	US 12,105,546 B2
	Control circuit and control unit for a vehicle
Patrick Augustin, Bühl (DE)
Assigned to Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Appl. No. 17/914,401
Filed by Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 8, 2021, PCT No. PCT/DE2021/100231 § 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 26, 2022, PCT Pub. No. WO2021/204320, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 14, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 109 758.1 (DE), filed on Apr. 8, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0350444 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G05F 1/56 (2006.01); B60R 16/033 (2006.01)

CPC G05F 1/56 (2013.01) [B60R 16/033 (2013.01)]

20 Claims

1. A control circuit for a control unit arranged in a vehicle and configured to be switched between an energy-saving state with a limited range of functions and a normal operating state based on an output voltage received from the control circuit, the control circuit comprising:

a field-effect transistor configured to:

receive a supply voltage;

switch between control states based on a control voltage applied at a gate connection, wherein the control states are an on-state and an off-state; and

provide the output voltage based on the control state; and

wherein the control circuit includes a first switching element configured to provide the control voltage when the supply voltage is greater than or equal to a first voltage value; and

when the supply voltage decreases after the vehicle has been switched off, the field-effect transistor remains switched on until the supply voltage decreases to a value less than a second voltage value at which time the field-effect transistor is switched off via a second switching element of the control circuit, the second voltage value:

less than the first voltage value; and

set via a base connection of the second switching element.