Switch techniques for load sensing
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsXiaohong QUAN, Peter J. SHAH, Ankit SRIVASTAVA, Guoqing MIAO
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Abstract
Techniques for sensing the resistance of a load. In an aspect, a sense resistor is provided in series with the load. Each terminal of the sense resistor is alternately coupled via switches to a sense amplifier. A second input of the sense resistor is coupled to a terminal of the load. The voltage drop across the load and the voltage drop across the load plus sense resistor are alternatively measured. These voltage drops may be digitized and used to compute a resistance of the load using, e.g., a digital processor.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a sense resistor having a first terminal and a second terminal;
- a first switch coupled to the first terminal;
- a second switch coupled to the second terminal;
- wherein the first and second switches are configured to alternately couple one of the first and second terminals to a sense amplifier.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for selectively coupling a first terminal of a sense resistor to a sense amplifier;
- and
- means for selectively coupling a second terminal of the sense resistor to the sense amplifier;
- wherein the means are configured to alternately couple one of the first and second terminals to the sense amplifier.
A method comprising:
- selectively coupling a first terminal of a sense resistor to a first terminal of a sense amplifier;
- and
- selectively coupling a second terminal of the sense resistor to the first terminal of the sense amplifier;
- wherein the selectively coupling the first and second terminals comprise alternately coupling one of the first and second terminals to the sense amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.