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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10082428-B2
Application number	US-201715659009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2017
Priority date	Jul 2, 2009
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit for generating a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) signals;
a plurality of second circuits coupled to receive the plurality of PWM signals, respectively;
wherein each of the plurality of second circuits comprises first and second field effect transistors (FETs), a driver circuit for controlling the first and second FETs, and a temperature sensor circuit for generating a voltage at its output, wherein the voltage represents a temperature;
wherein the outputs of the plurality of temperature sensor circuits are connected together to produce a voltage that represents a maximum temperature of the plurality of temperatures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first circuit comprises an input that is connected to receive the voltage that represents the maximum temperature of the plurality of temperatures.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first circuit comprises an input that is connected to the outputs of the plurality of temperature sensor circuits.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first circuit is an integrated circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the temperature sensor circuits comprises a drive circuit and a temperature sensor, wherein the drive circuit is connected between the temperature sensor and the temperature sensor circuit's output.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the temperature sensors comprises a silicon P-type/N-type junction.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of the drive circuits comprises an operational amplifier, which in turn comprises a operational amplifier non-inverting input, a operational amplifier inverting input, and an operational amplifier output.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of the drive circuits comprises a diode coupled between the drive circuit's operational amplifier output and the drive circuit's operational amplifier inverting input.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the driver circuit and the temperature sensor circuit of each of the second circuits, are formed on a respective semiconductor die.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first circuit comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit for converting the voltage that represents THE maximum temperature of the plurality of temperatures into a digital equivalent.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor circuit is thermally coupled to the first FET, the second FET, or the driver circuit.

12. A circuit comprising:
a first input for receiving a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal;
a first transistor coupled to a second transistor;
a first driver circuit for controlling the first and second transistors;
a first temperature sensor circuit for generating a first voltage that represents a first temperature;
wherein the first temperature sensor circuit comprises a first output configured for connection to a second output of a second temperature sensor circuit that generates a second voltage;
wherein the first temperature sensor circuit is configured to drive its first output to the first voltage when the first voltage is greater than the second voltage;
wherein the first temperature sensor circuit is configured to not drive its output terminal to the first voltage when the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

13. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the first temperature sensor circuit comprises a drive circuit and a temperature sensor, wherein the drive circuit is connected between the temperature sensor and the first output.

14. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the temperature sensor comprises a silicon P-type/N-type junction.

15. The circuit of claim 13 the drive circuit comprises an operational amplifier, which in turn comprises a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an output.

16. The circuit of claim 15 wherein the drive circuit comprises a diode coupled between the output and the inverting input.

17. The circuit of claim 12 wherein the first driver circuit and the first temperature sensor circuit are formed on a semiconductor die.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a first circuit for generating a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) signals;
a plurality of second circuits coupled to receive the plurality of PWM signals, respectively;
wherein each of the plurality of second circuits comprises a heat generation device, and a temperature sensor circuit for generating a voltage at its output, wherein the voltage represents a temperature;
wherein the outputs of the plurality of temperature sensor circuits are connected together at a node so that the node is driven to a voltage that represents a maximum temperature of the plurality of temperatures.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the first circuit comprises an input that is connected to the node and configured to receive the voltage that represents the maximum temperature of the plurality of temperatures.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein each of the temperature sensor circuits comprises a drive circuit and a temperature sensor, wherein the drive circuit is connected between the temperature sensor and the temperature sensor circuit's output.

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics America Inc

Inventors

• Sato Tetsuo
• Kudo Ryotaro

Classifications

• H10W40/00

  Arrangements for thermal protection or thermal control (integrated devices comprising arrangements for thermal protection H10D89/60) · CPC title

• G01K3/00

  Thermometers giving results other than momentary value of temperature (G01K7/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2201/10166

  Transistor · CPC title

• H05K2203/163

  Monitoring a manufacturing process · CPC title

• H05K2201/10151

  Sensor · CPC title