Patents by Inventor Michael G. France

Michael G. France has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8255733
    Abstract: A method of providing a clock signal for an embodiment includes performing a calibration for a closed loop control system to determine a control signal value that provides a desired tuning of the closed loop control system. The control signal value is stored and provided to a delay circuit, wherein a delay range and a delay step size of the delay circuit is based on the control signal value. A delay select control signal is provided to the delay circuit to select a specific delay within the delay range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Bartel, Kent R. Callahan, Michael G. France
  • Patent number: 7969248
    Abstract: In one example, a method of tuning an oscillator of a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes adjusting a coarse control signal to select one of a plurality of frequency tuning curves of the oscillator. The method includes adjusting a fine control signal to select a position on the selected frequency tuning curve. A frequency of the oscillator is determined by the coarse control signal and the fine control signal. The method includes attempting to detect a lock between a feedback signal and a reference signal. A frequency of the feedback signal is determined by the frequency of the oscillator. The method includes comparing the fine control signal to a reference value if the lock is detected. The method includes adjusting the coarse control signal to select a different one of the frequency tuning curves if the selected position on the selected frequency tuning curve is outside a desired tuning range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Trent Whitten, Robert M. Bartel, Michael G. France
  • Patent number: 7759926
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for measuring a dynamic phase offset between a PLL's input clock and the PLL's feedback input clock, wherein the input clock is spread spectrum modulated in a spread spectrum mode and is not modulated in a static mode. The method includes: in the spread spectrum mode, measuring phase jitter between the input clock and the feedback input clock to form a spread spectrum phase jitter measurement; in the static mode, measuring phase jitter between the input clock and the feedback input clock to form a static phase jitter measurement; and comparing the spread spectrum phase jitter measurement to the static phase jitter measurement to determine the dynamic phase offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ludmil Nikolov, Michael G. France
  • Patent number: 7382169
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention, a system includes a phase-locked loop circuit that receives a reference signal and a feedback signal and provides an output signal. A control circuit also receives the reference signal and the feedback signal and provides a correction current for the phase-locked loop circuit to reduce a phase error of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Lattice Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ludmil Nikolov, Harald Weller, Michael G. France, Ji Zhao
  • Patent number: 5204555
    Abstract: A state machine is configured with a phase-locked loop clock signal generator which can operate at a rate faster than an externally generated reference clock signal applied to the phase-locked loop. The output of the phase-locked loop is used to trigger registers coupled to the state machine at a selected rate to enable signals at output terminals of the state machine to be updated at a rate different than the rate of the externally generated reference clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: Gazelle Microcircuits, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Graham, Michael G. France, Robert C. Burd, Mark E. Fitzpatrick
  • Patent number: 4970415
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device which generates a substantially constant reference voltage over a broad temperature range upon application of a power supply voltage thereto, wherein a current substantially inversely proportional to the value of a load resistor is drawn through the resistor to generate a substantially constant voltage across the resistor. The current through the resistor is the sum of a first current and a second current. The first current is determined by the absolute value of the threshold voltage of a depletion mode FET (DFET) in conjunction with an associated first resistor. The second current is determined by the threshold voltage of an enhancement mode FET (EFET) in conjunction with an associated second resistor. As the temperature of the device changes the first and second currents will change in opposite directions with the sum being changed inversely proportional to the change in resistance with temperature of the load resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Gazelle Microcircuits, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Fitzpatrick, Michael G. France
  • Patent number: 4684826
    Abstract: A circuit constructed in accordance with this invention includes means for asynchronously forcing a flip-flop (70) or a register to a programmable logical state in response to an initialization input signal (I). In one embodiment, a D-type flip-flop (70) is provided having data input terminal (71), a clock input terminal (77), a data output terminal (103), an initialization input terminal (41), and a programming input terminal (11). When an initialization input signal I is received, a predefined output signal is immediately placed on the data output terminal (103). The predefined output signal is defined by the status of a fuse (13), which is opened, if desired, via the programming input terminal (11). When an initialization input signal is not received, the flip-flop (70) operates as a normal D-type flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Monolithic Memories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. France, George L. Geannopoulos, Robert J. Bosnyak, Steve Y. Chan
  • Patent number: RE35797
    Abstract: A state machine is configured with a phase-locked loop clock signal generator which can operate at a rate faster than an externally generated reference clock signal applied to the phase-locked loop. The output of the phase-locked loop is used to trigger registers coupled to the state machine at a selected rate to enable signals at output terminals of the state machine to be updated at a rate different than the rate of the externally generated reference clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Graham, Michael G. France, Robert C. Burd, Mark E. Fitzpatrick