Fault detection protecting circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016013629-A1
Application number	US-201414770724-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a fault detection protecting circuit, an overheat detection unit is provided for each of communication channels on an IC chip, and detects the temperature in each communication channel as the detected temperature. A chip temperature detection unit detects the temperature at an arbitrary position on the IC chip as a reference temperature. A detection unit sets a predetermined ratio value regarding the difference between an overheat protective temperature and a reference temperature based on the detected temperature in each communication channel and the reference temperature, and identifies that the communication channel is in a state before overheat detection when the detected temperature exceeds a threshold value. A stop-control unit stops the output from one of the communication channels when the detection unit identifies that the communication channel is in a state before overheat detection and when it is identified that the communication channel is in an overcurrent state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fault detection protecting circuit configured to protect a communication circuit in which a plurality of communication transceivers are integrated onto one IC chip, and to detect a fault in the communication circuit, the fault detection protecting circuit comprising:
an overheat detection unit that is arranged corresponding to each of a plurality of communication channels in response to the plurality of communication transceivers on the IC chip, and detects a temperature in each of the plurality of communication channels as a detected temperature; a chip temperature detection unit that is arranged at an arbitrary position on the IC chip, and detects a temperature at the arbitrary position on the IC chip as a reference temperature; a detection unit that sets a predetermined ratio value with regard to a difference between an overheat protective temperature and the reference temperature as a threshold value based on the detected temperature in each of the plurality of communication channels detected by the overheat detection unit and the reference temperature detected by the chip temperature detection unit, and specifies the communication channel brought into a state prior to overheat detection when the detected temperature exceeds the threshold value; and a stop-control unit that stops an output from one of the plurality of communication channels when the detection unit specifies the one of the plurality of communication channels brought into a state prior to overheat detection and the one of the plurality of communication channels brought into an overcurrent state.

2 . The fault detection protecting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the overheat detection unit is arranged at one side on the IC chip, and wherein the chip temperature detection unit is provided at another side on the IC chip.

3 . The fault detection protecting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection unit is arranged individually corresponding to each of the plurality of communication channels.

4 . The fault detection protecting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection unit is arranged commonly for the plurality of communication channels.

5 . The fault detection protecting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined ratio value with regard to the difference between the overheat protective temperature and the reference temperature detected in the detection unit is variable.

6 . The fault detection protecting circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an overcurrent detection circuit that identifies whether one of the plurality of communication channels is in an overcurrent state.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Nagatomo Hideharu
• Suzuki Akira

Classifications

• B60R16/0315

  using multiplexing techniques (multiplexing for transmission of signals G08C15/00; multiplexing for electrical communication in general H04J) · CPC title

• H02H5/04

  responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)} · CPC title

• H04B17/309

  Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters · CPC title

• H02H3/085 Primary

  making use of a thermal sensor, e.g. thermistor, heated by the excess current (also responsive to the temperature of the protected device H02H5/041, thermal images H02H6/00) · CPC title