Patent ID: 11881846
Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H  G | IPC G  H

Claim 0:
1. A load drive device for driving a load according to a load current and detecting the load current, comprising:
a main MOSFET that outputs the load current;
a sense MOSFET that is used to detect the load current;
an equalizer circuit that is provided between one main terminal of the main MOSFET and one main terminal of the sense MOSFET; and
a switch that is provided in parallel with the equalizer circuit between the one main terminal of the main MOSFET and the one main terminal of the sense MOSFET,
wherein another main terminal of the main MOSFET and another main terminal of the sense MOSFET have a common connection,
wherein the equalizer circuit equalizes a terminal voltage of the main MOSFET and a terminal voltage of the sense MOSFET when a current is detected, and the switch is opened,
wherein the equalizer circuit is stopped when a current is not detected, and the one main terminal of the main MOSFET and the one main terminal of the sense MOSFET are short-circuited by the switch,
wherein, when a current is detected in an ON state of the main MOSFET, the terminal voltage of the main MOSFET and the terminal voltage of the sense MOSFET are equalized by the equalizer circuit, and the switch is opened, and
wherein, when a current is not detected in an OFF state of the main MOSFET, the equalizer circuit is stopped and the one main terminal of the main MOSFET and the one main terminal of the sense MOSFET are short-circuited by the switch.