IP Library Granted Patent US 8,033,721
Granted Patent B2
US 8,033,721 · App. 12/334,912 · Granted Oct 11, 2011

Temperature sensor circuit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,033,721
App. No.
12/334,912
Granted
Oct 11, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A temperature sensor circuit is provided that facilitates preventing a too-high overshooting voltage from occurring at an output terminal when a power supply is connected to the temperature sensor circuit. The temperature sensor circuit includes a short-circuiting device, disposed in parallel to depletion mode NMOS, that short-circuits the drain and source of depletion mode NMOS when a power supply is connected; and delay device that transmits a signal for short-circuiting the drain and source of depletion mode NMOS for a certain period from the time point of power supply connection to short-circuiting device for preventing the voltage at output terminal of temperature sensor circuit from overshooting.

Claims (14)

1. A temperature sensor circuit comprising:

a first switching device comprising a collector connected to a power supply, a gate, and an emitter;

a diode comprising an anode connected to the gate of the first switching device and a cathode connected to the collector of the first switching device;

a depletion mode n-channel MOSFET comprising a drain connected to the emitter of the first switching device, a source connected to a ground, and a gate fixed at a ground potential;

an output terminal connected to the drain of the depletion mode n-channel MOSFET;

a short-circuiting device connecting the output terminal to the ground; and

a delay device outputting a signal that makes the short-circuiting device work for a predetermined period of time from a time point, at which the power supply is connected to the temperature sensor circuit.

2. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first switching device comprises a Darlington transistor.

3. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the short-circuiting device comprises a second switching device.

4. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the second switching device comprises an enhancement mode n-channel MOSFET.

5. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the delay device comprises a delay circuit comprising an inverter circuit, an even number of the inverter circuits being connected in series to each other.

6. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the delay circuit further comprises a resistor, comprising a first end connected to an output point of the inverter circuit in a preceeding stage, and a capacitor, comprising a first end connected to a second end of the resistor and to an input point of the inverter circuit in a next stage, the capacitor comprising a second end connected to the ground.

7. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the delay circuit further comprises a resistor comprising a first end connected to an output point of the inverter circuit in a preceeding stage and a second end connected to an input point of the inverter circuit in a next stage.

8. The temperature sensor circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the delay circuit further comprises a capacitor comprising a first end connected to an output point of the inverter circuit in a proceeding stage and a second end connected to the ground.

Assignments (3)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 26, 2011
From: FUJI ELECTRIC SYSTEMS CO., LTD. (FES); FUJI TECHNOSURVEY CO., LTD. (MERGER BY ABSORPTION)
To: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 026970/0872 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2010
From: FUJI ELECTRIC DEVICE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
To: FUJI ELECTRIC SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 024252/0438 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2009
From: OOE, TAKATOSHI; SAITOU, RYUU; IWAMIZU, MORIO
To: FUJI ELECTRIC DEVICE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 022301/0288 →