Unified Overvoltage and Overcurrent Protection Circuit with Recovery Timer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply systems lack effective protection mechanisms to prevent damage from overvoltage and overcurrent events, which can lead to equipment damage or failure.
Innovation Solution
A protection circuitry that includes a configurable recovery period timer and an enhanced current source, allowing for simultaneous monitoring and disconnection of power in case of overvoltage or overcurrent events, without the need for separate time delay circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate time delay circuits are used for overvoltage and overcurrent protection, then each protection function can operate independently, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines overvoltage protection and overcurrent protection into a single unified circuit architecture. The enhanced current source serves both protection functions, and a single configurable recovery period timer manages both overvoltage and overcurrent events. This merging eliminates the need for separate time delay circuits while maintaining independent protection capabilities through shared control logic that responds to different fault conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovery period timer is designed as a universal component that handles both overvoltage and overcurrent protection events. The enhanced current source also serves multiple functions by working with both protection mechanisms. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed while ensuring both protection functions operate effectively with a single configurable time delay parameter.
2Device complexity
If a configurable recovery period timer is shared between overvoltage and overcurrent protection, then device complexity is reduced, but the precision of individual protection timing may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery period timer is designed to be dynamically configurable, allowing the time delay parameter to be adjusted based on specific application requirements. This configurability ensures that the single timer can provide appropriate timing precision for both overvoltage and overcurrent protection events, adapting to different fault conditions and system requirements without compromising the accuracy of individual protection functions.
3Reliability
If comprehensive protection mechanisms are implemented for both overvoltage and overcurrent, then load protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges overvoltage protection and overcurrent protection into a single integrated circuit system. The enhanced current source and recovery period timer serve both protection functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for completely separate protection circuits. This merging maintains comprehensive load protection while significantly reducing the overall device complexity compared to traditional separate protection architectures.
Data Source
AI summary
Protection circuitry configured to protect an electrical load from both overvoltage and overcurrent and includes a recovery period timer configured to set a recovery time. The recovery time allows a system, including a power supply, voltage regulator, protection circuitry and electrical load to dissipate heat and reset components. The protection circuitry is configured to monitor downstream performance of the electrical load and disconnect upstream power based on a downstream failure or other performance characteristics. The protection circuitry may include a downstream overvoltage sensing circuit that controls a current source. The current source injects current into an overcurrent protection loop in the protection circuitry that includes the configurable recovery period timer. In this manner both an overvoltage and an overcurrent event may take advantage of the configurable recovery period timer without the need for a separate time delay circuit.