Power switch with an integrated temperature and current sense circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11394378-B2
Application number	US-201815911939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2018
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

An integrated circuit comprises a power switch comprising a current path and a current sense node; and a temperature sense circuit internally coupled between the current path and the current sense node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit comprising:
a power switch comprising a current path and a current sense node; and
a temperature sense circuit internally coupled between the current path and the current sense node of the power switch; and
a current sense resistor and an additional switch coupled between the current sense node and the current path,
wherein the current path comprises a collector node and an emitter node, and the current sense node comprises a sense emitter node, and wherein the temperature sense circuit comprises a plurality of serial-connected diodes directly coupled to the power switch only between the sense emitter node and the emitter node.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the current path comprises a drain node and a first source node, and the current sense node comprises a second source node.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an additional diode coupled in anti-parallel with the plurality of serial-connected diodes.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power switch further comprises a first control node and the additional switch comprises a second control node coupled to the first control node of the power switch.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sense circuit is configured to be operated in a first mode of operation.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the first mode of operation comprises a free-wheeling mode.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to be operated as a current sensing circuit in a second mode of operation.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 , wherein the second mode of operation comprises an on-state of the power switch.

9. A method comprising: configuring a power switch to include a current path and a current sense node; and internal to the power switch, coupling a temperature sense circuit between the current path and the current sense node of the power switch; and external to the power switch, coupling a current sense resistor and an additional switch between the current sense node and the current path, wherein the current path comprises a collector node and an emitter node, and the current sense node comprises a sense emitter node, and wherein the temperature sense circuit comprises a plurality of serial-connected diodes directly coupled to the power switch only between the sense emitter node and the emitter node.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a temperature of the temperature sense circuit in a first mode of operation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining a current flowing in the current sense node in a second mode of operation.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Reiter Tomas Manuel
• Schinner Georg
• Wolter Frank

Classifications

• H10D89/611

  using diodes as protective elements · CPC title

• H10D89/60

  Integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical or thermal protection, e.g. protection circuits against electrostatic discharge [ESD] · CPC title

• H03K17/0812 Primary

  by measures taken in the control circuit · CPC title

• H03K2017/0806

  against excessive temperature · CPC title

• H02H7/222

  for switches · CPC title