Patent ID: 7660091

Claim:
An overcurrent detecting circuit comprising: an output terminal; an output transistor that passes an output current into a load via said output terminal; a metal wire connected to said transistor and through which the output current flows; and a control circuit that detects a potential difference, which is produced across said metal wire owing to the output current that flows into said metal wire and the resistance of said metal wire, and that controls said transistor so as to limit the output current if the potential difference exceeds a prescribed value; wherein said control circuit includes: first and second current sources; a first diode group having a first end from which a first current is passed in a forward direction by said first current source and a second end connected to a first end of said metal wire; and a second diode group having a first end from which a second current is passed in a forward direction by said second current source and a second end connected to a second end of said metal wire; the prescribed value being corrected based upon a potential difference across the first end of said first diode group and the first end of said second diode group so as to reduce a change in output-current limit value ascribable to a change in resistance of said metal wire with temperature.