Switching circuit

Claim 2

A deflection circuit for a television comprising: a deflection coil; means for energizing said coil; switch means, connected in a circuit with said coil and said energizing means for controlling the energization of said coil, said switching means including first and second semiconductor switching elements each having first and second power terminals, said second power terminal of said first semiconductor switching element being connected to said first power terminal of said second semiconductor switching element, each of said semiconductor switching elements also having a control terminal; first control means, coupled to said first switching element control terminal and responsive to a control signal, for operating said first switching element; second control means, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element; and semiconductor blocking means, having an input and an output coupled to said first control means, for passing said control signal to said first control means and for allowing a voltage on said control terminal of said first semiconductor switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first semiconductor switching element above said control signal while preventing voltages larger than a predetermined value from passing from said output of said input.

Claim 3

A circuit as in claim 1 further comprising a capacitance connected in parallel with said switching means.

Claim 4

A circuit as in claim 1 wherein said semiconductor blocking means includes a diode having a cathode coupled to said first control means.

Claim 5

A circuit as in claim 1 further comprising another semiconductor blocking means, having an input adapted for connection to an energy source and an output coupled to said first control means, for passing energy from said energy source to said first control means and for allowing a voltage associated with said first control means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first semiconductor switching element above a voltage associated with said energy source while preventing energy from passing from said first control means to said energy source.

Claim 6

A circuit as in claim 4 wherein said another semiconductor blocking means includes a diode having a cathode connected to said first control means.

Claim 7

A circuit as in claim 1 wherein said first control means comprises: means, responsive to said control signal, for biasing said first semiconductor switching element conductive or nonconductive; and energy storage means for energizing said biasing means while said first semiconductor switching element is nonconductive.

Claim 8

A circuit as in claim 4 wherein said first control means comprises: means, responsive to said control signal, for biasing said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; and energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when said another semiconductor blocking means prevents energy from flowing from said first control means to said energy source.

Claim 9

A switching circuit comprising: a first semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said first terminal being adapted for connection to a first voltage source; a second semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said second switching element first terminal being connected to said first switching element second terminal, said second switching element second terminal being adapted for connection to a second voltage source; first control means, coupled to said first switching element control terminal and responsive to a control signal, for operating said first switching element; second control means, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element; and semiconductor blocking means, having an input and an output coupled to said first control means, for passing said control signal to said first control means and for allowing a voltage on said control terminal of said first semiconductor switching switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first semiconductor switching element above said control signal while preventing voltages larger than a predetermined value from passing from said output to said input.

Claim 10

A switching circuit comprising: a first semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said first terminal being adapted for connection to a first voltage source; a second semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said second switching element first terminal being connected to said first switching element second terminal, said second switching element second terminal being adapted for connection to a second voltage source; first control means, coupled to said first switching element control terminal and responsive to a control signal, for operating said first switching element; second control means, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element; and semiconductor blocking means, having an input and an output coupled to said first control means, for passing said control signal to said first control means and for allowing a voltage on said control terminal of said first semiconductor switching switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first semiconductor switching element above said control signal while preventing voltages larger than a predetermined value from passing from said output to said input.

Claim 11

A circuit as in claim 8 wherein said semiconductor blocking means includes a diode having a cathode connected to said first control means.

Claim 12

A circuit as in claim 8 further comprising another semiconductor blocking means, having an input adapted to be coupled to a third voltage source and an output coupled to said first control means, for providing power to said first control means and for allowing a voltage associated with said first control means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first semiconductor switching element above a voltage associated with said third voltage source while preventing power from passing from said first control means to said third voltage source.

Claim 13

A circuit as in claim 10 wherein said another semiconductor blocking means includes a diode having a cathode connected to said first control means.

Claim 14

A circuit as in claim 8 wherein said first control means each include: means, responsive to said control signal, for biasing said first semiconductor switching element conductive or nonconductive; and energy storage means, connected to said biasing means, for providing energy to said biasing means while said first semiconductor switching element is nonconductive.

Claim 15

A circuit as in claim 10 wherein said first control means includes: means, responsive to said control signal, for biasing said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; and energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when said another semiconductor blocking means prevents energy from flowing from said first control means to said third voltage source.

Claim 16

A circuit as in claim 8 further comprising an inductive load connected in series with said first and second semiconductor switching elements.

Claim 17

A switching circuit comprising: a first semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said first terminal being adapted for connection to a first voltage source; a second semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said second switching element first terminal being coupled to said first switching element second terminal, said second switching element second terminal being adapted for connection to a second voltage source; biasing means, responsive to a control signal and coupled to said first switching element control terminal, for rendering said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; a first diode having an anode responsive to said control signal and a cathode coupled to said biasing means to allow a voltage on said control terminal of said first switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above said control signal; a second diode having an anode adapted to be coupled to an energy source and a cathode coupled to said biasing means for providing energy to said biasing means to allow a voltage associated with said biasing means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above a voltage associated with said energy source; energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when said second diode is nonconductive; and a control circuit, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element.

Claim 18

A switching circuit comprising: a first semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said first terminal being adapted for connection to a first voltage source; a second semiconductor switching element having first and second power terminals and a control terminal, said second switching element first terminal being coupled to said first switching element second terminal, said second switching element second terminal being adapted for connection to a second voltage source; biasing means, responsive to a control signal and coupled to said first switching element control terminal, for rendering said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; a first diode having an anode responsive to said control signal and a cathode coupled to said biasing means to allow a voltage on said control terminal of said first switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above said control signal; a second diode having an anode adapted to be coupled to an energy source and a cathode coupled to said biasing means for providing energy to said biasing means to allow a voltage associated with said biasing means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above a voltage associated with said energy source; energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when said second diode is nonconductive; and a control circuit, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element.

Claim 19

A circuit as in claim 15 further comprising an inductive load coupled in series with said first and second semiconductor switching elements.

Claim 20

A deflection circuit for a television comprising: a coil; means for energizing said coil; switching means connected in series with said coil and said energizing means, said switching means including first and second semiconductor switching elements each having first and second power terminals, said second terminal of said first switching element being connected to said first terminal of said second switching element, each of said first and second semiconductor switching elements having a control terminal; biasing means, responsive to a control signal and coupled to said first semiconductor switching element control terminal, for rendering said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; a first diode having an anode responsive to said control signal and a cathode coupled to said biasing means to allow a voltage on said control terminal of said first switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above said control signal; a second diode having an anode adapted to be coupled to an energy source and a cathode coupled to said biasing means for energizing said biasing means to allow a voltage associated with said biasing means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above a voltage associated with said energy source; energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when no energy is flowing through said second diode; and control means, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element.

Claim 21

A deflection circuit for a television comprising: a coil; means for energizing said coil; switching means connected in series with said coil and said energizing means, said switching means including first and second semiconductor switching elements each having first and second power terminals, said second terminal of said first switching element being connected to said first terminal of said second switching element, each of said first and second semiconductor switching elements having a control terminal; biasing means, responsive to a control signal and coupled to said first semiconductor switching element control terminal, for rendering said first semiconductor switching element conductive and nonconductive; a first diode having an anode responsive to said control signal and a cathode coupled to said biasing means to allow a voltage on said control terminal of said first switching element to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above said control signal; a second diode having an anode adapted to be coupled to an energy source and a cathode coupled to said biasing means for energizing said biasing means to allow a voltage associated with said biasing means to follow a voltage on said second terminal of said first switching element above a voltage associated with said energy source; energy storage means for providing energy to said biasing means when no energy is flowing through said second diode; and control means, coupled to said second switching element control terminal and responsive to said control signal, for operating said second switching element.