Integrated circuit for switching loads, circuit arrangement comprising an integrated circuit and a connected load, and method for operating such a circuit arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435857-B2
Application number	US-201214359205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2012
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An integrated circuit has a controllable switching element, the load path of which is arranged between an output of the integrated circuit and a supply potential. A test unit is connected to the connections of the switching element in order to carry out tests. A control unit is connected to the test unit via at least one control line. The sequence of tests is carried out dependent on signals on the control line(s). A memory is connected to the control unit the content and the type of which determines the time of the tests. The memory is connected to an input of the integrated circuit in order to enter the content.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit having an input and an output, the integrated circuit comprising: a controllable switching element having load path connected between the output of the integrated circuit and a supply potential; a test unit connected to said switching element for performing tests; a control unit connected to said test unit via at least one control line, wherein the tests are performed depending on signals on said at least one control line; and a memory connected to said control unit and containing non-transitory information for determining a nature and a time of the tests, said memory being connected to the input of the integrated circuit for receiving the information; wherein the information, which is for determining the nature and the time of the tests, and which is in said memory, is dependent on a type of load to be connected to the output of the integrated circuit.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the supply potential is a ground potential.

3. A circuit arrangement, comprising an integrated circuit according to claim 1 and a load connected to the output of the integrated circuit.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said load is a light-emitting diode.

5. A method, which comprises: providing a circuit arrangement including an integrated circuit having: a controllable switching element having load path connected between the output of the integrated circuit and a supply potential, a test unit connected to the switching element for performing tests, a control unit connected to the test unit via at least one control line, wherein the tests are performed depending on signals on the at least one control line, and a memory connected to the control unit and containing non-transitory information for determining a nature and a time of the tests, the memory being connected to the input of the integrated circuit for receiving the information; providing the circuit arrangement with a load connected to the output of the integrated circuit, wherein the information, which is for determining the nature and the time of the tests, and which is in the memory, is dependent on a type of the load connected to the output of the integrated circuit; inputting information relating to a type of load via the input of the integrated circuit into the memory; reading the information in the memory with the control unit and actuating the test unit with the control unit depending on the information; and testing the switching element with the test unit, wherein a type and a time of a test is determined by the control unit based on the information in the memory.

6. The method according to claim 5 , which comprises inputting the information into the memory each time the integrated circuit is switched on.

7. The method according to claim 6 , which comprises inputting the information with a microprocessor.

8. The method according to claim 5 , which comprises determining with the information that a line breakage test be performed with a light-emitting diode forming the load, only during times at which a resultant illumination of the light-emitting diode is not critical.

9. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the information in said memory includes information specifying performing at least one of the tests during a time when a vehicle is started.

10. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the information in said memory includes information specifying performing at least one of the tests during a time when a vehicle is started.

Assignees

• Continental Automotive Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmauss Harald
• Muresan Sergiu
• Wolfarth Gunther
• Well Marco
• Falter Johann
• Laberer Franz
• Theil Cristian

Classifications

• G01R31/3277 Primary

  of low voltage devices, e.g. domestic or industrial devices, such as motor protections, relays, rotation switches · CPC title

• G01R31/2889 Primary

  Interfaces, e.g. between probe and tester (G01R31/31905 and G01R1/07364 take precedence) · CPC title