Patent ID: 7112897

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first capacitor component; a second capacitor component; and a switch component; wherein the first capacitor component, the second capacitor component, and the switch component cooperate to maintain an input voltage to a target circuit at or above a cut-off voltage of the target circuit until a power circuit is able to maintain the input voltage of the target circuit at or above the cut-off voltage of the target circuit; and wherein the power circuit requires a duration of time from a time when the target circuit asserts a drive signal to the power circuit to time when the power circuit, in absence of a fault condition, charges the input voltage to a voltage level at or above the cut-off voltage of the target circuit; and wherein the duration of time of the power circuit is based on a duration of time required by the first capacitor component and a duration of time required by the second capacitor component; and wherein the switch component serves to control a flow of current from the first capacitor component to the second capacitor component; the apparatus further comprising: a current-restriction component that is electrically coupled with and located between the input voltage and the first capacitor component; and an activator component that is electrically coupled with and located between the first capacitor component and the switch component; wherein the current-restriction component serves to provide a flow of current to the first capacitor component, and wherein the flow of current from the current-restriction component serves to charge the first capacitor component to an activation voltage level of the activator component; and wherein the first capacitor component requires the duration of time from a time when the first capacitor component charges to a voltage level at or above the activation voltage level of the activator component to a time when the first capacitor component discharges to a voltage level below the activation voltage level of the activator component; and wherein the second capacitor component requires the duration of time from a time when the second capacitor component charges to a voltage level at or above the cut-off voltage of the target circuit to a time when the second capacitor component discharges to a voltage level below the cut-off voltage of the target circuit; and wherein the first capacitor component and the second capacitor component serve to supply power to the power circuit for the duration of time based on the duration of time required by the first capacitor component and the duration of time required by the second capacitor component.