Patent ID: 7889468

Claim:
An integrated electronic circuit comprising: a high voltage terminal and a low voltage terminal; a first circuit branch including a first capacitive island node and a first pair of transistors, both of a first conductivity type, coupled between first and second nodes and coupled together at the first capacitive node, the first circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to an operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for electrical charges of a first polarity, but not for electrical charges of a second polarity; and a second circuit branch including a second capacitive island node and a second pair of transistors, both of a second conductivity type, coupled between third and fourth nodes and coupled together at the second capacitive node, the second circuit branch being structured, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, to only allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for electrical charges of the second polarity; a first protective element coupled to the first capacitive island node and structured to allow the discharge of said first capacitive island node for charges of the second polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said first capacitive island node through the first protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage; and a second protective element coupled between the second capacitive island node and the low voltage terminal and structured to allow the discharge of said second capacitive island node for charges of the first polarity, when the electronic circuit is not exposed to the operating voltage, and not to allow the flow of an electrical current to or from said second capacitive island node through the second protective element when the electronic circuit is exposed to the operating voltage.