Patent ID: 7957115
Filing Date: 2011-06-07
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
1. A drive circuit of a voltage driven element including a control terminal, a load terminal and a ground terminal, the drive circuit comprising: a first discharge circuit configured to perform a discharge from the control terminal at a current value set in accordance with a current flowing between the load terminal and the ground terminal; an overcurrent generation detection device configured to detect an existence of an overcurrent between the load terminal and the ground terminal; and a second discharge circuit configured to perform the discharge from the control terminal at a predetermined constant current value in response to detection of the overcurrent by the overcurrent generation detection device, wherein the first discharge circuit and the second discharge circuit operate in unison after the overcurrent is detected to perform the discharge from the control terminal at a gate discharge current equal to the sum of the current value of the first discharge circuit and the predetermined constant current value of the second discharge circuit.