Dual temperature control circuit

• US 7,994,841 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ambit Microsystems Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ambit Microsystems Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Fei, Li, Wu-Kui
• Primary Examiner(s): Hiltunen; Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US12/767,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20100295603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 327/512, 327/513, 324/750.03, 324/750.06
• US Class Current: 327/512
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1931 to control the temperature of one space
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/24 the sensing element having a resistance varying with temperature, e.g. a thermistor

Abstract

A dual temperature control circuit detects a first temperature of a first location and a second temperature of a second location. The dual temperature control circuit transforms the first temperature to a first voltage signal, and transforms the second temperature to a second voltage signal, and compares the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to output a third voltage signal, where a controlled circuit is controlled according to the third voltage signal.

Claims

1. A dual temperature control circuit, comprising:

a detection circuit operable to detect a first temperature of a first location and a second temperature of a second location, transform the first temperature to a first voltage signal, and transform the second temperature to a second voltage signal;

a selection circuit operable to compare the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to output a third voltage signal according to the comparison, the selection circuit comprising;

a first comparator with a non-inverting input operable to receive the first voltage signal from the detection circuit and an inverting input operable to receive the second voltage signal from the detection circuit, wherein the first comparator compares the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal to output a first high voltage level signal when the first voltage signal is greater than the second voltage signal, or output a first low voltage level signal when the first voltage signal is less than the second voltage signal;

a first N-type field effect transistor (N-FET) with a gate connected to an output of the first comparator and a drain operable to receive the first voltage signal from the detection circuit, wherein the first N-FET turns on according to the first high voltage level signal from the output of the first comparator so as to output the first voltage signal via a source of the first N-FET, or cuts off according to the first low voltage level signal from the output of the first comparator; and

a P-type field effect transistor (P-FET) with a gate connected to the output of the first comparator, a drain operable to receive the second voltage signal from the detection circuit, and a source connected to the source of the first N-FET, wherein the P-FET cuts off according to the first high voltage level signal from the output of the first comparator, or turns on according to the first low voltage level signal from the output of the first comparator so as to output the second voltage signal via the source of the P-FET; and

a control circuit connected to the selection circuit, operable to control a controlled circuit according to the third voltage signal output from the selection circuit.

2. The dual temperature control circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

a first voltage dividing resistor;

a first temperature sensitive resistor operable to detect the first temperature of the first location, wherein the first voltage dividing resistor and the first temperature sensitive resistor are connected in series between a reference voltage source and a ground, so as to divide the reference voltage source to transform the first temperature to the first voltage signal;

a second voltage dividing resistor; and

a second temperature sensitive resistor operable to detect the second temperature of the second location, wherein the second voltage dividing resistor and the second temperature sensitive resistor are connected in series between the reference voltage source and the ground, so as to divide the reference voltage source to transform the second temperature to the second voltage signal.

3. The dual temperature control circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the non-inverting input of the first comparator is connected to a common node of the first voltage dividing resistor and the first temperature sensitive resistor, and the inverting input of the first comparator is connected to a common node of the second voltage dividing resistor and the second temperature sensitive resistor.

4. The dual temperature control circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the drain of the first N-FET is connected to the common node of the first voltage dividing resistor and the first temperature sensitive resistor, and the drain of the P-FET is connected to the common node of the second voltage dividing resistor and the second temperature sensitive resistor.

5. The dual temperature control circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

a second comparator with a non-inverting input connected to the source of the first N-FET and the source of the P-FET and operable to receive the third voltage signal from the selection circuit, and an inverting input connected to a reference voltage signal, wherein the second comparator compares the third voltage signal and the reference voltage signal to output a second high voltage level signal when the third voltage signal is greater than the reference voltage signal, or output a second low voltage level signal when the third voltage signal is less than the reference voltage signal;

a second N-FET with a gate connected to an output of the second comparator, a drain connected to the controlled circuit, and a source grounded, wherein the second N-FET turns on according to the second high voltage level signal from the output of the second comparator, or cuts off according to the second low voltage level signal from the output of the second comparator; and

a control resistor connected between a voltage source and the drain of the second N-FET;

wherein a voltage signal less than a voltage of the voltage source is output from a common node of the second N-FET and the control resistor to the controlled circuit when the second N-FET turns on, and the voltage of the voltage source is output to the controlled circuit via the control resistor when the second N-FET cuts off.

6. The dual temperature control circuit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the voltage signal less than the voltage of the voltage source stops the controlled circuit working, and the voltage of the voltage source drives the controlled circuit to work normally.