IP Library Granted Patent US 7,956,678
Granted Patent B2
US 7,956,678 · App. 12/365,404 · Granted Jun 7, 2011

Power off controlling circuit and power-off controlling method

Assignee: Shibaura Institute of Technology
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,956,678
App. No.
12/365,404
Filed
Feb 4, 2009
Granted
Jun 7, 2011
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2816
USPC
327/544
Abstract

A power-off controlling circuit and a power-off controlling method that control power-off of an integrated circuit based on the size of leakage currents. The power-off controlling circuit includes a model circuit section that includes a model circuit made by modeling a basic circuit of an integrated circuit, a voltage comparing circuit section that compares an output voltage charged by a leakage current occurred at the model circuit and a preset reference voltage, a decision circuit section that measures an arrival time until the output voltage reaches the reference voltage from the compared result and decides a size of the leakage current from the measured result, and a power-off controlling circuit section that controls power-off of the integrated circuit on the basis of the decided size of the leakage current.

Claims (20)

1. A power-off controlling circuit comprising:

a model circuit section that comprises a model circuit made by modeling a basic circuit of an integrated circuit to be controlled, wherein the model circuit includes a first transistor comprising a first threshold voltage and the model circuit is configured to be charged by turning off a second transistor comprising a second threshold voltage higher than the first threshold voltage;

a voltage comparing circuit section that compares an output voltage charges by a leakage current occurred at the model circuit and a preset reference voltage;

a deciding circuit section that measures an arrival time until the output voltage reaches the reference voltage from the compared result and decides a size of the leakage current from the measured result; and

a power-off controlling circuit section configured to power-off the integrated circuit on the basis of the decided size of the leakage current.

2. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a reference voltage generating circuit section that generates the reference voltage.

3. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , wherein

the model circuit section is a MTCMOS circuit

the output voltage is a voltage of a connection interval between first transistor and the second transistor.

4. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage comparing circuit section comprises a current mirror type sense amplifier circuit.

5. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the deciding circuit section discharges the output voltage before deciding the size of the leakage current.

6. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the power-off controlling circuit section is configured to turn off the integrated circuit.

7. The power-off controlling circuit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of a source or a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to ground.

8. A power-off controlling method comprising:

charging an output voltage by a leakage current occurred at a model circuit made by modeling a basic circuit of an integrated circuit, wherein the model circuit includes a first transistor comprising a first threshold voltage and the model circuit is configured to be charged by turning off a second transistor comprising a second threshold voltage higher than the first threshold voltage;

comparing a preset reference voltage with the charged output voltage;

measuring an arrival time until the output voltage reaches the reference voltage from the compared result and deciding a size of the leakage current from the measured result; and

power-off the integrated circuit on the basis of the decided size of the leakage current.

9. The power-off controlling method according to claim 8 , wherein powering-off of the integrated circuit comprises turning off the integrated circuit.

10. The power-off controlling method according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of a source or a drain of the second transistor is electrically connected to ground.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, RECORDED ON JULY 31, 2019 AT REEL 049924 FRAME 0794 Recorded Jun 22, 2026
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 075798/0763 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, RECORDED ON JANUARY 29, 2019 AT REEL 048373 FRAME 0217 Recorded Sep 22, 2025
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 072936/0464 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2019
From: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
To: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 049924/0794 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2019
From: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: CRESTLINE DIRECT FINANCE, L.P.
Reel/Frame 048373/0217 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2009
From: USAMI, KIMIYOSHI
To: SHIBAURA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 023268/0076 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-218289 · Aug 27, 2008 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100052770A1 · Mar 4, 2010