Radio frequency temperature sensor and method of calibrating temperature therefor

• US 7,066,643 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd
• Inventors: Lee, Hsin-Chou, Chen, Wu-Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): VERBITSKY, GAIL KAPLAN
• Application Number:
  US10/708,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 374/1, 374/170, 374/171, 374/163, 374117-119, 702/99, 702/130, 702/133, 716/4, 331/57, 327/512, 327/513, 377/25, 377/19, 340/870.17
• US Class Current: 374/170
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/006 using measurement of the effect of a material on microwaves or longer electromagnetic waves, e.g. measuring temperature via microwaves emitted by the object G01K17/003, G01J5/00 take precedence; measuring the effect of a material on X-, gamma- or particle radiation G01K11/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/0315 Ring oscillators

Abstract

A radio frequency temperature sensor and a method of calibration temperature therefor are disclosed. An active radio frequency temperature sensor including a ring oscillator, a memory, a frequency counter, a radio frequency transmission interface and a micro-controller is used to calibrate and verify the efficacy of the radio frequency temperature sensor. Thereafter, a passive radio frequency temperature sensor including a regulator, a clock extractor, a ring oscillator, a memory, a frequency counter, a modulator and a state-machine is developed according to the verified results.

Claims

1. A radio frequency temperature sensor, comprising:

a ring oscillator, adapted to generate an oscillating signal frequency varying corresponding to a measured temperature;

a memory, adapted to store an initial value;

a frequency counter, coupled to the memory and the ring oscillator and adapted to measure a temperature error in response to the measured temperature according to the initial value and the oscillating signal in a pre-set time;

a radio frequency transmission interface, serving as a transmission interface with a card reader; and

a micro-controller, coupled to the frequency counter, the memory and the radio frequency transmission interface, adapted to transmit the initial value to the frequency counter, control starting and ending of the pre-set time, read the temperature error and communicate with the card reader through the radio frequency transmission interface.

2. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the ring oscillator comprises:

a thermal resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a capacitor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the capacitor coupled to the second terminal of the thermal resistor, and the second terminal of the capacitor grounded;

a Schmitt inverter, having an input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the thermal resistor, and an output terminal;

an inverter, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the Schmitt inverter, and an output terminal; and

a NAND gate, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the NAND gate adapted to receive an enable signal, the output terminal coupled to the first terminal of the thermal resistor, the second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the inverter and adapted to output the oscillating signal.

3. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

4. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the frequency counter is a down counter.

5. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transmission interface comprises:

an antenna, comprising an inductor coupled to a capacitor in parallel;

a diode, an anode of the diode coupled to a terminal of the antenna; and

a Zener diode, an anode of the Zener diode coupled to another terminal of the antenna, a cathode of the Zener diode coupled to a cathode of the diode.

6. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the micro-controller transforms the temperature error into the measured temperature according to a temperature reference table.

7. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 1, wherein the micro-controller communicates with the card reader through a general input/output port thereof.

8. A radio frequency temperature sensor, comprising:

a regulator, adapted to receive and transform a oscillating current from an antenna into a working voltage of the radio frequency temperature sensor;

a frequency extractor, adapted to generate a clock signal of the radio frequency temperature sensor according to a signal received from the antenna;

a ring oscillator, adapted to generate an oscillating signal frequency corresponding to a measured temperature;

a memory, adapted to store an initial value;

a frequency counter, coupled to the memory and the ring oscillator and adapted to measure a temperature error in response with the measured temperature according to the initial value and the oscillating signal in a pre-set time;

a modulator serving as a transmission interface with a card reader; and

a state machine, coupled to the frequency counter, the memory and the modulator, adapted to transmit the initial value to the frequency counter, control starting and ending of the pre-set time, read the temperature error and communicate with the card reader through the modulator.

9. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 8, wherein the ring oscillator comprises:

a thermal resistor, having a first terminal and a second terminal;

a capacitor, having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of the capacitor coupled to the second terminal of the thermal resistor, and the second terminal of the capacitor grounded;

a Schmitt inverter, having an input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the thermal resistor, and an output terminal;

an inverter, having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the Schmitt inverter, and an output terminal; and

a NAND gate, having a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, the first input terminal of the NAND gate adapted to receive an enable signal, the output terminal coupled to the first terminal of the thermal resistor, the second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the inverter and adapted to output the oscillating signal.

10. The radio frequency temperature sensor of claim 8, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.