Self-calibrating, wide-range temperature sensor
US8783949B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 17, 2009 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 22, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01K15/005
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A self-calibrating, wide-range temperature sensor includes a current reference, impervious to process and voltage, with the current reference mirrored into two oppositely-sized bipolar transistors or diodes. Duplicate current sources are used with a ratio of geometries between them, such that the larger current biases the smaller bipolar transistor (less cross-sectional area) and the smaller current source biases the larger bipolar transistor (higher cross-sectional area). The current source in conjunction with the differential temperature sensing provides inherent calibration without drift while the differential sensing, from the ratio of geometries in the current paths also increases sensitivity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.