# US 2013/0154866 A1 · Method and System for Monitoring for Variation of Converter Voltage Reference > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154866 A1 - Document ID: US20130154866A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/679,370 - Filed: 2012-11-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Lear Corporation - Inventors: Antoni Ferre Fabregas; David Gamez Alari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154866A1 ## CPC - H03M 1/0845: {of power supply variations, e.g. ripple} - H03M 1/0604: {at one point, i.e. by adjusting a single reference value, e.g. bias or gain error (gain setting for range control H03M1/18)} - H03M 1/1019: {by storing a corrected or correction value in a digital look-up table} - H03M 1/12: Analogue/digital converters ({H03M1/001 – } H03M1/10 take precedence) - H03M 1/089: {of temperature variations} - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) ## Abstract A method and system include a converter such as an analog-to-digital converter (“ADC”) and a controller. The converter is configured to receive a sensor signal, indicative of a physical measured quantity, and generate an output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference. The converter is further configured to alternately receive a calibration voltage in lieu of the sensor signal and generate the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference. The controller is configured to compare the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference with an expected value of the output signal based on the calibration voltage and an assumed value of the voltage reference to detect variation of the voltage reference, and to compensate the output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference as a function of the detected variation of the voltage reference. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a converter configured to receive a sensor signal, indicative of a physical measured quantity, and generate an output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference, the converter further configured to alternately receive a calibration voltage in lieu of the sensor signal and generate the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: a controller configured to control when the converter receives the calibration voltage in lieu of the sensor signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a controller configured to compare the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference with an expected value of the output signal based on the calibration voltage and an assumed value of the voltage reference to detect variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein: the controller is further configured to compensate the output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference as a function of the detected variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a voltage generator configured to generate the voltage reference and provide the voltage reference to the converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a voltage generator configured to generate the calibration voltage for receipt by the converter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a sensor configured to generate the sensor signal for receipt by the converter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein: the converter is an analog-to-digital converter. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a first voltage generator configured to generate a voltage reference; a converter configured to generate an output signal based on an input signal and the voltage reference; a second voltage generator configured to generate a calibration voltage; a sensor configured to generate a sensor signal indicative of a physical measured quantity; and a controller configured to control the converter to receive the sensor signal as the input signal such that the converter generates the output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference and to control the converter to alternately receive the calibration voltage as the input signal in lieu of the sensor signal such that the converter generates the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein: the controller is further configured to compare the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference with an expected value of the output signal based on the calibration voltage and an assumed value of the voltage reference to detect variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein: the controller is further configured to compensate the output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference as a function of the detected variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9 wherein: the converter is an analog-to-digital converter. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: receiving, at a converter, a sensor signal indicative of a physical measured quantity and generating, by the converter, an output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference; and alternately receiving, at the converter, a calibration signal in lieu of the sensor signal and generating, by the converter, the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: controlling when the converter receives the calibration voltage in lieu of the sensor signal such that the converter periodically receives the calibration voltage in lieu of the sensor signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: comparing the output signal based on the calibration voltage and the voltage reference with an expected value of the output signal based on the calibration voltage and an assumed value of the voltage reference to detect variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising: compensating the output signal based on the sensor signal and the voltage reference as a function of the detected variation of the voltage reference. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: generating the voltage reference at a voltage generator and providing the voltage reference from the voltage generator to the converter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: generating the calibration voltage at a voltage generator for receipt by the converter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: generating the sensor signal at a sensor for receipt by the converter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein: the converter is an analog-to-digital converter.