Patent ID: 7113019
Filing Date: 2006-09-26
Classification: G01K,G01R,H03K

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for indirectly sensing the temperature of a power MOS device comprising: a power MOS device having a current sense circuit for sensing a current in the power MOS device; a circuit for producing a voltage related to a drain-source voltage of the power MOS device, the circuit comprising a current mirror circuit and a resistor in series with the current mirror circuit, the resistor generating a voltage related to the current in the power MOS device; a comparator coupled to receive at a first input the voltage related to the drain-source voltage of the power MOS device and at a second input a voltage related to the current in the power MOS device; the comparator generating an overtemperature protection signal when a predetermined inequality between the voltages at the first and second inputs to the comparator occurs, the comparator generating the overtemperature protection signal when the temperature of the power MOS device has exceeded the predetermined temperature level determined by the predetermined inequality.