Patent ID: 8823445

Claim:
A power control circuit comprising: a power supply node; a gated voltage supply node; a plurality of transistors coupled between the power supply node and the gated voltage supply node, each having a control electrode, a first current electrode coupled to the power supply node, and a second current electrode coupled to the gated voltage supply node, wherein the gate electrode of a first transistor of the plurality of transistors is coupled to receive a power control signal, wherein, in response to assertion of the power control signal, the first transistor is placed into a conductive state; a first voltage comparator having a first input and having a first output coupled to the control gate of a second transistor of the plurality of transistors, wherein, in response to assertion of the power control signal, the first input is coupled to the gated voltage supply node and the first output places the second transistor in a conductive state when a voltage on the gated voltage supply node reaches a first reference voltage; and a second voltage comparator having a second input and having a second output coupled to the control gate of a third transistor of the plurality of transistors, wherein, in response to assertion of the power control signal, the second input is coupled to the gated voltage supply node and the second output places the third transistor in a conductive state when the voltage on the gated voltage supply node reaches a second reference voltage that is different from the first reference voltage; and a single a switch having a first terminal coupled to the gated voltage supply node, a second terminal coupled to the first input and the second input, and a control terminal coupled to receive the power control signal, wherein, in response to assertion of the power control signal, the switch couples the first input to the gated voltage supply node and the second input to the gated voltage supply node.