Method for measuring temperature using a negative temperature coefficient sensor, and corresponding device
US6048094A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 26, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 26, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K7/25
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for measuring temperature using a negative temperature coefficient sensor and a device employing a method of this type. The present invention applies more particularly to the field of automobile electronics. The temperature sensor is associated with a signal processing stage including at least one transistor connected in parallel with at least one "pull up" resistor. An analog/digital converter receives a voltage taken at a midpoint between the sensor and the "pull up" resistors. The method includes driving the transistor with a square-wave voltage so that the transistor is alternately and regularly on, then off, measuring the value of the voltage at an analog input of the converter when the transistor is on and when the transistor is off, determining the saturation voltage of the transistor on the basis of these two measurements, and deducing from the saturation voltage the corrected voltage value and deducing from the corrected voltage value the temperature prevailing around the sensor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.