Multi-sensing PTAT for multiple-location temperature sensing
AssigneeAyDeeKay LLC
InventorScott David Kee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit that controls distributed temperature sensors in a semiconductor die is described. This integrated circuit may include: memory; a controller (such as a PTAT controller) coupled to the memory; temperature sensors distributed at measurement locations in the semiconductor die (such as remote locations from the controller), where a given temperature sensor includes building blocks (or components) that are common to the temperature sensors; and routing between the controller and the building blocks over an addressable bus, where signal lines for analog signals in the addressable bus are reused when communicating between the controller and different temperature sensors.
Claims20
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- memory;
- a controller coupled to the memory;
- temperature sensors distributed at measurement locations in a semiconductor die, wherein a given temperature sensor comprises instances of building blocks that are included in all the temperature sensors;
- and
- routing between the controller and the instances of the building blocks over an addressable bus, wherein signal lines for analog signals in the addressable bus are reused when communicating between the controller and different temperature sensors, wherein a number of the temperature sensors in the integrated circuit is limited by a number of bits used for addressing the temperature sensors.
An electronic device, comprising an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit comprises:
- memory;
- a controller coupled to the memory;
- temperature sensors distributed at measurement locations in a semiconductor die, wherein a given temperature sensor comprises instances of the building blocks that are included in all of the temperature sensors;
- and
- routing between the controller and the instances of the building blocks over an addressable bus, wherein signal lines for analog signals in the addressable bus are reused when communicating between the controller and different temperature sensors, wherein a number of the temperature sensors in the electronic device is limited by a number of bits used for addressing the temperature sensors.
A method for controlling temperature sensors, comprising:
- by a controller in an integrated circuit:
- routing a current to a sensor device in given temperature sensor in temperature sensors distributed at measurement locations in a semiconductor die, wherein the given temperature sensor comprises instances of the building blocks that are included in all of the temperature sensors, wherein the routing between the controller and the temperature sensors is over an addressable bus, and wherein signal lines for analog signals in the addressable bus are reused when communicating between the controller and different temperature sensors;
- and
- conveying a voltage from the sensor device to the controller via the addressable bus, wherein a number of the temperature sensors in the integrated circuit is limited by a number of bits used for addressing the temperature sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.