one of the plurality of switches being shorted to an input of said one of the plurality of switches; orienting at least one zener diode to block a flow of current from the power source from flowing to the gates of each of the plurality of first switches in a non-fault condition; and permitting a flow of current from the power source to the gates of each of the plurality of switches to turn on the plurality of switches in response to a voltage of the power source exceeding a zener diode voltage threshold. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An electric system for use on a vehicle comprising:
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a load; a first input voltage; and at least one circuit breaker, wherein the circuit breaker includes; a plurality of first switches providing parallel paths from a power source to the load and being operable to control a flow of current from the power source to the load, each of the first switches having an input, an output, and a gate; a controller that is operable to detect a fault condition and to turn OFF the plurality of first switches to prevent the flow of current from the power source to the load in response to the detected fault condition; a plurality of first fuses, each first fuse being coupled to an input of an associated one of the plurality of first switches, each of the plurality of first fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current from the power source to the input of its associated switch if a current flowing to the input of its associated switch exceeds a first fuse current threshold; and a plurality of second fuses, each second fuse being coupled to a gate of an associated of the plurality of first switches, each of the second plurality of fuses being operable to prevent a flow of current to the gate of its associated switch if the current flowing to the gate of its associated switch exceeds a second fuse current threshold. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification