Patent ID: 8139329

Claim:
An integrated circuit having low voltage components configured to interoperate with external circuitry and to provide over-voltage protection, the integrated circuit comprising: a sensing circuit configured to receive an external sensing signal indicative of an input voltage and to determine whether the input voltage is greater than a preset threshold, wherein the sensing signal is generated by passing the input voltage through an impedance external with respect to the integrated circuit; a driver circuit coupled to the sensing circuit and configured to generate a drive signal based on an output of the sensing circuit, the drive signal being suitable for commanding an external switching element between ON and OFF states, such that the input voltage is disconnected from a power input of the integrated circuit when the output of the sensing circuit indicates the input voltage is greater than the preset threshold; and a first voltage regulator circuit coupled to the external impedance to maintain a voltage of the sensing signal below a predetermined value, the first voltage regulator circuit being coupled to the external impedance so as to reduce impedance of circuitry for passing the input voltage through the external impedance when the voltage of the sensing signal reaches the predetermined value.