Dynamic power compensation

Claim 2

The system of claim 1, wherein said heater means (170) comprises a current mirror that is binary weighted, having a stable fixed current source (400).

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, wherein said heater means (170) comprises a current mirror with an analog temperature sensing circuit (400) with feedback to a current source of said heater means (170).

Claim 4

The system of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises: (1) a serial adder (610), connected to a data bus (602) on the chip; (2) a state machine (615), connected to the carry output (612) of said serial adder (610), said state machine (615) configured to monitor the carry output (612) of said serial adder (610) for a change in value; and (3) adjustment means (635), responsive to the output of said state machine (615), for generating said control signal (165).

Claim 5

The system of claim 1, further comprising: (d) first (105), second (110), and third (115) registers containing first, second and third heater control information signals (103); (e) adder means (125) having a first input coupled to an output of said first register (105); (f) a control gate (120) having a first input coupled to an output of said third register (115) and an output coupled to a second input of said adder means (125); (g) wherein said control means (120,125,135,140) comprises; (i) a first input control signal detector (135) having an output (160) coupled to a second input of said control gate (120); and (ii) a second input control signal detector (140); (h) means for providing a first input signal (145), having first and second states, to an input of said second input control signal detector (140); (i) said selector means (130) comprising a multiplexer (130) having a first input coupled to an output of said first register (105), a second input coupled to an output of said adder means (125) and an output coupled to said heater means (170); (j) said second input control signal detector (140) having an output (165) coupled to a third input of said multiplexer (130); and (k) means for providing a second input signal (150), different from said first input signal (145) and having first and second states, to an input of said first input control signal detector (135); wherein: when said first input signal (145) is in its first state, only the control information signal in said first register (105) is passed through said multiplexer (130) to said heater means (170), when said first input signal (145) is in its second state and said second input signal (150) is in its second state, only the control information signal in said second register (110) is passed through said multiplexer (130) to said heater means (170), and when said first input signal (145) is in its second state and said second input signal (150) is in its first state, only the sum of the information signals in said second (110) and third registers (115) is passed through said multiplexer to said heater means (170).

Claim 6

The system of claim 2, further comprising means for evaluating ambient temperature fluctuation on the chip, comprising: (d) a voltage reference (505) with a known temperature coefficient; (e) an A/D converter (515) connected to said voltage reference (505); (f) evaluation means (520) for comparing said A/D converter output with the temperature at a calibration point; (g) adjustment means for adjusting said at least one heater control information value (103) in accordance with said ambient temperature fluctuation.

Claim 8

The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of evaluating the chip for fluctuation in ambient temperature drift.

Claim 9

The method of claim 8, wherein said heater is provided with a current source and said ambient temperature drift evaluating step comprises driving said compensation heater with an analog temperature sensing circuit with feedback to the current source of said compensation heater.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of driving said compensation heater with a stable fixed current source.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8, wherein said step (1) of evaluating comprises the steps of: (a) generating first (145) and second input control signals (150), each having first and second states; and (b) storing in memory first (105), second (110), and third (110) heater control information signals (103) which are a function of said first (145) and second (150) input control signals; and wherein said step (2) of providing comprises the steps of: (a) providing only said first heater control information signal (105) to the heater (170) when said first input control signal (145) is in its first state; (b) providing only said second heater control information signal (110) to the heater (170) when said first input control signal (145) is in its second state and said second input control signal (150) is in its first state; and (c) providing only a combination of said second (110) and third heater control information signals (115) to the heater (170) when said first input control signal (145) is in its second state and said second input control signal (150) is in its second state.