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US 2017/0363668 A1Published application
Sensor and method of sensing a value of a parameter
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorChia Liang TAI
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Abstract
A sensor for sensing a parameter includes a control circuit that outputs a clock signal, a converter that receives the clock signal, generates a parameter-dependent voltage, and outputs an output voltage based on a comparison of the parameter-dependent voltage to a reference voltage. The sensor also includes a filter that receives the output voltage and counts a number of pulses of the clock signal based on a level of the output voltage.
Claims20
A sensor for sensing a parameter, the sensor comprising:
- a control circuit configured to output a clock signal;
- a converter configured to
- receive the clock signal,
- generate a parameter-dependent voltage, and
- output an output voltage based on a comparison of the parameter-dependent voltage to a reference voltage;
- and
- a filter configured to
- receive the output voltage, and
- count a number of pulses of the clock signal based on a level of the output voltage.
6 more elements
A thermal sensor comprising:
- a temperature control circuit configured to output a clock signal and a reference voltage, the clock signal having a temperature-dependent frequency and the reference voltage having a temperature-dependent magnitude;
- a converter configured to
- receive the clock signal,
- generate a first temperature-dependent voltage, and
- output an output voltage based on a comparison of the temperature-dependent voltage to the reference voltage;
- and
- a filter configured to
- receive the output voltage,
- count a number of pulses of the clock signal corresponding to an output level of the output voltage, and
- output a digital readout based on an accumulated number of counted clock pulses, wherein the accumulated number of counted clock pulses is indicative of a value of the temperature of the temperature-dependent frequency and the temperature-dependent magnitude.
7 more elements
A method of operating a filter, the method comprising:
- receiving, with a filter, a clock signal of a sensor and an output voltage of the sensor;
- starting a counting window;
- counting a number of clock pulses of the clock signal corresponding to an output level of the output voltage;
- determining whether or not the counting window has ended;
- and
- based on a determination that the counting window has ended, outputting a readout corresponding to an accumulated number of counted clock pulses, the accumulated number of counted clock pulses being indicative of a value of a parameter sensed by the sensor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.