Portable electronic device with integrated temperature sensor

• US 9,671,296 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensirion AG (Sensirion Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Sensirion AG (Sensirion Holding AG)
• Inventors: Gerner, Pascal, Sacchetti, Andrea, Boni, Dominic, Wuest, Andrea, Graf, Markus, Wirz, Martin, Niederberger, Dominik
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Minh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rhodes, Jr., Leon W
• Application Number:
  US14/290,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/0365 the undesired influence being measured using a separate sensor, which produces an influence related signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/20 Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/42 Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

There is provided a portable electronic device with one or more integrated temperature sensors (12) for measuring an ambient temperature, a compensator (25,26) for reducing the difference between a sensor output (Ts) and the ambient temperature (Ta) with the compensator (25,26) switching depending on environmental and/or handling conditions between a plurality of compensation modes selected dependent on measurements of one or more other integrated and/or external sensors.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising an integrated temperature sensor for measuring an ambient temperature, a compensator for reducing a difference between an output of the temperature sensor and the ambient temperature, wherein the compensator switches depending on environmental and/or handling conditions between a plurality of compensation modes selected dependent on measurements of one or more integrated and/or external sensors,

wherein the compensator is a heat compensator compensating for internal heat flows to and from the temperature sensor and/or a dynamic compensator compensating for the response function of the temperature sensor,

wherein, for the heat compensator, the ambient temperature is estimated by using the following equations [1] as heat compensator:

x(k+1)=Ax(k)+Bu(k)

y(k)=Cx(k)+Du(k) 

 

[1]

with u(k) denoting inputs at time step k including the output of the temperature sensor as input of the heat compensator, y(k) denoting the estimated ambient temperature as output of the heat compensator, and x(k) denoting an internal state vector of the heat compensator, with the plurality of compensation modes realized by using different values of the internal state vector x(k) and/or by using different values of matrices A, B, C and D, and

wherein, for the dynamic compensator, the following equations [2] are used;

x(k+1)=Ax(k)+Bu(k)

y(k)=Cx(k)+Du(k) 

 

[2]

with u(k) denoting inputs at time step k including the output of the temperature sensor as input of the heat compensator, y(k) denoting the estimated ambient temperature as output of the heat compensator, and x(k) denoting an internal state vector of the heat compensator, with the plurality of compensation modes realized by using different values of the internal state vector x(k) and/or by using different values of the matrices A, B, C and D.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental and/or handling conditions comprise a change of the device location in and out of a user'"'"'s pocket.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein compensation modes are based on different compensation filters and/or different sensor response functions.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental and/or handling conditions comprise sunlight incidence, wind, and grip modes.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the other integrated and/or external sensors comprise light sensors, resistive, capacitive, pressure, microphones, position, acceleration, and orientation sensors, or time and location.

6. The device according to claim 1, being selected from a group comprising

a mobile phone,

a handheld computer,

an electronic reader,

a tablet computer,

a game controller,

a pointing device,

a photo or a video camera,

a digital music player,

a wrist watch,

a key fob,

a head set,

a picture frame and

a computer peripheral.

7. A method for compensating a temperature sensor integrated into a portable electronic device comprising the steps of measuring an ambient temperature using an integrated temperature sensor, and compensating the temperature measurement by switching depending on environmental and/or handling conditions between a plurality of compensation modes and using measurements of one or more other integrated and/or external sensors to select a compensation mode, employing

a compensator for reducing a difference between an output of the temperature sensor and the ambient temperature, wherein the compensator switches depending on the environmental and/or handling conditions between the plurality of compensation modes selected dependent on the measurements of the one or more integrated and/or external sensors,

wherein the compensator is a heat compensator compensating for internal heat flows to and from the temperature sensor and/or a dynamic compensator compensating for the response function of the temperature sensor,

wherein, for the heat compensator, the ambient temperature is estimated by using the following equations [1] as heat compensator:

x(k+1)=Ax(k)+Bu(k)

y(k)=Cx(k)+Du(k) 

 

[1]

with u(k) denoting inputs at time step k including the output of the temperature sensor as input of the heat compensator, y(k) denoting the estimated ambient temperature as output of the heat compensator, and x(k) denoting an internal state vector of the heat compensator, with the plurality of compensation modes realized by using different values of the internal state vector x(k) and/or by using different values of matrices A, B, C and D, and

wherein, for the dynamic compensator, the following collations [2] are used;

x(k+1)=Ax(k)+Bu(k)

y(k)=Cx(k)+Du(k) 

 

[2]

with u(k) denoting inputs at time step k including the output of the temperature sensor as input of the heat compensator, y(k) denoting the estimated ambient temperature as output of the heat compensator, and x(k) denoting an internal state vector of the heat compensator, with the plurality of compensation modes realized by using different values of the internal state vector x(k) and/or by using different values of the matrices A, B, C and D.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the compensation modes include a mode for compensating the measurement during a period where the device is stored in a user'"'"'s pocket.