Thermal sensor and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a temperature sensing circuit coupled to a current sources circuit configured to generate a reference current and an adjustable current, the temperature sensing circuit configured to measure a circuit temperature and to generate a temperature-indicating signal in response to the circuit temperature and the adjustable current;
a reference voltage circuit coupled the current sources circuit and configured to provide a reference signal in response to the reference current; and
a trip generator circuit coupled to the temperature sensing circuit and the reference voltage circuit and configured to generate a trip point signal if a difference between the reference and the temperature-indicating signals indicates that a threshold circuit temperature has been reached or exceeded.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, an apparatus is constituted with a temperature sensing circuit adapted to be coupled to a current sources circuit, and configured to measure a circuit temperature and to generate a temperature-indicating signal in response to the circuit temperature and an adjustable current output by the current sources circuit; a reference voltage circuit to be coupled the current sources circuit and configured to provide a reference signal in response to a reference current output by the current sources circuit; and a trip generator circuit coupled to the temperature sensing circuit and the reference voltage circuit and configured to generate a trip point signal if a difference between the reference and the temperature-indicating signals indicates that a threshold circuit temperature has been reached or exceeded.
44 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a temperature sensing circuit coupled to a current sources circuit configured to generate a reference current and an adjustable current, the temperature sensing circuit configured to measure a circuit temperature and to generate a temperature-indicating signal in response to the circuit temperature and the adjustable current;
a reference voltage circuit coupled the current sources circuit and configured to provide a reference signal in response to the reference current; and
a trip generator circuit coupled to the temperature sensing circuit and the reference voltage circuit and configured to generate a trip point signal if a difference between the reference and the temperature-indicating signals indicates that a threshold circuit temperature has been reached or exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method, comprising:
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measuring a circuit temperature with a temperature sensing circuit, with a current sources circuit configured to generate a reference current and an adjustable current;
generating a temperature-indicating signal with the temperature sensing circuit in response to the circuit temperature and the adjustable current;
generating a reference signal in response to the reference current; and
generating a trip point signal with a trip generator circuit if a difference between the reference and the temperature-indicating signals indicates that a threshold circuit temperature has been reached or exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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passing an adjustable current through a circuit branch of a temperature sensing circuit having a plurality of resistors and a diode coupled in series and a plurality of voltage nodes with adjacent voltage nodes being separated by one of the resistors;
selecting one of the voltage nodes to obtain a temperature-indicating signal; and
adjusting a slope of a transfer function by selecting another one of the voltage nodes to obtain a temperature-indicating signal and correspondingly adjusting the adjustable current. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A system, comprising:
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a processor;
a thermal sensor coupled the processor, the thermal sensor including a bias circuit configured to provide a bias signal;
a current sources circuit coupled to the bias circuit and configured to generate a reference current and an adjustable current;
a temperature sensing circuit coupled to the current sources circuit and configured to measure a circuit temperature and to generate a temperature-indicating signal in response to the circuit temperature and the adjustable current;
a reference voltage circuit coupled the current sources circuit and configured to provide a reference signal in response to the reference current; and
a trip generator circuit coupled to the temperature sensing circuit and the reference voltage circuit and configured to generate an interrupt signal if a difference between the reference and the temperature-indicating signals indicates that a threshold circuit temperature has been reached or exceeded;
a mass memory device; and
a bus coupled to the processor and the mass storage device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification