US 12,339,397 B2
Temperature sensor, laser circuit, light detection and ranging system and method
Sébastien Poirier, Premstätten (AT)
Assigned to AMS AG, Premstätten (AT)
Appl. No. 17/422,541
Filed by ams AG, Premstätten (AT)
PCT Filed Jan. 13, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/050678
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 13, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/148228, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19151871 (EP), filed on Jan. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0091237 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01K 7/01 (2006.01); H01S 5/042 (2006.01); H01S 5/068 (2006.01); H03M 1/10 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); H01S 5/183 (2006.01); H01S 5/40 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4814 (2013.01) [G01K 7/01 (2013.01); H01S 5/0428 (2013.01); H01S 5/06804 (2013.01); H03M 1/1023 (2013.01); G01K 2219/00 (2013.01); G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/497 (2013.01); H01S 5/06825 (2013.01); H01S 5/183 (2013.01); H01S 5/4025 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A temperature sensor having a first sensing unit operable to provide a first pseudo-differential unipolar analog signal representing a first temperature value of a power unit,
an interface circuit operable to provide a second pseudo-differential unipolar analog signal representing a second temperature value of a powered unit,
a multiplexer circuit which is operable to provide a pseudo-differential unipolar multiplexed analog signal comprising the first pseudo-differential unipolar analog signal or the second pseudo-differential unipolar analog signal depending on a sensor selection signal, and
a first analog-to-digital converter, ADC, component operable to provide a first digital signal from the pseudo-differential unipolar multiplexed analog signal, the first digital signal comprising a digital representation of the first analog signal or the second analog signal, wherein operation of the first ADC component is synchronized with a control signal designed for activating the power unit, wherein
the sensor selection signal is derived from the control signal, the control signal activating the power unit, wherein the first and/or the second temperature value are sensed and analog-to-digital converted when the first and/or the second temperature are at their respective maxima, and
each pseudo-differential unipolar analog signal designates an analog signal associated with a substantially stable reference signal.