Patents by Inventor Staffan Ek

Staffan Ek 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).

  • Publication number: 20100117872
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of a time to digital converter, the time difference between a signal of interest and a reference signal is measured by operating a digitally controlled oscillator at a first frequency during a first portion of the reference signal period and changing the operating frequency from the first frequency to a second frequency during the reference signal period as a function of the time difference between the signal of interest and the reference signal. The time to digital converter continuously counts how many signal transitions occur at an output of the digitally controlled oscillator during the reference signal period. The time difference between the signal of interest and the reference signal is estimated based on the number of signal transitions counted during the reference signal period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventor: Staffan Ek
  • Patent number: 7602254
    Abstract: System and method for generating multiple local oscillator signals comprising a first-stage phase-locked loop (PLL) having an input to receive a first reference signal input and having an output to transmit a second reference signal, wherein the second reference signal is an integer or fractional multiple of the first reference signal; and a plurality of second-stage PLLs, each second-stage PLL having an input coupled to the output of the first-stage PLL and receiving the second reference signal, and each second-stage PLL having an output for transmitting a local oscillator signal, wherein each of the local oscillator signals is an integer multiple of the second reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christoph Sandner, Staffan Ek, Stefano Marsili
  • Publication number: 20080290953
    Abstract: System and method for generating multiple local oscillator signals comprising a first-stage phase-locked loop (PLL) having an input to receive a first reference signal input and having an output to transmit a second reference signal, wherein the second reference signal is an integer or fractional multiple of the first reference signal; and a plurality of second-stage PLLs, each second-stage PLL having an input coupled to the output of the first-stage PLL and receiving the second reference signal, and each second-stage PLL having an output for transmitting a local oscillator signal, wherein each of the local oscillator signals is an integer multiple of the second reference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Inventors: Christoph Sandner, Staffan Ek, Stefano Marsili