Patent ID: 7724066

Claim:
A switching circuit comprising: a switch field effect transistor having a gate terminal, a source terminal electrically connected to a first circuit node that includes a means for providing or drawing current when the switch field effect transistor is conducting, and a drain terminal that is electrically connected to an output terminal of the switching circuit; a current source that includes a means for providing current to the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor in response to a transition high to low control signal, wherein the current source also includes a means for providing a lesser or no current to the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor in response to a transition low to high control signal; a current sink that includes a means for drawing from the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor in response to a transition low to high control signal, wherein the current sink also includes a means for drawing a lesser or no current from the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor in response to a transition high to low control signal; and a control loop component that comprises the following: means for at least partially pre-charging the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor through a closed control loop during at least an initial time when the switching circuit is transitioning in a first direction when a resistance is present between the output terminal of the switching circuit and a second circuit node that provides current if the first circuit node draws current and that draws current if the first circuit node provides current; means for at least partially pre-discharging the gate terminal of the switch field effect transistor through the closed control loop during at least an initial time when the switching circuit is transitioning in a second direction opposite the first direction when a resistance is present between the output terminal of the switching circuit and a second circuit node that provides current if the first circuit node draws current and that draws current if the first circuit node provides current; and means for temporarily opening the closed control loop during at least a portion of a time when the switching circuit is transitioning in either the first direction or the second direction when a resistance is present between the output terminal of the switching circuit and a second circuit node that provides current if the first circuit node draws current and that draws current if the first circuit node provides current.