Voltage detector for battery operated device

• US 5,814,995 A
• Filed: 09/12/1996
• Issued: 09/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TelCom Semiconductor, Inc. (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tasdighi, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, GLENN WARNER
• Application Number:
  US08/713,575
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 324/426, 324/431, 324/433, 340/636, 320/48
• US Class Current: 324/431
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/04 Voltage dividers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 17/16 with discharge tubes or semiconductor devices in one or more arms of the bridge, e.g. voltmeter using a difference amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36

Abstract

A voltage detector is described herein which eliminates an entire operational amplifier or comparator from conventional voltage detectors. In one embodiment of such a voltage detector, a band gap reference generator is connected so as not to incorporate any feedback mechanism and where an off balance in the band gap reference generator is used to detect whether an input voltage falls below a threshold voltage. By eliminating the feedback path in the band gap reference generator, a comparator is eliminated. Other types of voltage detectors which provide a highly stable operation over a wide range of temperatures are described.

Claims

1. A battery operated device including a voltage detector comprising:

a first terminal of a voltage detector connected to a first battery terminal and a second terminal of said voltage detector connected to a second battery terminal;

a voltage reference source in said voltage detector comprising a first node and a second node, said voltage reference source including one or more components for generating a signal with a negative temperature coefficient applied to said first node and one or more components for generating a signal with a positive temperature coefficient applied to said second node for offsetting said negative temperature coefficient, said voltage reference source further including a comparator,

said comparator having a third terminal coupled to said first node and a fourth terminal coupled to said second node; and

a voltage divider network connected between said first terminal and said second terminal for creating a divided battery voltage, a signal corresponding to said divided battery voltage being applied to said one or more components for generating a signal with a negative temperature coefficient and being applied to said one or more components for generating a signal with a positive temperature coefficient, an output of said comparator indicating when said divided battery voltage is below a threshold voltage.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said output of said comparator is connected to indicate to an operator of said device when said divided battery voltage is below said threshold voltage.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said one or more components for generating a signal with a positive temperature coefficient comprises a first transistor, and said one or more components for generating a signal with a negative temperature coefficient comprises a second transistor, said first transistor having an emitter which is larger than an emitter of said second transistor to generate different base-to-emitter voltages across said first transistor and said second transistor.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein a first terminal of said first transistor is connected to a voltage divider, said third terminal of said comparator being connected to said voltage divider providing a divided voltage.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein a first terminal of said second transistor is connected to said fourth terminal of said comparator.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are PNP transistors.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are NPN transistors.

8. The device of claim 3 wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are PNP transistors, each having their base and collector connected to ground.

9. The device of claim 3 wherein said first transistor and said second transistor are NPN transistors, each having their base connected to said input terminal of said voltage reference source.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said voltage reference source comprises an enhancement mode MOS transistor and a depletion mode MOS transistor, a gate of said depletion mode MOS transistor being connected to a gate of said enhancement mode MOS transistor via a resistor.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said one or more components for generating a signal with a positive temperature coefficient comprises an enhancement mode MOS transistor, and said one or more components for generating a signal with a negative temperature coefficient comprises a depletion mode MOS transistor, a gate of said depletion mode MOS transistor being connected to a gate of said enhancement mode MOS transistor via a resistance.