Patent ID: 7106127

Claim:
A temperature sensor, comprising: a comparator circuit having an output node and a variable current node, wherein the output node is a first voltage at a given temperature when a current at the variable current node is less than a threshold current, and a different second voltage at the given temperature when the current at the variable current node is more than the threshold current; first and second variable resistance circuits connected in series between the variable current node of the comparator and a supply voltage, wherein the first variable resistance circuit includes m resistors connected in series, where n is an integer of 4 or more and the m resistors have different resistance values from each other, and wherein the second variable resistance circuit includes n resistors connected in series, where m is an integer of 4 or more and the n resistors have different resistance values from each other; a first switching circuit which selectively bypasses individual ones of the m resistors of the first variable resistance circuit; and a second switching circuit which selectively bypasses individual ones of the n resistors of the second variable resistance circuit, wherein the first switching circuit comprises at least m transistors connected across respective ones of the m resistors, wherein gate terminals of the m transistors are responsive to a first input test signal to selectively bypass the m resistors, respectively, and wherein the second switching circuit comprises at least n transistors connected across respective ones of the n resistors, wherein gate terminals of the n transistors are responsive to a second input test signal to selectively bypass the n resistors, respectively.