Patent ID: 7102393

Claim:
A voltage detector coupled to a voltage-to-current converter and adapted to receive a first voltage and a second voltage generated by the voltage-to-current converter, the voltage detector comprising: a first transistor having a gate terminal adapted to receive the first voltage and generate a first current that mirrors a second current generated by the voltage-to-current converter; wherein the first transistor is adapted to generate the first current that is equal to a first scaled replica of the second current, wherein a drain terminal of the first transistor is coupled to a first output node of the voltage detector; a second transistor having a gate terminal adapted to receive the first voltage and generate a third current that mirrors the second current generated by the voltage-to-current converter; wherein the second transistor is adapted to generate the third current that is equal to a second scaled replica of the second current, wherein a drain terminal of the second transistor is coupled to a second output node of the voltage detector; a third transistor having a gate terminal adapted to receive the second voltage and generate a fourth current that mirrors a fifth current generated by the voltage-to-current converter; wherein the third transistor is adapted to generate the fourth current that is equal to a scaled replica of the fifth current, wherein a drain terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the first output node of the voltage detector and a fourth transistor having a gate terminal adapted to receive the second voltage and generate a sixth current that mirrors the fifth current generated by the voltage-to-current converter; wherein the fourth transistor is adapted to generate the sixth current that is equal to the scaled replica of the fifth current, and wherein a drain terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to the second output node of the voltage detector, wherein each of said first and second output nodes is a high impedance node, and wherein if the first output node is at a first voltage level and said second output node is at a second voltage level, said first detector detects a first out-of-range condition, and wherein if the first output node is at a second voltage level and said second output node is at a first voltage level, said first detector detects a second out-of-range condition.