US 12,405,171 B2
Electrical current based temperature sensor and temperature information digitizer
Daniele Gardino, Mortara (IT); Michele Folz, Pavia (IT); Antonio Aprile, Pavia (IT); Piero Malcovati, Pavia (IT); Raffaele Boi, Pavia (IT); and Edoardo Bonizzoni, Pavia (IT)
Assigned to INVENSENSE, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by INVENSENSE, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/359,866.
Prior Publication US 2022/0412813 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. G01K 7/01 (2006.01)
CPC G01K 7/015 (2013.01) 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A temperature digitizer, comprising:
a sensor core, wherein the sensor core is configured to generate a temperature dependent electrical current and at least one reference electrical current, wherein the temperature dependent electrical current and the at least one reference electrical current originate from a sensing device at the sensor core;
a digital to analog converter, coupled to the sensor core, wherein the digital to analog converter is configured to generate a controlled electrical current which is combined with the at least one reference current to generate a modified reference current;
a current comparator, wherein the current comparator is configured to perform a comparison of the modified reference current and the temperature dependent electrical current and to generate a binary result of the comparison; and
a processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
record the binary result of the comparison provided by the current comparator;
generate a current control output based on the binary result and provide the current control output to the digital to analog converter, wherein the current control output modifies the controlled electrical current generated by the digital to analog converter;
repetitively record subsequent binary results and generate subsequent current control outputs to generate a digital code comprising a series of binary results; and
output the digital code.