Temperature sensor arrangement, light sensor arrangement, mobile computing device including the same and methods using the same

A light sensor arrangement comprising:

• a temperature sensor arrangement, comprising:
• a current integrating modulator having an input terminal to receive a current signal and an output terminal to provide a count value dependent on the current supplied to the input terminal;
• a temperature sensitive element to generate a current dependent on temperature, the temperature sensitive element including a resistor;
• another resistor;
• and
• first and second switches to alternately connect the temperature sensitive element and the other resistor to the input terminal of the current integrating modulator,
• wherein the current integrating modulator comprises an integration amplifier, an integration capacitor connected to the integration amplifier, a comparator connected downstream the integration amplifier, a latch connected downstream the comparator, a counter connected downstream the latch and a controller generating control signals in response to an output signal of the latch;
• and
• a photodiode coupled to the input of the current integrating modulator through a switch, the current integrating modulator configured to perform an offset compensation of the integration amplifier in response to the count values generated for the temperature sensitive element and for the other resistor.

A mobile computing device comprising a light sensor arrangement, comprising:

• a temperature sensor arrangement, comprising:
• a current integrating modulator having an input terminal to receive a current signal and an output terminal to provide a count value dependent on the current supplied to the input terminal;
• a temperature sensitive element to generate a current dependent on temperature, the temperature sensitive element including a resistor;
• another resistor;
• and
• first and second switches to alternately connect the temperature sensitive element and the other resistor to the input terminal of the current integrating modulator,
• wherein the current integrating modulator comprises an integration amplifier, an integration capacitor connected to the integration amplifier, a comparator connected downstream the integration amplifier, a latch connected downstream the comparator, a counter connected downstream the latch and a controller generating control signals in response to an output signal of the latch;
• and
• a photodiode coupled to the input of the current integrating modulator through a switch, the current integrating modulator configured to perform an offset compensation of the integration amplifier in response to the count values generated for the temperature sensitive element and for the other resistor;
• and
• a display screen, wherein the light sensor arrangement comprises an output terminal to supply a signal indicative of ambient light, wherein the brightness of the display screen is controlled in dependence on the signal indicative of ambient light generated by the light sensor arrangement.

A method to measure a temperature comprising the steps of:

• generating a current dependent from temperature using a resistor and determining a count value through a current integration modulation process;
• generating another current through another resistor and determining another count value through another current integration modulation process;
• and
• generating a value indicative of the temperature from the count value and the other count value.

A method to measure ambient light comprising:

• performing a method to measure a temperature comprising:
• generating a current dependent from temperature using a resistor and determining a count value through a current integration modulation process;
• generating another current through another resistor and determining another count value through another current integration modulation process;
• and
• generating a value indicative of the temperature from the count value and the other count value;
• the method to measure a temperature using an integration amplifier to perform the current integration modulation process;
• and
• performing an offset compensation of the integration amplifier using the measured temperature;
• and then
• generating a photocurrent in response to receiving ambient light by a photodiode and determining a count value representative of the received ambient light through a current integration modulation process using said integration amplifier.