Patent ID: 7773359

Claim:
An overcurrent protection circuit comprising: a first switch coupled between a supply voltage and an output voltage; a comparator circuit providing a comparator output signal having first and second values that depend on a comparison of the output voltage relative to the supply voltage, the first value indicating an overcurrent condition; a control circuit coupled to provide a control signal to a control node of the first switch for controlling the first switch in first and second operating modes based on the value of the comparator output signal, the control circuit controlling the first switch to limit the current through the first switch to a level between predetermined upper and lower current levels in response to the comparator output signal having the first value, the control circuit activating the first switch to a normally on condition in the absence of the comparator output signal having the first value; a temperature compensation control circuit coupled to receive the control signal at the control node of the first switch for activating the temperature compensation control circuit during the overcurrent condition; and a second switch coupled in parallel across the first switch, the temperature compensation control circuit controlling operation of the second switch based on temperature of components of the temperature compensation control circuit during the overcurrent condition.