# US 10,374,589 B2 · Voltage comparing circuit and voltage comparing method

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- Number: US 10,374,589 B2
- Document ID: US10374589B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/136,136
- Filed: 2018-09-19
- Published: 2019-01-17
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-30
- Assignees: Pixart Imaging Inc.
- Applicants: PixArt Imaging Inc.
- Inventors: Wooi Kip Lim; Yong Yeap Tan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374589B2

## CPC

- H03K 5/24: the characteristic being amplitude
- G01K 7/34: using capacitative elements (capacitors per se H01G)
- G01K 15/005: {Calibration}
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)

## Abstract

A temperature detecting circuit comprising: a comparator, comprising a first comparing terminal and a second comparing terminal; a time interval computing unit; a switch module, coupled to the first comparing terminal and the second comparing terminal, comprising a reference voltage terminal coupled to a reference voltage source, and comprising a first input terminal, a second input terminal and a third input terminal; a first current source, comprising a first charging terminal coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal; a first capacitor, coupled to the first current source at the first charging terminal; a capacitance adjusting unit, coupled to the first capacitor; a second current source, comprising a second charging terminal coupled to the third input terminal, wherein the second current source is a current source which provides a constant current; and a second capacitor, coupled to the second current source at the second charging terminal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A temperature detecting circuit, comprising:
a comparator, comprising a first comparing terminal and a second comparing terminal;
a time interval computing unit;
a switch module, coupled to the first comparing terminal and the second comparing terminal, comprising a reference voltage terminal coupled to a reference voltage source, and comprising a first input terminal, a second input terminal and a third input terminal;
a first current source, comprising a first charging terminal coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal;
a first capacitor, coupled to the first current source at the first charging terminal;
a capacitance adjusting unit, coupled to the first capacitor;
a second current source, comprising a second charging terminal coupled to the third input terminal, wherein the second current source is a current source which provides a constant current; and
a second capacitor, coupled to the second current source at the second charging terminal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The temperature detecting circuit of claim 1,
wherein, in a first calibration mode, the first comparing terminal receives a reference voltage provided by the reference voltage source via the switch module, the first charging terminal is coupled to the second comparing terminal via the switch module, and the first current source charges the first capacitor;
wherein, in the first calibration mode, the time interval computing unit computes a first charging time interval between a time point that the first current source starts to charge the first capacitor and a time point that a first charging voltage at the first charging terminal is equal to the reference voltage;
wherein the capacitance adjusting unit compares the first charging time interval with a first ideal charging time interval, and adjusts first capacitance of the first capacitor if the first charging time interval is not equal to the first ideal charging time interval;
wherein, in a normal mode, the first comparing terminal does not receive the reference voltage, the first charging terminal is coupled to the first comparing terminal, and the first current source charges the first capacitor;
wherein, in the normal mode, the second current source starts to charge the second capacitor if the first charging voltage reaches a saturation charging voltage;
wherein, in the normal mode, the time interval computing unit computes a saturation charging time interval between a time point that the second current source starts to charge the second capacitor and a time point that the second charging voltage is equal to the saturation charging voltage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The temperature detecting circuit of claim 2, wherein the first current source is a current source which is linear across a temperature, wherein the second current source is a current source which provides a constant current.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The temperature detecting circuit of claim 2,
wherein, in a second calibration mode, the first comparing terminal receives the reference voltage via the switch module, the second charging terminal is coupled to the second comparing terminal via the switch module, and the second current source charges the second capacitor;
wherein, in the second calibration mode, the time interval computing unit computes a second charging time interval between a time point that the second current source starts to charge the second capacitor and a time point that the second charging voltage is equal to the reference voltage;
wherein the capacitance adjusting unit compares the second charging time interval with a second ideal charging time interval, and adjusts second capacitance of the second capacitor if the second charging time interval is not equal to the second ideal charging time interval.