Patent ID: 7554361

Claim:
A level shifter, comprising: a protective circuit configured to receive an input signal having an input voltage level, the input signal received on an input line, the protective circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, the protective circuit selectively reducing the input voltage level to generate a stabilized input signal if the input voltage level exceeds a threshold voltage level, the threshold voltage level being greater than a power supply voltage of the level shifter; a first inverter configured to invert the stabilized input signal to output an inverted output signal at an inverted output voltage level to a first node, the first inverter having an input terminal; and a switching element configured to transition the first node to the second voltage level based on the input voltage level of the input signal, the switching element having a control terminal; wherein the input voltage level is between a first voltage level and a second voltage level and the inverted output voltage level is between the second voltage level and a third voltage level, the control terminal of the switching element is coupled to the input terminal of the protective circuit, and the input terminal of the first inverter is coupled to the output terminal of the protective circuit.