Patent ID: 9323258
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: G05F,H02M

Claim Text:
1. A voltage regulator, comprising: an error amplifier circuit for amplifying a difference between a divided voltage obtained by dividing an output voltage output from an output transistor and a reference voltage, and outputting the amplified difference to control a gate of the output transistor; an overshoot limiting circuit having a first terminal for receiving a voltage proportional to the output voltage, the overshoot limiting circuit being configured to detect an occurrence of an overshoot in the output voltage and to limit a current of the output transistor; and a non-regulated state detection circuit configured to detect that the voltage regulator is in a non-regulated state based on the output voltage and the current flowing through the output transistor and to generate a detection signal indicative of the voltage regulator being in the non-regulated state, wherein the overshoot limiting circuit includes a second terminal for receiving the detection signal, wherein an operating current of the overshoot limiting circuit increases when the detection signal indicates that the voltage regulator is in the non-regulated state, wherein the non-regulated state detection circuit comprises: wherein: in a normal state, the first detection circuit allows a larger current to flow than a current of the second detection circuit; and in a non-regulated state, the second detection circuit allows a larger current to flow than a current of the first detection circuit, and wherein the output circuit outputs the detection signal in accordance with the current of the first detection circuit and the current of the second detection circuit.