SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING TEMPERATURE SENSOR CIRCUITS
First Claim
1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a temperature sensor circuit setting a temperature range upper limit value and a temperature range lower limit value, the temperature sensor circuit provides a first direction output signal and a second direction output signal, the first direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to a temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range upper limit value and the second direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to the temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range lower limit value; and
a single counter circuit coupled to receive the first direction output signal and the second direction output signal and provide a count value, the single counter circuit incrementally changes the count value by an incremental amount in a first direction in response to the first direction output signal and incrementally changes the count value by the incremental amount in a second direction in response to the second direction output signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor device that may include at least one temperature sensing circuit is disclosed. The temperature sensing circuits may be used to control various operating parameters to improve the operation of the semiconductor device over a wide temperature range. In this way, operating specifications of a semiconductor device at worst case temperatures may be met without compromising performance at other operating temperatures. The temperature sensing circuit may provide a plurality of temperature ranges for setting the operational parameters. Each temperature range can include a temperature range upper limit value and a temperature range lower limit value and adjacent temperature ranges may overlap. The temperature ranges may be set in accordance with a count value that can incrementally change in response to the at least one temperature sensing circuit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
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a temperature sensor circuit setting a temperature range upper limit value and a temperature range lower limit value, the temperature sensor circuit provides a first direction output signal and a second direction output signal, the first direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to a temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range upper limit value and the second direction output signal having a logic level transition in response to the temperature of the semiconductor device reaching about the temperature range lower limit value; and a single counter circuit coupled to receive the first direction output signal and the second direction output signal and provide a count value, the single counter circuit incrementally changes the count value by an incremental amount in a first direction in response to the first direction output signal and incrementally changes the count value by the incremental amount in a second direction in response to the second direction output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification