Temperature sensor based on a charge-injection cell arrangement
AssigneeEcole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (Epfl)
InventorKyojin Choo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A charge-injection cell-based temperature sensor (1) is provided. The temperature sensor (1) comprises one or more charge-injection cells (3, 9). The temperature sensor (1) is configured to allow charge to be transferred from one or more source capacitors (Cs,n, Cs,p) to one or more output capacitors (Cout,n, Cout,p) once transistors (M1, M2, M3, M4) of the charge-injection cells are enabled to allow current to flow through them. The temperature sensor (1) further comprises a temperature sensing unit (7) configured to determine one or more charge-injection cell output voltage values to thereby derive a temperature value from the one or more first charge-injection cell output voltage values.
Claims17
A charge-injection cell-based temperature sensor, the temperature sensor comprising:
- a first charge-injection cell comprising a first transistor arrangement, a first switch and a first source capacitor electrically coupled to a node interconnecting the first transistor arrangement and the first switch, the first transistor arrangement being electrically coupled to a first charge-injection cell output node for measuring a first charge-injection cell output voltage value;
- a first output capacitor in series with the first transistor arrangement;
- a second switch in parallel with the first output capacitor and electrically coupled to the first transistor arrangement, an interconnection node between the first transistor arrangement, the first output capacitor and the second switch forming the first charge-injection cell output node, the first and second switches being configured to be selectively manipulated to reset the first source capacitor and the first output capacitor, respectively, and the temperature sensor being configured to allow charge to be transferred from the first source capacitor to the first output capacitor once the first transistor arrangement is enabled to allow current to flow through it;
- and
- a temperature sensing unit configured to determine the first charge-injection cell output voltage value to thereby derive a temperature value from at least the first charge-injection cell output voltage value.
A method for sensing temperature by using a charge-injection cell-based temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a first charge-injection cell comprising a first transistor arrangement, a first switch and a first source capacitor electrically coupled to a node interconnecting the first transistor arrangement and the first switch, the first transistor arrangement being electrically coupled to a first charge-injection cell output node for measuring a first charge-injection cell output voltage value, the temperature sensor further comprising a first output capacitor in series with the first transistor arrangement, and a second switch in parallel with the first output capacitor and electrically coupled to the first transistor arrangement, an interconnection node between the first transistor arrangement, the first output capacitor and the second switch forming the first charge-injection cell output node, the method comprising the steps of:
- resetting and releasing the first output capacitor by manipulating the second switch;
- resetting and releasing the first source capacitor by manipulating the first switch;
- enabling for a given duration the first transistor arrangement to allow charge to be transferred from the first source capacitor to the first output capacitor;
- determining the first charge-injection cell output voltage value at the first charge-injection cell output node;
- and
- deriving a temperature value from at least the first charge-injection cell output voltage value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.