Patent ID: 8981689
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: H02M,H02P,H03K

Abstract:
1. A driver for driving, in response to a drive signal, a voltage-controlled switching element having a conductive path, an on-off control terminal, and a sense terminal from which a sense signal correlated with an amount of current flowing through the conductive path is output, the driver comprising: a discharging module configured to discharge, at a predetermined discharging rate, the on-off control terminal of the voltage-controlled switching element for changing the voltage-controlled switching element from an on state to an off state in response to the drive signal being shifted from an on state to an off state; a changing module configured to: determine whether a condition for executing reduction of the discharging rate of the on-off control terminal of the voltage-controlled switching element is met, the condition including a level of the sense signal being higher than a threshold level during the on state of the drive signal; and change the discharging rate of the on-off control terminal in response to the drive signal being shifted from the off state to the on state upon determination that the condition is met; and a loosening module configured to loosen the condition after a lapse of a predetermined period since the shift of the drive signal from the off state to the on state in comparison to the condition immediately after the shift of the drive signal from the off state to the on state.