Patent ID: 7630184

Claim:
An apparatus for protecting integrated circuitry from over-voltage events, the apparatus comprising: an integrated circuit chip, having a connector pin to which a power source may be connected; a power management device, which regulates the power source; and an over-voltage even recording mechanism, embedded on the integrated circuit chip, connected between the connector pin and at least one circuit device contained on the integrated circuit chip, a detector circuit, embedded on the integrated circuit chip, comprising at least one of a circuit breaker and a fuse, of a type of one of either electrical and semiconductor, wherein the detector circuit is adapted to cause a short circuit condition in an over-voltage condition; wherein the over-voltage event recording mechanism protects the at least one circuit device by causing a short circuit condition on the integrated circuit chip, said short circuit condition causing the at least one of a circuit breaker and a fuse to open, and wherein determination of the short circuit condition is possible through physical observation by viewing the state of at least one of the circuit breaker and the fuse, and wherein the over-voltage event recording mechanism comprises one or more detector circuits and at least one recording circuit connected in parallel.