Patent ID: 7019579

Claim:
A circuit arrangement for rapidly switching an inductive load, said arrangement comprising: a switching transistor implemented as an N-channel MOS power transistor and connected as a high-side switch for connecting a load with a supply voltage, controllable switching means for applying a potential exceeding the voltage of the supply voltage source to a gate electrode of the switching transistor, said switching means incorporating at least a first switching-means transistor whose collector current flows at least in part to the gate electrode of the switching transistor during the ON state, said first switching-means transistor is connected as a current source, said first switching-means transistor is part of a current mirror circuit, wherein the current mirror circuit incorporates a first current mirror resistor and a second current mirror resistor each connected to a low voltage source, the first current mirror resistor being connected to the base electrode and the second current mirror resistor being connected to the emitter electrode of the first switching-means transistor.