Control device for an electronic fuse and method for controlling an electronic fuse

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10008846-B2
Application number	US-201514887659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of a control device for an electronic fuse and a method for controlling an electronic fuse are described. Embodiments of a control device for an electronic fuse may include an interface configured to receive a current from a transistor device of the electronic fuse. Additionally, the control device may further include a sense-and-control device coupled to the interface and configured to detect an increase in the current received at the interface under a standby mode of the electronic fuse and to output an interrupt signal in response to the increase in the current received at the interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for an electronic fuse, comprising:
an interface configured to receive a current from a transistor device of the electronic fuse; and
a sense-and-control device coupled to the interface and configured to detect an increase in the current received at the interface under a standby mode of the electronic fuse and to output an interrupt signal in response to the increase in the current received at the interface to put the electronic fuse in active mode, wherein the electronic fuse is configured to perform fast current detection in the active mode.

2. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the sense-and-control device comprises a current to voltage converter configured to compare the current received at the interface with a current threshold and to generate the interrupt signal based on a comparison between the current received at the interface and the current threshold.

3. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the sense-and-control device comprises an output interface configured to output the interrupt signal to cause the electronic fuse to change from the standby mode to an active mode.

4. The control device of claim 3 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises an adjustable resistance device, a resistance value of the adjustable resistance device being selectable in response to a level of the current received at the interface.

5. The control device of claim 4 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises an automatic ranging device configured to automatically scale the resistance value of the adjustable resistance device in response to a magnitude value of the current.

6. The control device of claim 5 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises a comparator configured to trigger an adjustment of the adjustable resistance component in response to the current received at the interface.

7. The control device of claim 6 , wherein the interface comprises:
a gate node interface configured interface with a gate node of the transistor device;
a drain node interface configured to interface with a drain node of the transistor device;
a source node interface configured to interface with a source node of the transistor device;
a Kelvin node interface configured to interface with a Kelvin node of the transistor device; and
a sense current node interface configured to receive the current from a sense current node of the transistor device, the current being a sense current that is smaller than a main current that flows through the transistor device by a predetermined ratio.

8. The control device of claim 7 , further comprising an Operational Amplifier (OPAMP) coupled to the sense node interface and the Kelvin node interface and configured to force a voltage value at the sense node interface and at the Kelvin node interface to equal levels.

9. An electronic fuse comprises the interface, the transistor device and the sense-and-control device of claim 1 .

10. A control device for an electronic fuse implemented in a vehicle, comprising:
an interface configured to receive a current from a MOSFET device of the electronic fuse, wherein the current is generated by a battery unit of the vehicle; and
a sense-and-control device coupled to the interface and configured to detect an increase in the current received at the interface under a standby mode of the electronic fuse and to output an interrupt signal in response to the increase in the current received at the interface to put the electronic fuse in active mode, wherein the electric fuse is configured to perform fast current detection in the active mode.

11. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the sense-and-control device comprises a current to voltage converter configured to compare the current received at the interface with a current threshold and to generate the interrupt signal based on a comparison between the current received at the interface and the current threshold.

12. The control device of claim 11 , wherein the sense-and-control device comprises an output interface configured to output the interrupt signal to a microcontroller of the vehicle, which causes the electronic fuse to change from the standby mode to an active mode.

13. The control device of claim 12 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises an adjustable resistance device, a resistance value of the adjustable resistance device being selectable in response to a level of the current received at the interface.

14. The control device of claim 13 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises an automatic ranging device configured to automatically scale the resistance value of the adjustable resistance device in response to a magnitude value of the current.

15. The control device of claim 14 , wherein the sense-and-control device further comprises a comparator configured to trigger an adjustment of the adjustable resistance component in response to the current received at the interface.

16. The control device of claim 15 , wherein the interface comprises:
a gate node interface configured interface with a gate node of the MOSFET device;
a drain node interface configured to interface with a drain node of the MOSFET device;
a source node interface configured to interface with a source node of the MOSFET device;
a Kelvin node interface configured to interface with a Kelvin node of the MOSFET device; and
a sense current node interface configured to receive the current from a sense current node of the MOSFET device, the current being a sense current that is smaller than a main current that flows through the MOSFET device by a predetermined ratio.

17. The control device of claim 16 , further comprising an Operational Amplifier (OPAMP) coupled to the sense node interface and the Kelvin node interface and configured to force a voltage value at the sense node interface and at the Kelvin node interface to equal levels.

18. A method for controlling an electronic fuse, the method comprising:
receiving a current from a transistor device of the electronic fuse; and
detecting an increase in the current received at the interface under a standby mode of the electronic fuse; and
outputting an interrupt signal in response to the increase in the current received at the interface to put the electronic fuse in active mode, wherein the electronic fuse is configured to perform fast current detection in the active mode.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising comparing the current received at the interface with a current threshold and generating the interrupt signal based on a comparison between the current received at the interface and the current threshold.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising outputting the interrupt signal to cause the electronic fuse to change from the standby mode to an active mode.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Van Dijk Luc
• Voelkel Holger
• Gauter Thomas
• Falkenstein Jan

Classifications

• H02H3/087 Primary

  for DC applications · CPC title

• H02H3/08

  responsive to excess current (responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04) · CPC title