Sensor Array Circuit Monitoring for Voltage Drop and Heat Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic circuit monitoring technologies face challenges in accurately monitoring power voltage and operating temperature, especially in high-frequency circuits with dense circuit elements, due to potential errors from sudden power surges and heat dissipation issues, which can affect performance and reliability.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that utilize an array of sensor circuits to sense circuit parameters, including power voltage and operating temperature, by analyzing the electrical characteristics of sensing signals, and employing a 3D model to eliminate process variations and estimate these parameters, thereby improving monitoring accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large number of on-line power voltage drop sensors are utilized to monitor power network, then power voltage drop information is provided, but measurement precision deteriorates due to static averaging over long periods which cannot detect sudden power surges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower network verificationVSAvoidpower voltage drop detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic sampling of power voltage drop at multiple time points within a clock cycle, rather than using static averaging over long periods. This periodic measurement approach allows detection of sudden power surges that occur within specific time windows, improving measurement precision while maintaining reliability through systematic temporal sampling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from static power voltage drop monitoring to dynamic real-time tracking by implementing measurements at multiple time points within each clock cycle. This dynamic approach enables the system to capture transient power variations and sudden surges, resolving the contradiction between reliability and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Volume of moving object

If circuit elements and transmitters are arranged more densely to reduce circuit size, then electronic circuit size is reduced, but heat dissipation monitoring becomes more difficult and overheat issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectronic circuit sizeVSAvoidheat dissipation

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the monitoring function into multiple sensor circuits distributed at different observing points within the electronic circuit. Each sensor circuit independently monitors local conditions, enabling segmented heat dissipation monitoring that works effectively even with dense circuit element arrangement, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and temperature monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Power

If through-silicon vias are used to transfer power in 3D electronic circuit, then power transfer capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and quality control becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower transfer capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-diagnostic capability where sensor circuits automatically detect and report defects in through-silicon vias during manufacturing and operation. This self-service approach simplifies quality control by enabling automatic detection of manufacturing defects, reducing the complexity burden despite the sophisticated 3D structure with multiple through-silicon vias.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If sensor circuits are arranged in array to monitor multiple observing points, then monitoring coverage is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidsensor circuit array complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple sensor circuits into an integrated array structure with shared control and signal processing resources. The system control circuit selectively activates and reads from multiple sensor circuits, combining their monitoring capabilities while using resource sharing to minimize the increase in overall device complexity, thus resolving the contradiction between monitoring coverage and complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10402523B2System for monitoring electronic circuit and method for monitoring electronic circuit

Publication Date: 2019.09.03 IND TECH RES INST

AI summary

A system for monitoring electronic circuit configured to monitor circuit parameters of an electronic circuit is provided. The system for monitoring electronic circuit includes an observing point monitoring circuit, a system control circuit, and a signal measuring circuit. The observing point monitoring circuit includes a plurality of sensor circuits arranged in an array. The sensor circuits respectively sense the circuit parameters of a plurality of observing points in the electronic circuit. The system control circuit selects at least one of the sensor circuits to sense the circuit parameters. One of the selected sensor circuits outputs a sensing signal. The signal measuring circuit receives the sensing signal and analyzes an electrical characteristic of the sensing signal to obtain a monitoring result of the circuit parameters. A method for monitoring electronic circuit is also provided.