The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 10, 1994
Stefano Clemente, Rolling Hills Estate, CA (US);
International Rectifier Corp., El Segundo, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the temperature of a discrete power semiconductor from an analog integrated circuit that is copackaged with the power semiconductor on a heat sink, given a knowledge of the thermal capacitances of the power semiconductor and of the analog integrated circuit, the thermal resistance between the power semiconductor and the analog integrated circuit, the thermal resistances between the power semiconductor and the heat sink and between the analog integrated circuit and the heat sink. The method includes determining the voltage across the power semiconductor and the current through the power semiconductor, thereby determining the power dissipated in the power semiconductor, determining the temperature of the analog integrated circuit, determining the heat sink temperature, using the thermal capacitances, heat sink temperature and thermal resistances to set coefficients of an asymptotic observer system, providing the voltage and current and the temperature of the analog integrated circuit to the asymptotic observer system, and providing as an output from the asymptotic observer system the temperature of the discrete power semiconductor.