Jeffrey T Reiter

US Patent:

8035943, Oct 11, 2011

Filed:

Aug 23, 2006

Appl. No.:

12/377807

Inventors:

Pierre Turpin - Toulouse, FR
Jeffrey T. Reiter - Dearborn MI, US

Assignee:

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. - Austin TX

International Classification:

H02H 9/08
H02H 9/02

US Classification:

361 939, 361101

Abstract:

A protection circuit apparatus comprises a retriggerable fuse having an awakened state and a sleep state. The retriggerable fuse has an input and an output and is arranged, when in the awakened state, to selectively prevent a load current from flowing from the input to the output in response to the load current exceeding a first current threshold. An activation circuit is also provided and is arranged to sense the load current being drawn. The activation circuit causes the retriggerable fuse to enter the awakened state from the sleep state when the sensed load current exceeds a second current threshold.