NXP Semiconductors has been granted a patent for a temperature detection circuit. The circuit includes two current paths, one with a transistor and a temperature sensing device, and the other with a transistor connected to the first current path. The second current path provides an indication of the detected temperature. GlobalData’s report on NXP Semiconductors gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on NXP Semiconductors, Quantum dot devices was a key innovation area identified from patents. NXP Semiconductors's grant share as of September 2023 was 64%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Temperature detection circuit with two current paths and transistors
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11774297B2) describes a circuit that includes multiple current paths and transistors for temperature sensing. The circuit comprises a first current path with a first transistor and a temperature sensing device, and a second current path with a second transistor connected to the first node of the first current path. The second current path includes a second node that indicates the detected temperature.
The temperature sensing device in the circuit is configured as a diode circuit with bipolar transistors. Both the first and second transistors in the circuit are characterized as Field Effect Transistors (FET). A current source is included in the circuit to supply current to both the first and second current paths.
Additionally, the circuit includes a current source located in the second current path, specifically between the second node and ground, to sink current from the second node. This current source provides hysteresis to the indication of the detected temperature when the second node is in a certain state.
Furthermore, the circuit features a third current path with a third transistor, which is connected to the first node of the first current path. The third current path includes a third node that indicates a different detected temperature from the temperature sensing device. The second current path includes a first current source for sinking current from the second node, while the third current path includes a second current source for sinking current from the third node.
The circuit also includes a switched capacitive network that samples the reference voltage and provides it to the control terminal of the first transistor. Additionally, there are multiple current sources in the circuit, with the first current source sourcing current to both the first and second current paths, and the second current source sourcing current to the third current path.
Overall, this patented circuit design offers a multi-path approach to temperature sensing, utilizing transistors and current sources to accurately detect and indicate different temperatures.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
