Patent ID: 6970334

Claim:
A circuit for current regulation, comprising: a regulation circuit coupled to a power supply and configured to generate a regulated current to a load; a mode circuit having an input coupled to a control signal and an output configured to generate a mode signal relating to an open mode and a linear mode associated with the regulation circuit; a comparator having an input coupled to a signal relating to a voltage associated with the regulation circuit, an input coupled to the mode signal and configured to compare the mode signal and the signal relating to the voltage, wherein the signal relating to the voltage is used to indicate when the regulation circuit is in a saturation overload condition; a switch circuit coupling an output of the comparator to a linear mode control node when the circuit is operating in the linear mode and to an open mode control node when the circuit is operating in the open mode; and a control circuit coupled to the mode circuit and configured to generate a control signal used in controlling the mode circuit.