Temperature detection and reporting system and method in power driving and/or consuming system

• US 8,714,815 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.(f/k/a Integrated Device Technology, Inc) (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics America Inc.(f/k/a Integrated Device Technology, Inc) (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Tetsuo, Kudo, Ryotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): GUADALUPE, YARITZA
• Application Number:
  US13/750,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20130266040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 374/170, 374/163
• US Class Current: 374/170
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2003/145 Hotspot localization
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/00 Thermometers giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K7/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/00 Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00 ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0201 Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0262 Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10166 Transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/163 Monitoring a manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus, in one embodiment, can include a configuration including a plurality of heat generation devices. The apparatus also includes a plurality of thermal sensors respectively, operably connected to each of the plurality of heat generation devices, wherein each thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors includes a respective output terminal configured to provide a voltage representative of the temperature of the respective heat generation device. The apparatus further includes an output circuit configured to output the highest temperature information among the heat generation devices. The output terminals of the plurality of thermal sensors are tied together. A corresponding method is also discussed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of heat generation devices;

a plurality of thermal sensors thermally coupled to the plurality of heat generation devices, respectively, wherein each thermal sensor of the plurality of thermal sensors comprises an output terminal configured to provide a voltage representing a temperature of the thermal sensor'"'"'s respective heat generation device;

wherein the output terminals of the plurality of thermal sensors are electrically coupled together at a node such that the node is driven to a highest or lowest of the voltages representing the temperatures, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an output circuit electrically coupled to the node and configured to provide information representing the highest or lowest of the voltages representing the temperatures, respectively.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power driving configuration and wherein the heat generation devices comprise semiconductor power devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each respective heat generation device and thermal sensor pair is provided as a package,

wherein the respective heat generation device comprises a high-side MOSFET, a low-side MOSFET, and a drive, and

wherein the temperature sensor is configured to thermally couple with the high-side MOSFET and the low-side MOSFET, to detect a combined temperature of the high-side MOSFET and the low-side MOSFET.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each respective heat generation device and thermal sensor pair is manufactured on a respective die.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each thermal sensor is configured to use Silicon PN junction forward voltage temperature dependency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein forwarding current is trimmed to achieve a same forwarding voltage under fixed temperature conditions.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the output circuit comprises an OP Amp, wherein a positive input of the OP Amp is electrically coupled to one of the thermal sensors, the output of the OP Amp is coupled to a first terminal of a diode, and the negative terminal of the OP Amp is connected to a second terminal of the diode.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each respective thermal sensor comprises a disable input configured to receive a signal to disable the thermal sensor'"'"'s output terminal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power consuming configuration and wherein the heat generation devices comprise power consuming devices.