Patent ID: 8262286

Claim:
A digital output temperature sensor comprising: a first circuit configured to generate a first signal, the first signal varying complementary to a temperature of the sensor; a second circuit configured to generate a second signal, the second signal varying proportionally to the temperature of the sensor, the second circuit comprising: i) a PTAT current control reference voltage generating circuit configured to generate a PTAT current control reference voltage signal; ii) a digital to analog converter circuit including a plurality of current sources receiving the PTAT current control reference voltage signal and being selectively switchable between a conductive state and a non-conductive state, wherein each of the plurality of current sources in the conductive state sources a partial current; iii) a current summing junction summing each of the plurality of partial currents as a PTAT current signal; and iv) a circuit component configured to convert the PTAT current signal to a PTAT voltage signal as the second signal; a comparator operatively associated with the first and second circuits and configured to receive the first and second signals and generate a comparison signal based on a comparison between the first and second signals; and, a converter circuit operatively associated with the comparator and configured to receive the comparison signal and generate a digital output signal based on the comparison signal, the digital output signal being representative of the temperature of the sensor.