Patent ID: 8248747

Claim:
A protection circuit, comprising: a comparator; a first diode connected to be forward biased during a positive half of an alternating current input signal cycle and to create an electrical path between a detection node and an inverting input of the comparator, the first diode connected to be reverse biased during a negative half of the alternating current input signal cycle and to remove the electrical path between the detection node and the inverting input of the comparator; and a second diode connected to be forward biased during the negative half of the alternating current input signal cycle and to create an electrical path between the detection node and a non-inverting input of the comparator, the second diode connected to be reverse biased during the positive half of the alternating current input signal cycle and to remove the electrical path between the detection node and the non-inverting input of the comparator, wherein an output of the comparator is configured to indicate an overcurrent condition in a circuit loop coupled to the detection node.