Patent ID: 6611166
Filing Date: 2003-08-26
Classification: F41H,H02J,H02M,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
A circuit for determining the presence of a load comprising:a charge pump having a pump signal terminal for providing a pump signal indicative of an operating state of the charge pump, the pump signal having a duty cycle indicative of the time the pump signal is in a first state; and a monitor module having a monitor input terminal in electrical communication with the pump signal terminal, and a monitor output terminal, the monitor module providing at the monitor output terminal a status signal indicative of the presence of the load in the circuit in response to the duty cycle of the pump signal, wherein the monitor module comprises a comparator having a first comparator input terminal in electrical communication with the monitor input terminal, a second comparator input terminal adapted to receive a first reference voltage, and a comparator output terminal in electrical communication with the monitor output terminal.