Chip, heating circuit and heating control method for chip
AssigneeNuvoton Technology Corporation
InventorsWei-Hang CHIU, Chieh-Sheng TU
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating circuit is provided. The heating circuit is disposed in a chip which has a normal operation temperature range. The heating circuit includes a comparison circuit and a thermal-energy generation circuit. The comparison circuit compares a temperature voltage with a first threshold voltage. The temperature voltage represents a temperature of the chip. The thermal-energy generation circuit is controlled by the comparison circuit. When the temperature voltage is less than the first threshold voltage, the comparison circuit enables the thermal-energy generation circuit to generate thermal energy to raise the temperature of the chip.
Claims20
A heating circuit disposed in a chip having a normal operation temperature range, comprising:
- a comparison circuit comparing a temperature voltage with a first threshold voltage, wherein the temperature voltage represents a temperature of the chip;
- and
- a thermal-energy generation circuit controlled by the comparison circuit, wherein when the temperature voltage is less than the first threshold voltage, the comparison circuit enables the thermal-energy generation circuit to generate thermal energy to raise the temperature of the chip.
A chip comprising:
- a temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the chip to generate a temperature voltage;
- a heating circuit receiving the temperature voltage, comparing the temperature voltage with a first threshold voltage to generate a heating control signal, comparing the temperature voltage with a second threshold voltage, and generating a comparison signal according to a comparison result between the temperature voltage and the second threshold voltage, wherein the first threshold voltage is greater than the second threshold voltage;
- and
- a processor coupled to the heating circuit, wherein the heating circuit provides the comparison signal as a reset signal to the processor,
- wherein when the temperature voltage is less than the first threshold voltage, the heating circuit generates thermal energy to heat the chip according to the heading control signal, and
- wherein when the temperature voltage is less than the second threshold voltage, the reset signal has a disabled voltage level to stop the processor from operating.
A heating control method for a chip, comprising:
- sensing a temperature of the chip;
- determining whether the temperature of the chip is higher than a first threshold temperature;
- determining whether the temperature of the chip is higher than a second temperature, wherein the second threshold temperature is lower than the first threshold temperature;
- in response to the temperature of the chip not being higher than the first threshold temperature, generating thermal energy to heat the chip;
- and
- in response to the temperature of the chip not being higher than the second threshold temperature, not boosting up the chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.