Patent ID: 7630186
Filing Date: 2009-12-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A current protection apparatus, comprising: a current sampling circuit that samples a first current value consisting of a current flowing from a power source to a first load device; a processing unit coupled to receive the first current value and controlled by a software program to compare the first current value with a predetermined current limit value to generate a first compare result; and a switching circuit coupled between the power source and the first load device, wherein the current sampling circuit samples a second current value consisting of the current flowing from the power source to the first load device a first predetermined time period after the first current value is sampled; the processing unit receives the second current value and is controlled by the software program to compare the second current value with the predetermined current limit value to generate a second compare result; the current sampling circuit samples a plurality of intermediate current values consisting of the current flowing from the power source to the first load device during the first predetermined time period after the first current value is sampled; the processing unit receives the plurality of intermediate current values and is controlled by the software program to compare the plurality of intermediate current values with the predetermined current limit value to generate a plurality of intermediate compare results; and the switching circuit interrupts the current flowing from the power source to the first load device in response to at least the first compare result indicating that the first current value exceeds the predetermined current limit value, the plurality of intermediate compare results indicating each of the plurality of intermediate current values exceeds the predetermined current limit value, and the second compare result indicating that the second current value exceeds the predetermined current limit value and keeps the current flowing from the power source to the first load device uninterrupted when at least one of the plurality of intermediate current values is less than the predetermined current limit value.