Patent ID: 7176693

Claim:
A short circuit detecting circuit comprising: a power supply side transistor connected between a power supply and a load; a first detecting transistor that is mirror-paired with the power supply side transistor; a ground side transistor connected between the load and ground; a second detecting transistor that is mirror-paired with the ground side transistor; first and second current mirror circuits constructed by transistor pairs for flowing currents corresponding to a mirrored current of a first current flowing in the first detecting transistor and a mirrored current of a second current flowing in the second detecting transistor respectively, wherein the first current mirror circuit has a current ratio that is larger at a first current side, wherein the second current mirror circuit has a current ratio that is larger at a second current side; a first judging transistor that is connected to the first current side of the first current mirror circuit and conducted when the first current is larger than the second current; and a second judging transistor that is connected to the second current side of the second current mirror circuit and conducted when the second current is larger than the first current.