Patent ID: 7096104

Claim:
A control unit for a load, said control unit comprising: a microprocessor, an integrated voltage regulator for generating the supply voltage of the microprocessor from a battery voltage of an on-board battery, a switching element which is arranged between the on-board battery and the voltage regulator, an input having wake-up capability, to which a wake-up pulse can be fed for the switch-on of the microprocessor, and which thereupon switches on the switching element for a predetermined switch-on duration by means of a control signal, as a result of which the microprocessor is fed a supply voltage by the voltage regulator for said predetermined switch-on duration, wherein the microprocessor outputs trigger signals as long as the microprocessor is fed a supply voltage and an oscillator assigned to the microprocessor generates a processor clock signal, and a coupling circuit, which maintains the switching state of the switching element as long as trigger signals are fed to said coupling circuit.