Precision temperature sensor integrated circuit
US6078208A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 20, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K7/01
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A precision temperature sensor produces a clock frequency which varies predictably over wide variations of ambient temperature. The invention has a oscillation generator, two independent current generators, a reference oscillator and a frequency counter. The outputs of the two independent current generators are combined to provide an approximately linear capacitor charging current which is directly proportional to changes in temperature. The capacitor charging current is used to drive the oscillation generator which outputs a clock frequency that is approximately linearly dependent on temperature with determinable slope and intercept. The frequency counter compares the output of the oscillation generator with the independent reference oscillator to compute a digital value for temperature. The precision temperature sensor is implemented on a single, monolithic integrated circuit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.