US3916263A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Memory driver circuit with thermal protection
Assignee: Bull HN Information Systems Italia SpA
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Filing: 1974-05-30
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Granted: 1975-10-28
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Expires: 1994-05-30
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a fast response driver circuit with a thermal protection network for charging and discharging capacitive loads of the type found in semiconductor memories of data processing units. To ensure rapid response to input signals, the circuit comprises separate amplifying networks for rising and falling output signals. The driver circuit includes a protection network, activated by a thermally sensitive element, which disables the two amplifier networks in the event that the temperature of the element is above a selected value. The protection circuit is arranged so that an increase in supply voltage causes the protection network to be more sensitive as temperature increases. A status indicator network is included for communicating the state of the driver circuit output to circuits associated with the semiconductor memory.
Inventors
- 👤 Warwick R Abbott
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 04:14
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02H; H02H5/00; H02H5/04; H02H5/044; G; G11; G11C; G11C11/00; G11C11/21; G11C11/34; G11C11/40; G11C11/401; G11C11/4063; G11C11/407; G11C11/4078; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/08; H03K17/082; H03K17/0826; H03K17/51; H03K17/56; H03K17/60; H03K17/66; H03K17/665; H03K17/666; H03K2017/0806
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
360 words
An integrated circuit electronic driver circuit used for driving capacitive loads of the type associated with MOSFET memory arrays comprising: a first controllable network with a first output terminal; a second controllable network diode-coupled to said first controllable network with a second output terminal; a thermal protection network comprised of integrated circuit elements coupled to said first controllable network and to said second controllable network, said thermal protection network being responsive to thermal changes of said integrated circuit driver circuit for disabling said first controllable network and said second controllable network when said integrated circuit driver circuit exceeds a specified temperature, said thermal protection network including: a thermally sensitive element, a pair of transistors, and a first switching element coupled to said thermally sensitive element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said first switching element, said thermally sensitive element causing a change of said state when a temperature of said thermally sensitive element exceeds a specified temperature, said pair of transistors responsive to said conduction state of said first switching element and providing a signal for disabling said first and said second controllable networks; input means coupled to said first controllable network and said second controllable network for controlling said first controllable network and said second controllable network, said input means adapted to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, said input means causing said first controllable network to be conducting and said second controllable network to be non-conductive in response to said first input signal, said input means causing said first controllable network to be non-conducting and said second controllable network to be conducting in response to said second input signal; a second switching element responsive to said disabling signal; and an indicator network, coupled to a one of said controller networks, for producing a first indicator signal when said one of said controllable networks is conducting and a second indicator signal when said one of said controllable networks is non-conducting, said indicator network further coupled to said thermal protection network by said second switching element wherein activation of said thermal protection network produces a one of said indicator signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
360 words
An integrated circuit electronic driver circuit used for driving capacitive loads of the type associated with MOSFET memory arrays comprising: a first controllable network with a first output terminal; a second controllable network diode-coupled to said first controllable network with a second output terminal; a thermal protection network comprised of integrated circuit elements coupled to said first controllable network and to said second controllable network, said thermal protection network being responsive to thermal changes of said integrated circuit driver circuit for disabling said first controllable network and said second controllable network when said integrated circuit driver circuit exceeds a specified temperature, said thermal protection network including: a thermally sensitive element, a pair of transistors, and a first switching element coupled to said thermally sensitive element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said first switching element, said thermally sensitive element causing a change of said state when a temperature of said thermally sensitive element exceeds a specified temperature, said pair of transistors responsive to said conduction state of said first switching element and providing a signal for disabling said first and said second controllable networks; input means coupled to said first controllable network and said second controllable network for controlling said first controllable network and said second controllable network, said input means adapted to receive a first input signal and a second input signal, said input means causing said first controllable network to be conducting and said second controllable network to be non-conductive in response to said first input signal, said input means causing said first controllable network to be non-conducting and said second controllable network to be conducting in response to said second input signal; a second switching element responsive to said disabling signal; and an indicator network, coupled to a one of said controller networks, for producing a first indicator signal when said one of said controllable networks is conducting and a second indicator signal when said one of said controllable networks is non-conducting, said indicator network further coupled to said thermal protection network by said second switching element wherein activation of said thermal protection network produces a one of said indicator signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
135 words
The electronic driver circuit of claim 2 wherein said thermally sensitive element is a semIconductor diode and said first and said second switching elements are transistors, said semiconductor diode being coupled in a base circuit of said first transistor, and wherein said base circuit further comprises a second semiconductor diode and three resistors for lowering said specified temperature in response to an overvoltage condition being present in said thermal protection network, and wherein said pair of transistors of said thermal protection network are coupled as follows: a first of said pair having its base connected to the collector of said first transistor and the second of said pair having its base connected to the emitter of said first of said pair, its emitter connected to a supply voltage, and its collector providing said disabling signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The electronic driver circuit of claim 2 wherein said thermally sensitive element and said first switching element are coupled to said supply voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
102 words
The electronic driver circuit of claim 3 wherein said second controllable network comprises: a transistor amplifying pair and, a diode, said diode coupled between collector connections of each transistor of said transistor amplifying pair, wherein said diode permits an increase in the difference between the voltage at said second terminal when said second controllable network is conducting and the voltage at said second terminal when said second controllable network is non-conducting, said diode further providing a unidirectional path for rapid discharge of said capacitive load while contributing to the base drive current of one of said transistors of said transistor amplifying pair.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
355 words
An integrated circuit electronic driver circuit of the type used for driving a capacitive load, typically associated with MOSFET Memory arrays, comprising: a first switching amplifier coupled to said capacitive load; a second switching amplifier coupled to said capacitive load, and diode-coupled to said first switching amplifier; a thermal protection network comprised of integrated circuit elements and coupled to said first switching amplifier and to said second switching amplifier, said protection network being responsive to thermal changes of said driver circuit for disabling said first switching amplifier and said second switching amplifier when said thermal network integrated circuit elements exceed a specified temperature, said thermal protection network including: a thermally sensitive element, a pair of transistors, and a first transistor element coupled to said thermally sensitive element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said first transistor element, said pair of transistors responsive to said conduction state of said first transistor element and providing the signal for disabling said first and said second switching amplifiers, and a semiconductor diode and three resistors for lowering said specified temperature in response to an overvoltage condition being present in said thermal protection network; an input amplifing network coupled to said first switching network and to said second switching network, said input amplifying network adapted to receive an input voltage, said input amplifying network causing said first switching amplifier to charge said capacitive load when said input voltage is below a first value, said input amplifying network causing said second switching amplifier to discharge said capacitive load when said input voltage is above a second value; a second transistor element responsive to said disabling signal; and an indicator network coupled to said capacitive load and having a status terminal, for providing a first voltage level at said status terminal when said capacitive load is charged, and for providing a second voltage level at said status terminal when said capacitive load is discharged, said indicator network further coupled to said thermal protection network by said second transistor element for providing one of said voltage levels at said status terminal in response to said disabling signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
355 words
An integrated circuit electronic driver circuit of the type used for driving a capacitive load, typically associated with MOSFET Memory arrays, comprising: a first switching amplifier coupled to said capacitive load; a second switching amplifier coupled to said capacitive load, and diode-coupled to said first switching amplifier; a thermal protection network comprised of integrated circuit elements and coupled to said first switching amplifier and to said second switching amplifier, said protection network being responsive to thermal changes of said driver circuit for disabling said first switching amplifier and said second switching amplifier when said thermal network integrated circuit elements exceed a specified temperature, said thermal protection network including: a thermally sensitive element, a pair of transistors, and a first transistor element coupled to said thermally sensitive element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said first transistor element, said pair of transistors responsive to said conduction state of said first transistor element and providing the signal for disabling said first and said second switching amplifiers, and a semiconductor diode and three resistors for lowering said specified temperature in response to an overvoltage condition being present in said thermal protection network; an input amplifing network coupled to said first switching network and to said second switching network, said input amplifying network adapted to receive an input voltage, said input amplifying network causing said first switching amplifier to charge said capacitive load when said input voltage is below a first value, said input amplifying network causing said second switching amplifier to discharge said capacitive load when said input voltage is above a second value; a second transistor element responsive to said disabling signal; and an indicator network coupled to said capacitive load and having a status terminal, for providing a first voltage level at said status terminal when said capacitive load is charged, and for providing a second voltage level at said status terminal when said capacitive load is discharged, said indicator network further coupled to said thermal protection network by said second transistor element for providing one of said voltage levels at said status terminal in response to said disabling signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The electronic driver circuit of claim 5 wherein said input amplifying network comprises a transistor coupled in a phase-splitter configuration and wherein an emitter element of said transistor is coupled to said second switching amplifier and a collector element of said transistor is coupled to said first switching amplifier.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
174 words
The electronic driver circuit of claim 5 wherein said second switching amplifier comprises: a first transistor amplifying pair for discharging stray capacitance in said driver circuit and for preventing the operation of said first switching amplifier during the initial operation of said second switching amplifier; a second transistor amplifying pair; a first diode coupled between collector terminals of each transistor of said second transistor amplifying pair for rapidly discharging said capacitive load and for permitting an increase in the difference between the voltage across said capacitive load when said capacitive load is charged and the voltage across said capacitive load when said capacitive load is discharged; and a second diode coupled between the collector terminal of one transistor of said second transistor amplifying pair and the base terminal of the other transistor of said second transistor amplifying pair for reducing simultaneous operation of said first switching amplifier and said second switching amplifier when the output voltage across said capacitive load is low; and wherein said first switching amplifier comprises a third transistor amplifying pair.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
203 words
An improved thermal protection network including a thermally sensitive element and an amplifying element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said amplifying element, said thermally sensitive element causing said amplifying element to alter said state above a specified temperature, and said thermal protection network adapted to receive a supply voltage; wherein the improvement comprises: a semiconductor diode coupled to said first thermally sensitive element and to the base terminal of said amplifying element; a first resistor coupled between the base terminal of said amplifying element and ground; a second resistor coupled between the collector terminal of said amplifying element and ground; a third resistor coupled between the emitter terminal of said amplifying element and said supply voltage; said improvement providing for a lowering of said specified temperature in response to an increased voltage in said supply voltage; and a pair of transistors, the first of said pair having its base connected to the collector terminal of said amplifying element, the second of said pair having its base connected to the emitter of said first of said pair, its emitter connected to said supply voltage, and its collector providing a signal indicating when said specified temperature is exceeded.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
203 words
An improved thermal protection network including a thermally sensitive element and an amplifying element, said thermally sensitive element determining a state of conduction or non-conduction of said amplifying element, said thermally sensitive element causing said amplifying element to alter said state above a specified temperature, and said thermal protection network adapted to receive a supply voltage; wherein the improvement comprises: a semiconductor diode coupled to said first thermally sensitive element and to the base terminal of said amplifying element; a first resistor coupled between the base terminal of said amplifying element and ground; a second resistor coupled between the collector terminal of said amplifying element and ground; a third resistor coupled between the emitter terminal of said amplifying element and said supply voltage; said improvement providing for a lowering of said specified temperature in response to an increased voltage in said supply voltage; and a pair of transistors, the first of said pair having its base connected to the collector terminal of said amplifying element, the second of said pair having its base connected to the emitter of said first of said pair, its emitter connected to said supply voltage, and its collector providing a signal indicating when said specified temperature is exceeded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The thermal protection network of claim 8 wherein said thermally sensitive element comprise a semiconductor device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The thermal protection network of claim 9 wherein said thermally sensitive elements comprise a semiconductor diode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The thermal protection network of claim 10 wherein said amplifying element comprises a third transistor.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-10-27 | 1979-04-28 | 1979-10-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-10-27 | 1983-04-28 | 1983-10-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-10-27 | 1987-04-28 | 1987-10-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |