Patent ID: 8648578
Filing Date: 2014-02-11
Classification: G05F

Abstract:
1. A voltage regulator comprising: an output transistor coupled to an output voltage line; an output voltage sensing arrangement coupled to the output voltage line for producing an output feedback voltage; an error amplifier coupled to the output feedback voltage, the output transistor, and a reference voltage for applying feedback control to the output transistor; and a first discharger circuit coupled to the output voltage line and to a reference potential, the first discharger circuit being triggered by a steep-rise overvoltage condition, wherein the first discharger circuit comprises: a first shunt transistor coupled between the output voltage line and a reference potential; a trigger circuit coupled to the output voltage line and the first shunt transistor, wherein the trigger circuit comprises a series combination of a capacitor and a resistor; and a bypass transistor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a node between the capacitor and the resistor that are connected in series, wherein the second terminal is coupled to ground, wherein the first terminal of the bypass transistor is a source terminal or a drain terminal, wherein a gate electrode of the first shunt transistor is connected to the node between the capacitor and the resistor that are connected in series, wherein the bypass transistor is connected in parallel with the resistor, and wherein the first terminal of the bypass transistor and the gate electrode of the first shunt transistor are directly connected to the node between the capacitor and the resistor that are directly connected in series.