Dual heat path temperature sensor
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsWanfeng Huang, Hongling Chen, Ali M. Amin, James C. Clements
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A temperature sensing system includes absolute temperature sensor(s) and/or thermopiles that form concentric geometries and are uniform in height. In some examples, the temperature sensing system can determine internal body temperature and/or ambient temperature based at least on a thermal gradient associated with the inner thermopile, a thermal gradient associated with the outer thermopile, a lateral temperature difference between the inner and the outer thermopiles, and an absolute temperature. In some examples, the temperature sensing system can determine the internal body temperature and/or ambient temperature using at least four absolute temperature sensors forming a concentric structure.
Claims20
An electronic device, comprising:
- a thermal sensing system comprising:
- a sensing surface, wherein the sensing surface comprises an inner thermopile associated with a first heat path and an outer thermopile associated with a second heat path, wherein the inner thermopile is same in height as the outer thermopile, and wherein the inner thermopile and the outer thermopile form concentric geometries;
- and
- a first absolute temperature sensor configured to measure a first absolute temperature;
- and
- a processor communicatively coupled to the thermal sensing system and configured to compute an ambient temperature or body temperature using a first temperature gradient associated with the first heat path, a second temperature gradient associated with the second heat path, a lateral temperature difference between the inner thermopile and the outer thermopile, and the first absolute temperature.
A dual heat flux sensor, comprising:
- a sensing glass comprising an inner thermopile and an outer thermopile, wherein the inner thermopile and the outer thermopile are uniform in height and form concentric geometries;
- a plurality of vias in the sensing glass comprising a plurality of first vias from a first surface of the sensing glass to a second surface of the sensing glass and a plurality of second vias from the first surface of the sensing glass to the second surface of the sensing glass, wherein the inner thermopile is formed from a first set of conductive materials filling the plurality of first vias and the outer thermopile is formed from a second set of conductive materials filling the plurality of second vias;
- and
- sensing circuitry configured to measure a temperature gradient associated with the inner thermopile and a second temperature gradient associated with the outer thermopile.
A system, comprising:
- a first absolute temperature sensor configured to measure a first absolute temperature at a first surface of an inner thermopile;
- a second absolute temperature sensor configured to measure a second absolute temperature at a first surface of an outer thermopile, wherein the inner thermopile is same in height as the outer thermopile, and wherein the inner thermopile and the outer thermopile form concentric geometries;
- a third absolute temperature sensor configured to measure a third absolute temperature at a second surface of the inner thermopile;
- a fourth absolute temperature sensor configured to measure a fourth absolute temperature at a second surface of the outer thermopile;
- and
- a processor communicatively coupled to the first absolute temperature sensor, the second absolute temperature sensor, the third absolute temperature sensor, and the fourth absolute temperature sensor and configured to compute an ambient temperature or an internal body temperature using the first absolute temperature, the second absolute temperature, the third absolute temperature, and the fourth absolute temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.