Patent ID: 7200373

Claim:
An antenna error detection and circuit protection system, comprising: a current limit detection circuit integrated within an integrated radio receiver and configured to detect current levels drawn by at least one antenna mounted remotely from the integrated radio receiver, the current limit detection circuit having a gate drive signal as an output; and a current limiting pass transistor having its source and drain coupled between a supply voltage and an antenna and having its gate coupled to the gate drive signal; wherein the current limit detection circuit is configured to adjust the gate drive signal to reduce current flow through the pass transistor when the detected current level drawn by the at least one antenna rises above a current limit level; wherein a terrestrial antenna and a satellite antenna are coupled to the current limit detection circuit and to the current limiting pass transistor; wherein the integrated radio receiver includes a terrestrial antenna input pin, a satellite antenna input pin, and an antenna sense input pin; and wherein the terrestrial antenna is coupled to the terrestrial antenna input pin, the satellite antenna is coupled to the satellite antenna input pin, and the terrestrial and satellite antennas are both coupled to the antenna sense input pin.