Patent ID: 7532448

Claim:
A device for detecting current limits, comprising: a plurality of current paths each of which being adapted to conduct current and at least one of which including a current switch operable to interrupt current conduction therethrough, wherein, collectively, currents flowing through the plurality of current paths combine to produce a sum of currents; a resistive device of a predetermined resistive value coupled to the plurality of current paths and adapted to conduct the sum of currents which produces a voltage drop across it, the predetermined resistive value being set to establish a relationship between the sum of currents and a current limit defined by a user; a high reference voltage terminal operative to supply a high threshold voltage; and a high-level comparator including inputs and an output, one of the inputs being operative to receive the high threshold voltage and another one of the inputs being operatively coupled to the resistive device, the high-level comparator producing at the output a signal responsive to a comparison between the voltage drop and the high threshold voltage, the output being adapted to operate the current switch to step-wise detect the user-defined current limit associated with the sum of currents.