Plural A.f.s. For A Single Oscillator Patents (Class 331/10)
  • Patent number: 8710938
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a temperature sensor. The electronic device may also include a controller configured to cooperate with the VCO and the temperature sensor to determine both a temperature and a frequency error of the VCO for each of a plurality of most recent samples. Each of the most recent samples may have a given age associated therewith. The controller may also be configured to align the temperature, the frequency error, and the given age for each of most recent samples in a three-dimensional (3D) coordinate system having respective temperature, frequency error and age axes. The controller may also be configured to estimate a predicted frequency error of the VCO based upon the aligned temperature, frequency error, and given age of the most recent samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Grant Henry Robert Bartnik, Ryan Jeffrey Hickey
  • Patent number: 8698566
    Abstract: An inductor-capacitor phase locked loop (LCPLL) includes an inductor-capacitor voltage controlled oscillator (LCVCO) that provides an output frequency. A calibration circuit includes two comparators and provides a coarse tune signal to the LCVCO. The two comparators respectively compare the loop filter signal with a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage that is higher than the first reference voltage to supply a first and second comparator output, respectively. The calibration circuit is capable of adjusting the coarse tune signal continuously in voltage values and adjusts the coarse tune signal based on the two comparator outputs. A loop filter provides a loop filter signal to the calibration circuit and a fine tune signal to the LCVCO. A coarse tune frequency range is greater than a fine tune frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chan-Hong Chern, Ming-Chieh Huang, Tao Wen Chung, Chih-Chang Lin, Fu-Lung Hsueh, Yuwen Swei
  • Patent number: 8564340
    Abstract: A dual phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit includes a phase/frequency detector, a charge pump, a frequency tuning circuit and an N divider. The frequency tuning circuit includes a coarse-tuning circuit, for coarse-tuning an output frequency of the dual PLL circuit to approximate a target frequency; a fine-tuning circuit, for fine-tuning the output frequency of the dual PLL circuit to the target frequency; and a current control oscillator (CCO), for generating an output signal of the dual PLL circuit. The output frequency of the output signal is equal to the target frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Yong-Wang Liu, Wen-cai Lu, Sterling Smith
  • Patent number: 8531245
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for temperature variation in a phase locked loop (PLL) includes receiving an error signal by a controller in which the error signal representative of an instantaneous frequency difference between a reference frequency signal and an output frequency signal of a voltage controlled oscillator of the PLL, and determining when a voltage of the error signal is outside of a predetermined voltage range. When the voltage is outside the predetermined voltage range, the method includes generating a new digital compensation signal based upon a previous digital compensation signal, and converting the new digital compensation signal to be an analog compensation signal. The method further includes filtering the analog compensation signal by a filter to produce a filtered analog compensation signal, and adjusting the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator in accordance with the filtered analog compensation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventors: Cyril Joubert, Sebastien Rieubon
  • Patent number: 8513995
    Abstract: System and method providing multiple circuit paths to control characteristics of periodic signals. In one embodiment first and second detector signals are indicative of a phase and frequency differences between the output signal and a reference signal. A first input signal based on the first detector signal adjusts the phase difference. A first control signal based on the second detector signal has frequency content in high and low frequency ranges. A second input signal based on the control signal reduces the frequency difference. A second control signal based on the second detector signal has relatively low frequency content in the high frequency range. A third input signal based on the second control signal reduces the frequency difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Wang, Antonios Pialis, Rajeevan Mahadevan, Navid Yaghini, Rafal Karakiewicz, Raymond Kwok Kei Tang, Sida Shen, Mark Andruchow, Zhuobin Li, Nicola Pantaleo
  • Patent number: 8508270
    Abstract: Circuits and methods for controlling a VCO output signal. A filtered version of an integral path input signal controls current flow through a proportional path. An exemplary embodiment generates an integral path input signal from a digital to analog converter. First integral path circuitry includes a first transistor device and a low pass filter which provides a filtered version of the integral path input signal to a first transistor device to control conduction through the device, providing a first VCO input signal for frequency adjustment of the output signal. Proportional path switching circuitry between a supply terminal and VCO input terminal includes a second transistor device which receives the first VCO input signals to control conduction between the supply terminal and the first VCO input terminal to provide a second signal for adjustment of the phase of the VCO output signal relative to the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Navid Yaghini, Robert Wang, Antonios Pialis, Rajeevan Mahadevan, Rafal Karakiewicz, Raymond Kwok Kei Tang, Sida Shen
  • Patent number: 8508308
    Abstract: Described embodiments provide a method of calibrating, by a calibration engine, a phase-locked loop (PLL) having one or more adjustable oscillators. The method includes entering a calibration mode of the PLL. The PLL is set to an initial state, thereby selecting one of the adjustable oscillators for calibration, an initial threshold window, and an initial tuning band of the selected adjustable oscillator. If the control signal of the selected adjustable oscillator is not within the initial threshold window, the calibration engine iteratively adjusts at least one of: (i) the selected tuning band of the selected adjustable oscillator, (ii) the selected adjustable oscillator, and (iii) the selected threshold window until the control signal of the selected adjustable oscillator is within the adjusted threshold window. If the control signal is within the threshold window, the one or more calibration settings of the PLL are stored and used to set the PLL operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Yikui Jen Dong, Freeman Y. Zhong, Tai Jing, Chaitanya Palusa
  • Patent number: 8436686
    Abstract: Apparatus for efficient time slicing including a phase lock loop circuit having a voltage controlled oscillator, an auto-frequency calibration circuit coupled with the phase lock loop circuit configured to output a value to select a range of the voltage controlled oscillator, and a burst mode detector connected with the auto-frequency calibration circuit. The burst mode detector having a register adapted to store the output of the auto-frequency calibration circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Feng Wei Kuo, Ying-Ta Lu, Chewn-Pu Jou
  • Patent number: 8416025
    Abstract: A reference assisted control system and method thereof are disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a first input signal and a second control signal; generating a first intermediate signal in accordance with a difference between the first input signal and the first output signal; filtering the second control signal to generate a second intermediate signal; performing a weighted sum of the first intermediate signal and the second intermediate signal to generate the control signal; and outputting the first output signal in accordance with the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chia-Liang Lin, Chao-Cheng Lee
  • Patent number: 8378751
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer with multiple tuning loops, e.g., a fine tuning loop and a coarse tuning loop, is described. The fine tuning loop may operate over a limited tuning range and may have fine frequency resolution. The coarse tuning loop may operate over a wide tuning range and may have coarse frequency resolution. The fine tuning loop may receive a reference signal at a reference frequency and generate a fine tuning signal at a first frequency adjustable in fine steps. The coarse tuning loop may receive the reference signal, generate an output signal at an output frequency, and generate a coarse tuning signal at a second frequency based on the output signal and the fine tuning signal. The second frequency may be adjustable in coarse steps, e.g., in integer multiples of the reference frequency. The output frequency may be determined based on the first frequency and the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell John Fagg
  • Patent number: 8363774
    Abstract: A representative method of serial link transceiver without external reference clock is disclosed. The method includes: receiving an incoming signal; generating a local timing under control of a control code; generating a temperature sensor code by sensing a local temperature; generating a logical signal by detecting a presence of the incoming signal; adjusting the control code in a closed loop manner to make the local timing match that of the incoming signal and recording the control code and a value of the temperature sensor code as part of a template when the logical signal is asserted; and synthesizing the control code in accordance with the template when the logical signal is not asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chia-Liang Lin, Gerchih Chou, Hong-Yean Hsieh
  • PLL
    Patent number: 8339206
    Abstract: A PLL includes: a charge-pump equalizer which has a plurality of charge pumps generating charge currents according to phase-difference signals, each being generated by delaying the phase-difference signal by different times, adds and outputs the charge currents generated by the charge pumps; a replica circuit, having ideal characteristics of a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator, which input a digital value having phase difference of the phase-difference signals, and generates a replica output according to the ideal characteristics; and a coefficient generating circuit which smoothes correlation values of the difference signals and the phase-difference signals to generate charge pump coefficients, and negatively feeds back the same to the plurality of charge pumps. The charge pumps generate the charge currents each having current values corresponding to the charge pump coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Masaru Sawada
  • Patent number: 8334725
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling a mixed mode controlled oscillator. The circuit comprises a charge pump, and a digital loop filter. The charge pump is coupled to the mixed mode controlled oscillator. The charge pump receives an up/down signal and sends a current signal to the mixed mode controlled oscillator. The digital loop filter receives the up/down signal and generates a digital code signal to the mixed mode controlled oscillator. An output frequency of the mixed mode controlled oscillator is controlled by the current signal and the digital code signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Ping-Ying Wang, Kuan-Hua Chao, Jeng-Horng Tsai
  • Patent number: 8289057
    Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) which has a desired frequency characteristic even though a manufacturing process of a semiconductor integrated circuit has fluctuations. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes the PLL and a control unit. The PLL has a phase frequency detector, a loop filter, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a divider. The VCO comprises a voltage-current converter (VIC) and a ring oscillator. In response to a control voltage, the VIC generates a control current for setting each operating current of the ring oscillator. The control unit switches the PLL to a calibration operating period of its open loop and a normal operating period of its closed loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8264388
    Abstract: A digital phase-locked loop (DPLL), a supporting digital frequency integrator, and a method are provided for deriving a digital phase error signal in a DPLL. A digital frequency integrator periodically accepts a digital tdcOUT message from a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) representing a measured ratio of a reference clock (Tref) period to a synthesizer clock (Tdco) period. Also accepted is a digital message selecting a first ratio (Nf). In response, a digital phase error (pherr) message is periodically supplied that is proportional to an error in phase between the reference clock and the (synthesizer clock*Nf).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
    Inventors: Hanan Cohen, Simon Pang
  • Patent number: 8258878
    Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) includes a clock generating circuit, a first phase detecting circuit, a first loop filter, a first VCO, a first mixer and a control circuit. The clock generating circuit generates a first clock signal. The first phase detecting circuit detects a phase difference between an input data signal and a feedback signal and generates a detection output signal according to the phase difference. The first loop filter, coupled to the first phase detecting circuit, generates a first VCO control signal according to the detection output signal. The first mixer, coupled to the first VCO and the clock generating circuit, mixes the output data signal and the first clock signal to generate the feedback data signal. The control circuit, coupled to the clock generating circuit and the first loop filter, for adjusting the first clock signal according to the first VCO control signal to calculate a gain of the first VCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Chieh Yen, Yao-Chi Wang, Hsu-Hung Chang
  • 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: 8242848
    Abstract: An oscillation frequency control circuit configured to control a frequency of a second clock signal of an oscillation circuit generating and outputting the second clock signal having a frequency in response to an input control signal is disclosed. The oscillation frequency control circuit includes a frequency difference detection circuit unit configured to detect a difference between a frequency of a predetermined first clock signal input externally and the frequency of the second clock signal, and generate and output a signal indicating a result of the detection; and a frequency control circuit unit configured to control the frequency of the second clock signal so that the frequency of the second clock signal continually changes back and forth between a predetermined lower limit value and a predetermined upper limit value in response to the output signal from the frequency difference detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Michiyoshi
  • Patent number: 8183934
    Abstract: In a PLL circuit, a threshold discriminator generates a control signal indicating a relative level of a control voltage. A controller outputs a controlling value based on the control signal. If the control signal indicates a high level when the controlling value specifies a control voltage-to-oscillation frequency correspondence relation whose upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency are highest, and if the control signal indicates a low level when the controlling value specifies a correspondence relation whose upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency are lowest, the controller outputs a predetermined controlling value. An oscillator has the correspondence relations set therein such that the correspondence relations have respective different upper and lower limits of oscillation frequency and are correlated with the respective controlling values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuji Yamabana, Kouichi Kanda
  • Patent number: 8134392
    Abstract: A phase locked loop (PLL) which has a desired frequency characteristic even though a manufacturing process of a semiconductor integrated circuit has fluctuations. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes the PLL and a control unit. The PLL has a phase frequency detector, a loop filter, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a divider. The VCO comprises a voltage-current converter (VIC) and a ring oscillator. In response to a control voltage, the VIC generates a control current for setting each operating current of the ring oscillator. The control unit switches the PLL to a calibration operating period of its open loop and a normal operating period of its closed loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 8125254
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a feedback loop circuit includes a phase detector, first and second charge pumps that are each coupled to receive an output signal of the phase detector, a first low pass filter, a second low pass filter coupled to an output of the second charge pump, a clock signal generation circuit having first and second control inputs, a first switch circuit coupled between the first low pass filter and the second low pass filter, and a second switch circuit coupled to the first low pass filter and the first control input of the clock signal generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Weiqi Ding
  • Patent number: 8120394
    Abstract: An automatic frequency calibration circuit and an automatic frequency calibration method for a fractional-N frequency synthesizer are provided. In a calibration mode, a state machine adjusts a fractional part and an integer part of a division ratio of a frequency divider unit according to a required precision. A first and a second frequency detecting units detect a reference frequency and an output frequency of the frequency divider unit, respectively. A judging interval unit defines at least one judging period in a total comparison time. A comparator compares the outputs of the first and the second frequency detecting units and outputs a comparison result at the judging period. Wherein, the state machine changes the capacitor configuration of a voltage-controlled oscillator when the comparison result shows that the reference frequency does not match the output frequency of the frequency divider unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Shih-Hao Tarng, Jia-Hung Peng, Ming-Ching Kuo
  • Patent number: 8089317
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit includes a phase detection unit, a loop filter unit including a series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor, first and second pulse-current output units which supply differential and single-end pulse currents corresponding to phase information to the resistor and capacitor, an oscillating unit which varies an oscillation frequency in accordance with a voltage generated at the resistor and capacitor, and a calibration unit which obtains information of an oscillation gain in actual operation and corrects an operation of the oscillating unit on the basis of a difference between the oscillation gain in actual operation and a target oscillation gain. The oscillation gain in actual operation represents a characteristic of oscillation frequency versus input signal of the oscillating unit and is obtained using predetermined oscillation control signals on the basis of a difference between actual oscillation frequencies under the oscillation control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuya Fujiwara, Yosuke Ueno
  • Patent number: 8085098
    Abstract: A PLL circuit comprising an oscillation unit, a frequency division unit, a phase comparison unit, and a generation unit comprises a switching unit that switches between a first state in which a control voltage output from the generation unit is input into the oscillation unit and a second state in which a reference voltage is input into the oscillation unit; and a correction unit that, in the second state, compares the control voltage output from the generation unit with the reference voltage, and corrects a frequency at which the oscillation unit oscillates with respect to a voltage input into the oscillation unit, such that the control voltage output from the generation unit is equivalent to the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8063707
    Abstract: Phase locked loop circuits capable of increasing an equivalent capacitance thereof to improve stability are provided, in which an integral part comprises a first phase frequency detector providing a phase error signal, a first charge pump circuit generating a control signal according to the phase error signal, a controllable oscillator providing an output clock according to the control signal, and a sampling adjustment unit decreasing the number of times the control signal is updated according to the phase error signal. A proportional part is coupled between the controllable oscillator and a reference clock and operated in a fraction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventor: Ping-Ying Wang
  • Publication number: 20110254632
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) includes an inductor, a fine-adjustment capacitor, and a coarse-adjustment capacitor, and generates an oscillation clock. A frequency divider divides the frequency of the oscillation clock to generate a divided clock. A direct current (DC) voltage supply circuit supplies a DC voltage to a control node, and changes a voltage value of the DC voltage according to a DC value of an oscillation voltage in a coarse-adjustment mode. A frequency-band selection circuit switches a capacitance value of the coarse-adjustment capacitor based on a frequency difference between a reference clock and the divided clock so that an oscillation frequency band of the VCO is set to an oscillation frequency band corresponding to a target frequency in the coarse-adjustment mode. An oscillation control circuit increases or decreases a control voltage according to a phase difference between the reference clock and the divided clock in the fine-adjustment mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akihiro SAWADA
  • Patent number: 8018289
    Abstract: A clock circuit includes a phase-lock loop and a holdover circuit. The phase-lock loop generates an output clock signal having a constant frequency based on a loop filter voltage of a loop filter in the phase-lock loop. The holdover circuit generates and stores a digital value indicating the loop filter voltage and generates an analog voltage signal having the loop filter voltage indicated by the digital value. Further, the holdover circuit maintains the output clock signal at the constant frequency during a holdover of the phase-lock loop by regenerating the loop filter voltage based on the analog voltage signal. Because the analog voltage signal is based on the digital value, the voltage of the loop filter does not decay over time during the holdover of the phase-lock loop. As a result, the output clock signal remains at the constant frequency during the holdover of the phase-lock loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Pengfei Hu, Song Gao
  • Patent number: 7982552
    Abstract: An automatic frequency calibration apparatus and a method thereof for a phase-locked loop based frequency synthesizer are disclosed. The apparatus includes a frequency-to-digital converter configured to convert a frequency of a VCO output signal to a first digital value, a target value setting section configured to provide a second digital value corresponding to a target frequency, and a finite state machine configured to calibrate the frequency of the VCO output signal by using the difference of the first digital value and the second digital value. Accordingly, the calibration speed and a frequency resolution of the automatic frequency calibration apparatus in a frequency synthesizer may be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kwangwoon University Industry-Academic Collaboration Foundation
    Inventors: Hyunchol Shin, Jaewook Shin
  • Publication number: 20110163815
    Abstract: A digital frequency synthesizer with an automatic calibration system. The digital frequency synthesizer is calibrated by initiating a coarse tuning operation to rapidly reach a preliminary frequency that is proximate to the desired final frequency. A calibration procedure is then executed for adjusting gain in the frequency synthesizer based on the preliminary frequency. This test involves applying one or more test signals to the frequency synthesizer and measuring a signal generated in the frequency synthesizer. This measured signal corresponds to a gain response of the circuit at the preliminary frequency. When the expected gain is known, any difference relative to the gain of the measured signal is used to adjust the gain in a circuit of the frequency synthesizer such that the actual gain substantially matches the expected gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: ICERA INC.
    Inventors: Abdellatif Bellaouar, Ahmed R. Fridi, Sher Jiun Fang, Hamid Safiri
  • Patent number: 7932784
    Abstract: The present invention is a frequency and phase locked loop (FPLL) synthesizer having a frequency-locked loop (FLL) operating mode and a phase-locked loop (PLL) operating mode. The FLL operating mode is used for rapid coarse tuning of the FPLL synthesizer and is followed by the PLL operating mode for fine tuning and stabilization of the frequency of an output signal from the FPLL synthesizer. The FPLL synthesizer includes a variable frequency oscillator, which is controlled by FLL circuitry during the FLL operating mode or by PLL circuitry during the PLL operating mode. The FLL circuitry includes frequency division circuitry for reducing the frequency of the output signal, frequency detection circuitry for measuring the frequency error of the frequency reduced output signal, and a loop filter to control the bandwidth of an FLL control loop formed by the FLL circuitry and the variable frequency oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen T. Janesch, William J. Farlow, Scott Robert Humphreys
  • Publication number: 20110057731
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention enable a feedback-based VCO linearization technique. Embodiments include a frequency locked loop formed by feeding back a VCO's output into the VCO's input in negative phase by means of a frequency-to-voltage (F/V) converter. Embodiments enable constant VCO gain over a wide input tuning range and across PVT variations. Further, embodiments can be nested within a PLL, for example, with negligible area and power consumption overhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Michael YOUSSEF, Ahmad Mirzaei, Hooman Darabi
  • Publication number: 20110037523
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for linearizing a phase locked loop (PLL) are provided. To accomplish this, three separate signal (two feedback/one reference or two reference/one feedback) are applied to two phase/frequency detectors (PFDs). Either an edge of the one reference signal or one feedback signal is approximately equidistant between corresponding edges of the two feedback or two reference signals so that the PFDs can properly apply actuation signals to a charge pump that account for jitter. Thus, a more linear PLL is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Per T. Roine, Jorg Ackermann
  • Publication number: 20110032011
    Abstract: The present invention relates to and auto frequency calibrator, a method thereof, and a frequency synthesizer using it. The auto frequency calibrator includes a capacitor bank selector that is operated as an open loop and compares a frequency signal having integer-divided reference frequency with the reference frequency signal to select a capacitor bank corresponding to an output frequency; and a capacitor bank controller that is operated as a closed loop when the capacitor bank is selected and compares the output voltage corresponding to the output frequency with a preset voltage range to control the capacitor bank selected in the capacitor bank selector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co.,Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoo Hwan KIM, Yoo Sam Na, Byeong Hak Jo
  • Publication number: 20110025424
    Abstract: An FLL circuit having a capability of configuring a desired loop bandwidth in a short period of time is provided. An FDC 17 generates a feedback of an output signal of a VCO 15. An error detector 11 detects an error of the output signal of the VCO 15. A voltage retainer 13 retains an output of a control voltage of the VCO 15. A reference signal generator 16 generates a reference signal. An adder 14 adds the reference signal to a control voltage outputted by the voltage retainer 13. A Kv calculator 18 calculates a gain Kv of the VCO 15 based on a degree of transition of an output frequency of the VCO 15. A loop bandwidth controller 19 adjusts, based on the gain Kv of the VCO 15, a gain of a loop filter 12 to an optimum value, and configures a desired loop bandwidth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventor: Kenji MIYANAGA
  • Patent number: 7873173
    Abstract: A cosine wave over one period is stored as waveform data in a memory, and address shift values based on a phase lag in transfer characteristics from a speaker to a microphone are stored in a memory. An address shift value is read from the memory by referring to the frequency, and waveform data are read from the memory at addresses that are produced by shifting the addresses from which the reference cosine wave signal and the reference sine wave signal are read, by the address shift value. The read waveform data are used as a first reference signal and a second reference signal, which are applied to adaptive notch filters, to suppress vibratory noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Inoue, Akira Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20100237951
    Abstract: A wireless communication device incorporating a set of comparators and logic interrupt into the local oscillator generation circuit block is described. In one design, the local oscillator circuit block includes a RF VCO with coarse and fine frequency tuning. The RF VCO fine frequency tuning signal is monitored continuously to determine if the control voltage is within specified limits. If the RF VCO fine frequency tuning voltage is too low or too high for the RF VCO to meet system requirements or lock on the current desired frequency, an interrupt signal is asserted. In response to the interrupt signal, a wireless communications processor or a hardware state machine initiates coarse frequency calibration of the RF VCO at the desired frequency. After coarse frequency calibration has completed, the RF VCO fine frequency tuning voltage is within specified limits and is continuously monitored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Sai C. Kwok
  • Publication number: 20100225402
    Abstract: Techniques for setting a fine tuning input signal Vtune for a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) in a coarse tuning mode of the VCO. In an exemplary embodiment, the fine tuning input signal during coarse tuning mode is made temperature-dependent to account for possible variation of Vtune over temperature during fine tuning mode. Methods and apparatuses employing the techniques are further described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeongsik Yang, Jin Wook Kim, Sang-Oh Lee
  • Patent number: 7782143
    Abstract: A control circuit includes a phase frequency detector that receives a reference phase ?REF (signal) as an input and a feedback phase ?FBK (signal) as control feedback. A voltage controlled oscillator is in electrical communication with the phase frequency detector. The VCO provides an output and the feedback phase ?FBK (signal). An auxiliary feedback loop receives error phase ?E (signal) from each of the reference phase ?REF (signal) and the feedback phase ?FBK (signal). The auxiliary feedback loop provides an adjustment signal to the control circuit to correct for static phase offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel M. Clementi
  • Publication number: 20100207693
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer with multiple tuning loops, e.g., a fine tuning loop and a coarse tuning loop, is described. The fine tuning loop may operate over a limited tuning range and may have fine frequency resolution. The coarse tuning loop may operate over a wide tuning range and may have coarse frequency resolution. The fine tuning loop may receive a reference signal at a reference frequency and generate a fine tuning signal at a first frequency adjustable in fine steps. The coarse tuning loop may receive the reference signal, generate an output signal at an output frequency, and generate a coarse tuning signal at a second frequency based on the output signal and the fine tuning signal. The second frequency may be adjustable in coarse steps, e.g., in integer multiples of the reference frequency. The output frequency may be determined based on the first frequency and the second frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell John Fagg
  • Patent number: 7750747
    Abstract: A clock selection circuit and synthesizer that is capable of selecting an optimum clock signal from among a plurality of clock signals in a short time. A reference-clock counter counts clock pulses in an inputted reference clock signal (REF). A clock counter counts clock pulses in one of the plurality of clock signals which is selected by a selection unit and frequency-divided by a frequency divider. An instruction-signal output unit outputs a plurality of comparison-instruction signals during an interval in which a difference occurs between the counts of two of the plurality of clock signals having the closest frequencies. A comparison unit compares the count of the reference-clock counter and the count of the clock counter. The selection unit selects a clock signal by a binary search according to the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Masazumi Marutani
  • Patent number: 7746179
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting an optimum VCO from an array of VCOs is disclosed. Each VCO in the array has an output range and a limit. In one embodiment, a search set of VCOs is designated as all VCOs in a system. The limit is compared to a tuning value which corresponds to a desired calibration frequency. The comparison divides the array of VCOs into a searched set and a non-searched set. The process is repeated until the non-searched set comprises only one VCO. In another embodiment, the VCOs are ordered such that there is a middle VCO. A VCO in the middle of the array is selected. The limit of the middle VCO is compared to a tuning limit. Based on the comparison, another VCO is selected. The process repeats N times, where N is the logarithm, base 2, of the total number of VCOs to be searched. at the end of the search, an optimum VCO will be found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: David Walker, Nathaniel King, Jr., Robert Koupal
  • Patent number: 7741919
    Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator and a method of operating a voltage-controlled oscillator are disclosed. The oscillator comprises a current controlled oscillator having a variable frequency current output, a first control path for generating a first control current having a first adjustable gain, and a second control path for generating a second control current having a second adjustable gain. A summer is provided for adding the first and second control currents to obtain a summed control current, and for applying the summed control current as an input current to the current controlled oscillator. A control sub-circuit is used for controlling the gain of the first control current as a function of a defined voltage on the second control path to maintain constant the gain of the current output of the current controlled oscillator over a given operating range of the current controlled oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Glenn E. R. Cowan, Daniel J. Friedman, Mounir Meghelli
  • Patent number: 7737792
    Abstract: To provide a phase locked loop circuit that is capable of performing an automatic adjustment that satisfies a desired characteristic not depending on a process variation and an environmental variation. The phase locked loop circuit has a phase frequency comparator, a charge pump, a loop filter, a frequency divider, a selector, and a voltage controlled oscillator. The frequency divider inputs an output signal and a reference signal, divides the output signal, and outputs a feedback signal, and also outputs a select signal, a trimming signal, and a limit signal from the output signal. The voltage controlled oscillator inputs the control voltage, the base voltage, the trimming signal, and the limit signal, changes the output signal frequency according to the control voltage so as to limit the upper limit frequency of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Takashi Kawamoto, Masaru Kokubo
  • Patent number: 7688001
    Abstract: A method and system for providing an output voltage greater than a voltage provided by a voltage supply in a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method and system include providing at least one oscillator and at least one voltage storage/discharge stage coupled with the at least one oscillator. The oscillator has a frequency that increases as the voltage decreases. The frequency of the oscillator determines a discharge frequency for the at least one voltage storage/discharge stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Jerome Pratlong, Marc Merandat, Stephane Ricard, Sylvie Bruneau Vergnes, Laureline Bour
  • Patent number: 7684501
    Abstract: The present invention provides apparatus and methods for carrier frequency offset and phase compensation, which can compensate the phase rotation of an OFDM symbol resulted from carrier frequency offset between the receiver and transmitter of an OFDM System. The apparatus and method for carrier frequency offset compensation generates an estimated carrier frequency offset according to a phase error between estimated frequency responses of two consecutive received OFDM symbols within the pilot subchannel, and calculates an accumulated phase rotation, according to the estimated carrier frequency offset, for compensating the received OFDM symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Der-Zheng Liu, Song-Nien Tung, Tai-Cheng Liu, Kuang-Yu Yen
  • Patent number: 7679453
    Abstract: A phase-locked method includes: generating a selection signal according to a detection result of a phase/frequency detector (PFD) of a phase-locked loop (PLL); generating a plurality of oscillation signals according to at least a first oscillation signal generated by the PLL, wherein the plurality of oscillation signals respectively correspond to a plurality of phases; and from the plurality of oscillation signals, selecting an oscillation signal as an output signal of the PLL according to the selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Shaw-N Min
  • Publication number: 20100052795
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit capable of reducing a chip occupied area and reducing variations in control gain of a digitally controlled oscillator. The semiconductor integrated circuit is equipped with the digitally controlled oscillator. The digitally controlled oscillator comprises oscillation transistors and a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit comprises inductances, a frequency coarse-tuning variable capacitor array and a frequency fine-tuning variable capacitor array. The frequency coarse-tuning variable capacitor array comprises a plurality of coarse-tuning capacitor unit cells. The frequency fine-tuning variable capacitor array comprises a plurality of fine-tuning capacitor unit cells. The capacitance values of the coarse-tuning capacitor unit cells of the frequency coarse-tuning variable capacitor array are set in accordance with a binary weight 2M?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakamura, Tomomitsu Kitamura, Taizo Yamawaki, Takayasu Norimatsu, Toshiya Uozumi
  • Publication number: 20090315628
    Abstract: A variance correction method includes generating a reference current depending on a resistance within a lowpass filter and outputting the reference current to a voltage controlled oscillator, and correcting characteristics of the lowpass filter and a gain of the voltage controlled oscillator based on an output clock of the voltage controlled oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihiko MORI, Masafumi Kondo
  • Patent number: 7622996
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-loop PLL circuit and a related method of which, the circuit includes: a first loop for generating a first control current; a second loop for generating a second control current; a loop filter for generating a control signal according to the first control current or the second control current; a voltage control oscillator for generating a first oscillating signal or a second oscillating signal according to the control signal; a first frequency divider for generating a first feed back clock signal; a second frequency divider for generating a second feed back clock signal; and a control circuit for switching the first loop or the second loop to generate the control signal. The frequency of the second reference clock signal is higher than which of the first reference clock signal. The control circuit turns on the second loop first and then turns on the first loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Ren-Chieh Liu
  • Patent number: 7616066
    Abstract: An oscillation device includes a reference oscillation unit for generating an oscillating signal of a specific frequency; a voltage-controlled oscillation unit for generating a output oscillation signal whose frequency is dependent on a control voltage; a phase comparing unit for detecting a phase difference based on the oscillating signal and the output oscillation signal; a digital value storage unit for storing therein a phase difference signal corresponding to the phase difference as a digital value; a sample holding unit for intermittently renewing and maintaining a hold signal in accordance with the digital value; and a control unit. The control unit controls the reference oscillation unit, the phase comparing unit and the digital value storage unit to be started or stopped, and also switches the control voltage to the phase difference signal or to the hold signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Futaba Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Ishii, Yasutaka Koike