Current sensor

• US 10,459,474 B1
• Filed: 10/28/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Labs Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Labs Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Wang, Wei-Yu, Ying, Cheng-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Application Number:
  US16/172,844
• Time in Patent Office: 366 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16519 using FET's
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/10 Regulating voltage or current G05F1/02 takes precedence; for electric railways B60M3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/24 wherein the transistors are of the field-effect type only G05F3/205, G05F3/26, G05F3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/26 Current mirrors

Abstract

A current sensor includes a current sensing resistor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a bias voltage generating circuit, and a current mirror. The first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the first terminal of the current sensing resistor. The first terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the current sensing resistor. The bias voltage generating circuit supplies a first bias voltage to the control terminal of the first transistor and a second bias voltage to the control terminal of the second transistor. The first bias voltage and the second bias voltage are dependent on the voltage of the first input terminal or the voltage of the second input terminal. The two current terminals of the current mirror are coupled to the second terminals of the second transistor and the first transistor, respectively.

Claims

1. A current sensor, comprising:

a current sensing resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal respectively coupled to a first input terminal and a second input terminal of the current sensor;

a first transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the first input terminal of the current sensor, and the second terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an output terminal of the current sensor;

a second transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the second input terminal of the current sensor;

a bias voltage generating circuit, coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor to provide a first bias voltage, and coupled to the control terminal of the second transistor to provide a second bias voltage, wherein the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage depend on a voltage of the first input terminal of the current sensor or a voltage of the second input terminal of the current sensor, wherein the bias voltage generating circuit comprises a third transistor, a current source, a first resistor and a second resistor, a first terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the first input terminal of the current sensor or the second input terminal of the current sensor, a second terminal of the third transistor is coupled to a control terminal of the third transistor, the current source is coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor, a first terminal of the first resistor is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor to provide the first bias voltage, a second terminal of the first resistor is coupled to the control terminal of the third transistor, a first terminal of the second resistor is coupled to the control terminal of the second transistor to provide the second bias voltage, and a second terminal of the second resistor is coupled to the control terminal of the third transistor; and

a current mirror having a first current terminal and a second current terminal, wherein the first current terminal of the current mirror is coupled to the second terminal of the second transistor, and the second current terminal of the current mirror is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor.

2. The current sensor according to claim 1, the first bias voltage and the second bias voltage are dependent on one of the voltage of the first input terminal and the voltage of the second input terminal.

3. The current sensor according to claim 2, wherein the first bias voltage is a difference between the voltage of the first input terminal and a threshold voltage of the first transistor, or the second bias voltage is a difference between the voltage of the second input terminal and a threshold voltage of the second transistor.

4. The current sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first current terminal of the current mirror is a master current terminal, and the second current terminal of the current mirror is a slave current terminal.

5. The current sensor according to claim 4, wherein the current mirror comprises:

a fourth transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to a ground voltage, and the second terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to the slave current terminal;

a fifth transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fifth transistor is coupled to the ground voltage, the second terminal of the fifth transistor is coupled to the master current terminal, and the control terminal of the fifth transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the fifth transistor and the control terminal of the fourth transistor.

6. The current sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a threshold circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the threshold circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, and the second terminal of the threshold circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the second transistor.

7. The current sensor according to claim 6, wherein the threshold circuit comprises:

a current source;

a first switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal of the first switch is coupled to a first control signal, the first terminal of the first switch is coupled to the current source, and the second terminal of the first switch is coupled to the first terminal of the threshold circuit;

a second switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal of the second switch is coupled to a second control signal, the first terminal of the second switch is coupled to the current source, and the second terminal of the second switch is coupled to the second terminal of the threshold circuit; and

a controller coupled to the control terminal of the first switch to provide the first control signal and coupled to the control terminal of the second switch to provide the second control signal.

8. The current sensor according to claim 7, wherein the first switch and the second switch are not turned on at the same time.

9. The current sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a calibration circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the calibration circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, and the second terminal of the calibration circuit is coupled to the control terminal of the second transistor.

10. The current sensor according to claim 9, wherein the calibration circuit comprises:

a current source;

a first switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal of the first switch is coupled to a first control signal, the first terminal of the first switch is coupled to the current source, and the second terminal of the first switch is coupled to the first terminal of the calibration circuit;

a second switch having a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the control terminal of the second switch is coupled to a second control signal, the first terminal of the second switch is coupled to the current source, and the second terminal of the second switch is coupled to the second terminal of the calibration circuit; and

a controller, coupled to the current source to set a current of the current source, coupled to the control terminal of the first switch to provide the first control signal, coupled to the control terminal of the second switch to provide the second control signal, and coupled to the output terminal of the current sensor to check for a transition event.

11. The current sensor according to claim 10, wherein

during an initialization period, the controller selectively turns on the first switch or the second switch, and selectively sets the current of the current source, so as to check whether the transition event occurs at the output terminal of the current sensor;

when the transition event occurs at the output terminal of the current sensor, the controller records a conduction state of the first switch, a conduction state of the second switch, and a current setting state of the current source to a calibration parameter; and

during a normal operation period, the controller controls the conduction state of the first switch, the conduction state of the second switch, and the current setting state of the current source according to the calibration parameter.

12. The current sensor according to claim 10, wherein the first input terminal of the current sensor is directly connected to the second input terminal of the current sensor during a initialization period, such that the voltage of the first input terminal is equal to the voltage of the second input terminal.