Overheat-sensing circuit and semiconductor integrated circuit device having the same

• US 20060289461A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kojima, Akio, Ban, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/453,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20060289461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence

Abstract

An overheat-sensing circuit includes a temperature-sensing circuit for outputting a temperature-sensing voltage, a reference voltage generation circuit for outputting a reference voltage, and a comparison circuit that compares the temperature-sensing voltage with the reference voltage and outputs an overheat-sensing signal based on a result of the comparison. The reference voltage generation circuit outputs the reference voltage in accordance with a power supply voltage when the power supply voltage is within a predetermined voltage range. In contrast, the reference voltage generation circuit generates a limited voltage based on the power supply voltage and outputs the reference voltage in accordance with the limited voltage when the power supply voltage is outside the predetermined voltage range. This approach reduces a variation in an overheat-sensing temperature at which the comparison circuit outputs the overheat-sensing signal.

Claims

1. An overheat-sensing circuit having a normal operating voltage range and supplied with a power supply voltage from an external voltage source, the overheat-sensing circuit comprising:

a temperature-sensing circuit for outputting a temperature-sensing voltage that depends on temperature;

a reference voltage generation circuit for outputting a reference voltage; and

a comparison circuit that compares the temperature-sensing voltage with the reference voltage and outputs an overheat-sensing signal based on a result of the comparison, wherein

the reference voltage generation circuit outputs the reference voltage in accordance with the power supply voltage when the power supply voltage is within a predetermined voltage range, and generates a limited voltage based on the power supply voltage and outputs the reference voltage in accordance with the limited voltage when the power supply voltage is outside the predetermined voltage range.

2. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined voltage range is approximately equal to the normal operating voltage range.

3. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined voltage range is a sum of the normal operating voltage range and a predetermined voltage margin.

4. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the reference voltage generation circuit includes a voltage divider circuit that divides the power supply voltage by a predetermined voltage division ratio to generate the reference voltage and a voltage-limiting circuit that provides the limited voltage to the voltage divider circuit when the power supply voltage is outside the predetermined voltage range.

5. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 4, wherein

the limited voltage changes the voltage division ratio of the voltage divider circuit.

6. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 4, wherein

the voltage-limiting circuit is a zener diode.

7. The overheat-sensing circuit according to claim 4, wherein

the voltage-limiting circuit is a clamp circuit.

8. A semiconductor device having the overheat-sensing circuit of claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor device is supplied with the power supply voltage that is outside the normal operating voltage range in a screening process.