Temperature Or Current Responsive Means In Circuit Patents (Class 331/176)
  • Patent number: 7292116
    Abstract: A temperature stabilizer for accurately stabilizing the temperature of an object is provided. The temperature stabilizer stabilizes the temperature of an object to a reference temperature. The temperature stabilizer includes an oscillator provided in proximity to the object, for generating an oscillation signal having a frequency corresponding to an inputted frequency control signal, a phase detector for detecting the phase difference between a feedback signal based on the oscillation signal and a reference clock signal having a predetermined frequency, a loop filter for generating the frequency control signal to synchronize the feedback signal with the reference clock signal based on the output from the phase detector, a comparator for comparing the value of the frequency control signal with a reference value determined corresponding to the reference temperature and an electric heating converter for heating or cooling the object based on the comparison result from the comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventors: Shoji Niki, Shin Masuda
  • Publication number: 20070247249
    Abstract: A temperature-compensated crystal oscillator for surface mounting wherein an IC chip into which is integrated a temperature-compensated device having an oscillating circuit and a temperature sensor, which supplies a compensation voltage to a variable-voltage capacitor element of the oscillating circuit, and which also has IC terminals disposed along two edges comprising at least diagonally opposite corner portions of one main surface that acts as a circuit function surface is affixed with the use of bumps to an inner base surface of a main container that is concave in section, and one edge portion of a crystal piece is affixed to an inner wall step portion of the main container; wherein an active element of the oscillating circuit that acts as a heat source and a temperature sensor of the temperature-compensated device are disposed at diagonally opposite corner regions of the IC chip at the greatest distance apart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Takaaki Ishikawa, Kuichi Kubo, Fumio Asamura, Kozo Ono
  • Publication number: 20070241833
    Abstract: A free running clock circuit includes a switching circuit for switching between first and second logic states at a predetermined frequency based upon a trip voltage the switching circuit has a programmable temperature profile associated therewith. The switching circuit includes a comparator circuit that has first and second comparators. The first and second comparators have a reference input connected to receive the trip voltage, and the output of the comparators change logic states between a first logic state and a second logic state when the other input of the comparator passes the trip voltage. The first and second comparators have a programmable offset voltage enabling programming of the programmable voltage supply profile of the switching circuit. An RC timing circuit defines when the outputs of the comparators switch between the first and second logic states by providing a feedback to the other inputs of the two comparators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Applicant: SILICON LABORATORIES INC.
    Inventor: Louis J. Nervegna
  • Patent number: 7283007
    Abstract: An electronic circuit (CE) is provided with an oscillator (OSC—1) outputting a signal (S1) with a frequency (F1) varying as a function of the temperature (Tc) of this circuit, and receiving or outputting a signal (S2) with a fixed and known frequency (F2). This circuit includes a measurement module (MSR) outputting a measurement signal (?1) representative of the variable frequency (F1) evaluated using the fixed frequency signal (S2) used as a reference or standard, and a conversion module (CVRS) applying a transfer function (u?1, v?1, or w?1) that is the inverse of the function for the variation of the frequency of the first signal (S1) as a function of the temperature, to the measurement signal (?1), in order to output a signal (?c) representative of the circuit temperature (Tc).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Benjamin Duval, Alain Pomet
  • Patent number: 7283008
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit comprising a resonant circuit which includes a negative resistor, an inductor and an oscillation frequency setting capacitor whose capacitance is varied according to a control voltage based on oscillation frequency data and which outputs a signal having an oscillation frequency based on the oscillation frequency data, a temperature detector which outputs temperature compensation data, based on the temperature, and temperature compensating capacitors which are electrically connected to the resonant circuit and which are supplied with the temperature compensation data to change capacitance values thereof based on the temperature compensation data, thereby adjusting the oscillation frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ken Fujita
  • Patent number: 7283006
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit configured by a feedback resistance 1, an amplifier 2 and a quartz vibrator 3 has a load resistance. MOS transistors 5, 6 short-circuited at source and drain terminals has a capacitance, as a variable capacitance, occurring at between the source-drain terminal and gate terminal. A series connection of DC-cut capacitance 8, 9 and variable capacitance (MOS transistor 5, 6) is configured between one and the other terminals of the quartz vibrator 3 and an AC ground terminal. For example, a threshold voltage control signal for MOS transistor 5, 6 is inputted to the source-drain terminal through a high-frequency removing circuit 10, 11. Meanwhile, a signal that a temperature compensation control signal and an external voltage frequency control signal are superimposed together is inputted to the gate terminal. This makes it possible to desirably determine an output bias to a temperature compensation control circuit and an external voltage frequency control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuichi Tateyama
  • Patent number: 7279998
    Abstract: With a variable capacitor including a load capacitor of an oscillation circuit having a feedback resistor 1, an inverter 2, and a crystal oscillator 3, and a static capacitance generated between a drain terminal and a gate terminal of MOS transistors 4 and 5, in which source and backgate terminals are shorted to each other, a serial connection of a DC cut capacitor 9, 10 and a variable capacitors (MOS transistor) 4 and 5 is formed between one end and the other end of the crystal oscillator 3. For example, a threshold voltage control signal of the MOS transistors 4 and 5 is input to the drain terminal through a high-frequency elimination resistor 11, 12, and is input to the source-backgate terminal through a high-frequency elimination resistor 7, 8. In addition, a signal obtained by overlapping a temperature characteristic compensation signal and a threshold voltage control signal of the MOS transistor 4, 5 is input to the gate terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Matsuura
  • Patent number: 7276984
    Abstract: An oscillation circuit includes a constant current source, a current mirror circuit configured to receive a constant input current from the constant current source and to output a current proportional to the constant input current, a first inverter configured to be driven with a quartz resonator to oscillate, an operational amplifier configured to supply power to the first inverter with a voltage equal to an input voltage of the operational amplifier and a second inverter having a power supply terminal connected to the current mirror circuit and to the operational amplifier and configure to generate the input voltage for the operational amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kohichi Hagino
  • Publication number: 20070222532
    Abstract: There is provided a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator for reducing a voltage noise of a cubic function control voltage controlling an output frequency of an oscillation circuit. A temperature-compensated crystal oscillator includes a quartz vibrator, an amplifier having an oscillation frequency controller, and a temperature compensation circuit of a crystal oscillation frequency, wherein a reference voltage for a compensation voltage of the temperature compensation circuit is generated using a forward voltage of a diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: Hisato Takeuchi, Keigo Shingu, Kei Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 7274265
    Abstract: A circuit for controlling the switching frequency of an oscillator for a PWM controller for a switching mode power supply, comprising a first stage providing a signal which is related to the temperature of the controller for the switching mode power supply; and an oscillator having an oscillation frequency and being responsive to the signal from the first stage for changing the oscillation frequency such that the oscillation frequency decreases as the temperature increases and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Faisal Ahmad
  • Patent number: 7269402
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device for communication is provided with a PLL circuit or the like formed therein, the PLL circuit which is capable of realizing the compensation of fluctuation due to temperature change, the inhibition of increase in the chip area and the ensurement of the performance margin, and which controls a VCO having multiple oscillation frequency bands. In the case where automatic calibration is performed by switching a switch to a side of a DC voltage source in the PLL circuit using a VCO having multiple oscillation bands, a tuning voltage (Vtune) of an RFVCO is fixed to a voltage value of a DC voltage source. However, since a temperature characteristic of canceling a VCO oscillation frequency is given to the DC voltage source, it is possible to minimize the influence on the band selection when a calibration table comes to no optimum one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., TTP Com Limited
    Inventors: Toshiya Uozumi, Satoshi Tanaka, Masumi Kasahara, Hirotaka Oosawa, Yasuyuki Kimura, Robert Astle Henshaw
  • Patent number: 7263340
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device for communication is provided with a PLL circuit or the like formed therein, the PLL circuit which is capable of realizing the compensation of fluctuation due to temperature change, the inhibition of increase in the chip area and the ensurement of the performance margin, and which controls a VCO having multiple oscillation frequency bands. In the case where automatic calibration is performed by switching a switch to a side of a DC voltage source in the PLL circuit using a VCO having multiple oscillation bands, a tuning voltage (Vtune) of an RFVCO is fixed to a voltage value of a DC voltage source. However, since a temperature characteristic of canceling a VCO oscillation frequency is given to the DC voltage source, it is possible to minimize the influence on the band selection when a calibration table comes to no optimum one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corporation, TTP Com Limited
    Inventors: Toshiya Uozumi, Satoshi Tanaka, Masumi Kasahara, Hirotaka Oosawa, Yasuyuki Kimura, Robert Astle Henshaw
  • Patent number: 7259637
    Abstract: An apparatus provides a correction value for an oscillator. At least one parameter sensor measures a system parameter influencing the oscillator. A lookup table determines a cycle adjustment value based on the system parameter. A processor joined to the oscillator implements the cycle adjustment value to correct for oscillator variation. Cycle adjustment values can be computed in both whole cycles and partial cycles through accumulated error thresholding. The parameter sensor can be a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor or both kinds of sensors. The lookup table and processor can have additional terms to account for hysteresis in the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Jeremy R. O'Neal
  • Patent number: 7253695
    Abstract: In a function generating circuit which comprises a temperature sensor 1 for outputting an output current (Ilin) with a linear temperature characteristic or an output voltage (Vlin) with the linear temperature characteristic, a cubic function generating circuit 2 for receiving the output current (Ilin) or the output voltage (Vlin) of the temperature sensor 1 as an input and generating a cubic temperature characteristic voltage (Vcub), and a control data storing circuit 3 for recording control data to control the output characteristic of the cubic function generating circuit 2, an external control signal is applied to the temperature sensor 1 from an external control terminal 4 to cause the sensor to output variably the output current (Ilin) or the output voltage (Vlin) such that the temperature characteristic of the cubic function generating circuit 2 can be controlled at the ordinary temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junichi Matsuura
  • Patent number: 7253694
    Abstract: A method provides a temperature controlled frequency source. The method reduces the effects of temperature variations on an operating frequency of the temperature controlled frequency source by temperature compensating the temperature controlled frequency source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: C-Mac Quartz Crystals, Limited
    Inventors: Nigel Hardy, Karl Ward
  • Patent number: 7248126
    Abstract: A temperature correcting apparatus divides an actually measured waveform of correcting voltages, which are required at each of different temperatures, by a minimum resolution of D/A conversion; obtains voltage digital values representing voltage values at individual dividing points of the actually measured waveform, and obtains times corresponding to the voltage digital values; prestores pairs of the voltage digital values and times together with addresses as correcting data; reads out the correcting data in response to the detection address representing the temperature; extracts or calculates from the correcting data the voltage digital values and times about the correcting voltages required by the detection address; and sequentially supplying a D/A converter with the resultant voltage digital values in synchronization with the corresponding times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Kanbe
  • Patent number: 7248127
    Abstract: A quartz crystal oscillator in which phase noise is reduced includes: a resonance circuit having a quartz crystal unit and a split capacitor connected to the crystal unit; a transistor for oscillation having its base connected to the node of the crystal unit and the split capacitor; an output line for connecting the mutual node of the split capacitor to the emitter of the transistor; a quartz crystal resonator that is inserted in the output line; and a temperature compensation mechanism for compensating the frequency-temperature characteristics of both the crystal unit and the crystal resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Ishikawa, Hideo Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20070164832
    Abstract: A microcomputer includes an oscillator for generating a clock signal having a frequency by using a CR circuit, a multiplier for outputting the clock signal having a multiplied frequency relative to the frequency generated by the oscillator based on data from an external source, a temperature detection unit for detecting temperature at a proximity of the CR circuit, a storage unit for storing data that enables the multiplied frequency of the clock signal in an output from the multiplier to have a constant value based on a temperature-dependent oscillation characteristic of the oscillator, and a control unit for setting a multiplication value for generating the multiplied frequency of the clock signal to the multiplier based on the data in the storage unit that is correlated to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Matsuoka, Hideaki Ishihara
  • Patent number: 7246022
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a change in temperature in an integrated circuit that is coupled to a differential communication link, and responding to the detected change in temperature by initiating a retraining process for the differential communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: James A. McCall, Klaus Ruff, David Shykind
  • Patent number: 7239857
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating an oscillator in a location-enabled wireless device is described. In an example, a mobile device includes a wireless receiver for receiving wireless signals and a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals. The mobile device also includes an oscillator having an associated temperature model. A frequency error is derived from a wireless signal. The temperature model is adjusted in response to the frequency error and a temperature proximate the oscillator. Frequency error of the oscillator is compensated using the adjusted temperature model. In another example, a frequency error is derived using a second oscillator within the wireless receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Global Locate, Inc
    Inventor: Charles Abraham
  • Patent number: 7239211
    Abstract: A temperature-compensated quartz crystal oscillator includes a substrate having a circuit pattern disposed on a surface thereof and mounting electrodes disposed on a reverse side thereof and electrically connected to the circuit pattern, circuit components mounted on the surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the circuit pattern, and a surface-mounted quartz crystal unit having a hermetically sealed quartz crystal blank, and mounted on the surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the circuit pattern. The crystal unit has a cavity defined in a mounting surface thereof, at least one of the circuit components being housed in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshikatsu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7233214
    Abstract: A voltage-controlled oscillator includes a bias circuit and a delay circuit. The bias circuit may generate a bias voltage signal pair having levels that are based on the voltage level of an input voltage signal and that are constrained by the values of a maximum current signal and a minimum current signal that are generated in the bias circuit. The delay circuit generates an output signal having a frequency that varies in response to the bias voltage signal pair. Because an operating frequency range of a voltage-controlled oscillator VCO is limited by a bias circuit, the VCO can operate with reduced gain and can limit the maximum operating frequency to a predetermined level. The VCO may also include a PTAT current generator in the bias circuit which can allow the VCO to compensate for variations of the VCO output frequency based on temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woo-Seok Kim, Ju-Hyung Kim
  • Patent number: 7227422
    Abstract: An R-C oscillator (200) is configured to vary the two voltage levels that are used to control the oscillation, such that the variation in oscillation frequency with temperature is minimized. A first resistor (R1) is used to control one of the voltage levels, and a second resistor (R2) having a temperature coefficient that differs from the temperature coefficient of the first transistor is used to control the other voltage level. The first resistor (R1) also controls the current used to charge and discharge the capacitor (C) used to effect the oscillation. By the appropriate choice of resistance values, the variations of the control voltages and current are such that the time to charge and discharge the capacitor (C) between the control voltages remains substantially constant with temperature. Preferably the resistance values are selected to also compensate for temperature variations in the delay of the feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: John M. Yarborough, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7228117
    Abstract: In order to always maintain a frequency of an oscillator within a proper range, the frequency chages due to temperature and a secular change, a method is disclosed in which the secular change is calculated from past control information, and the frequency of the oscillator is corrected according to the secular change. A storing unit records the past control information for the oscillator. A processing unit calculates the secular change of the frequency of the oscillator from the past control information. Thereafter, the processing unit gives the oscillator new control information for correcting the calculated secular change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Ichihara
  • Patent number: 7212075
    Abstract: A downhole crystal-based clock that is substantially insensitive to the factors that may cause frequency deviation as a result of downhole temperature. The clock may include a plurality of crystals, where a first crystal may be more stable, with respect to temperature, than a second crystal. The crystals may be thermally coupled together so that they may have substantially the same temperature. An error detector may monitor the differences between the frequencies associated with each crystal and provide this information to a storage device. This information may be determined prior to deploying the clock downhole. When deployed downhole, the signal from the error detector may be interpreted in light of the information in the storage device to provide a temperature measurement of the two crystals. The downhole temperature measurement then may be used to reduce frequency deviations in the downhole clock that may result from downhole temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Young, Carl A. Robbins, Eugene Linyaev
  • Patent number: 7209401
    Abstract: An apparatus compensates for voltage and temperature variations on an integrated circuit with: a voltage sensor having a digital voltage output; a temperature sensor having a digital temperature output; a register coupled to the voltage sensor and the temperature sensor, the register adapted to concatenate the digital voltage output and the temperature output into an address output; and a memory device having an address input coupled to the address output of the register, the memory device being adapted to store one or more corrective vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Inventors: Robert D Norman, Dominik J. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7209015
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes a current source for generating a current depending on the ambient temperature, a plurality of oscillators for oscillating at respective periods depending on the current from the current source and based on different relations between the ambient temperature and the periods, and a frequency demultiplication unit for receiving an output signal from one of the oscillators selected by a period selecting circuit 103. The frequency dividing ratio of the frequency demultiplication circuit is set so that a higher ambient temperature provides a smaller frequency dividing ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Takeshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7205858
    Abstract: A temperature-compensated piezoelectric oscillator includes an AT-cut quartz crystal resonator, an amplifying circuit connected to one end of the quartz crystal resonator, a varactor diode connected to the other end of the quartz crystal resonator, and a temperature compensation voltage generation circuit connected to ends of the varactor diode via resistors. The temperature compensation voltage generation circuit includes a first voltage generation circuit that includes thermistors and resistors and that is connected to the cathode of the varactor diode, and a second voltage generation circuit that includes a thermistor and resistors and that is connected to the anode of the varactor diode (VD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Kato
  • Patent number: 7196591
    Abstract: An oscillator comprising a three-terminal device and circuitry coupled across a first terminal and a second terminal of the device. The circuitry is preferably operable to bias the device and feedback a select amount of noise generated by the device into the device so as to reduce a proportional amount of phase noise present at a third terminal of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Synergy Microwave Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich L. Rohde, Ajay Kumar Poddar
  • Patent number: 7187240
    Abstract: An integrated electronic circuit comprises at least first and second variable resonator elements that can be tuned by means of an electric signal (Vtune) and that are arranged on the same silicon substrate, and that are respectively integrated into a Master circuit and a Slave circuit. Each resonator element is associated with a first inductive partner element set in the vicinity of the resonant and antiresonant frequencies; and with a second capacitive partner element, at least one of said partner elements being adjustable by means of said electric signal (Vtune). Controlling both partner elements could be done either by means of an adjustable capacitor, as a varactor, or by means of an inductor, passive or active, fixed or variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Andreia Cathelin, Stephane Razafimandimby, Didier Belot, Jean-François Carpentier
  • Patent number: 7183869
    Abstract: In the present invention, a temperature compensation circuit is provided. The temperature compensation circuit includes a first oscillator for providing a first clock signal, a timer electrically connected to the first oscillator for clocking a specific time period, a voltage regulator for generating a constant voltage, a second oscillator electrically connected to the voltage regulator for providing a second clock signal, and a counter electrically connected to the second oscillator for counting within the specific time period based on the second clock signal so as to obtain a counting value, and thereby a frequency of the second oscillator is obtained for the temperature compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Holtek Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Kuo-Hsiang Chen, Chun-Ku Lin, Jason Chen
  • Patent number: 7177612
    Abstract: A frequency generator which can perform stable frequency oscillation unaffected by temperature variation. A frequency generator having a differential amplifier (1) having an LC resonance circuit (10) as a load and buffer circuits (21, 22) feeding back an output of the differential amplifier to its input, wherein a temperature coefficient converter (5) converting an output voltage of a reference voltage generator (4) and its temperature dependence to a voltage having a predetermined voltage and temperature coefficient and outputting it is provided to control bias currents IEF of emitter follower circuits to be in proportion to temperature variation. There are a characteristic in which delay time of the emitter follower circuits constructing the buffer circuits is in inverse proportion to a transconductance of transistors and a characteristic in which the transconductance is in inverse proportion to temperature and is in proportion to the bias currents IEF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Takahiro Nakamura, Kenichi Ohhata, Toru Masuda
  • Patent number: 7176765
    Abstract: An on-chip oscillator generates a substantially temperature-independent clock signal by compensating for temperature-induced changes in its RC time constant and in a range between trigger voltages. A resistor with a positive temperature coefficient determines the range between trigger voltages, which increases with increasing temperature. A comparator response time contributes to a delay period that occurs after a trigger voltage is passed and before the charging or discharging of a capacitor is reversed. After the delay period, a remainder period elapses before another trigger voltage is passed. As temperature increases, the delay period is decreased by increasing a bias current supplied to the comparator. The bias current is programmably adjusted such that the sum of the delay period and the remainder period remains substantially constant over a large temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: ZiLOG, Inc.
    Inventors: Jaynie A. Shorb, Steven L. Holmes
  • Patent number: 7173501
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit (100) can provide a dual slop temperature response. For a lower temperature range, a capacitor (106) can be charged and/or discharged according to a first current source (302) that provides an essentially constant current source. For a higher temperature range, the capacitor (106) can be charged and/or discharged according to a second current source (304) that can be enabled and/or provide current according to a voltage proportional to absolute temperature. A slightly positive temperature coefficient of a first current source (302) can be offset by a threshold detect circuit (210 and 212) within a second comparator circuit (204) that utilizes the threshold voltage (Vt) of a transistor (212) as a low limit for a capacitor voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Jason Varricchione
  • Patent number: 7173499
    Abstract: Design means is provided to prevent electronic parts used in a high-stability piezoelectric oscillator from deterioration due to aging by heat when the high-temperature side of the working temperature range is as high as 85° C. A high-stability piezoelectric oscillator, which is provided with a first constant temperature oven having housed therein a piezoelectric resonator and electronic parts for oscillation, a second constant temperature oven having housed herein said first constant temperature oven, and temperature control means for controlling the temperature of each constant temperature oven, and in which the temperature of said first constant temperature oven is set lower than the temperature of said second constant temperature oven, is characterized in that a heat source is disposed near said piezoelectric resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Toyo Communication Equipment Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomio Satoh
  • Patent number: 7167058
    Abstract: A variable frequency oscillator having multiple, independent frequency control inputs, each coupled to a respective tuning sub-circuit. The tuning sub-circuits are connected in parallel with each other and with a resonator module, which may be a quartz crystal, inductor, or other reactance component. Each tuning sub-circuit consists of two varactors with their respective cathodes coupled to each other and to their corresponding frequency control input. By having the tuning sub-circuits connected in parallel to the resonator, the overall frequency pull range of each frequency control input remains unaffected by the activation of any other frequency control input. Preferably, at least one frequency control input is a temperature compensation control input that can maintain the variable oscillator insensitive to temperature variations while the remaining frequency control inputs provide functional frequency control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: David Meltzer
  • Patent number: 7164325
    Abstract: A Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) in a battery-powered device, such as a cellular phone, can be configured to tune across a fairly wide frequency range using a relatively narrow control voltage range. The frequency response of the VCO can be temperature compensated by applying a temperature variable voltage source to varactors that form part of a VCO resonant circuit. The reference end of the varactor can be supplied with a temperature dependent voltage source that has a temperature dependence that substantially compensates for varactor temperature dependence. The temperature dependent voltage source can be a Proportional To Absolute Temperature (PTAT) device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Vladimir Aparin, Yue Wu
  • Patent number: 7161443
    Abstract: An environmental-compensated oscillator includes a reference clock waveform generator; a phase locked loop receiving the reference clock waveform and outputting a phase locked clock waveform; and a sensor outputting a voltage corresponding to an environmental parameter of the generator. The voltage is used by the PLL to compensate the phase locked clock waveform. The PLL includes a phase detector, a charge pump coupled to an output of the phase detector, a low pass filter coupled to an output of the charge pump, a voltage controlled oscillator (“VCO”) coupled to an output of the low pass filter, and a feedback path coupled between an output of the VCO and the phase detector, wherein the feedback path includes a phase rotator capable of fine tuning an output frequency of the VCO responsive to a frequency of an input clock. An accumulator is coupled to the phase rotator and supplies the input clock to the phase rotator. The phase rotator finely tunes the VCO output frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Chun-Ying Chen
  • Patent number: 7161440
    Abstract: A temperature compensation circuit has multiple configurable modules to produce a compensation signal whose temperature characteristic curve is the inverse of the frequency-to-temperature characteristic curve of a specified oscillator. A set of first modules that produce first sub-signals directly proportional to temperature and a set of second modules that produce second sub-signals inversely proportional to temperature have their outputs summed at a summation node. Each module may adjust the strength and shaped of its temperature characteristic sub-signal, and each module may optionally be assigned a temperature offset that impedes the output of its corresponding sub-signal until the assigned temperature offset is reached. Each of the first and second modules includes a signal generator and an optional temperature offset circuit, which may be incorporated into the operation of the signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: David Meltzer
  • Patent number: 7154351
    Abstract: A circuit for generating a component of n-th order includes: six differential amplifiers (15A to 15F) having a pair of input terminals supplied with a common linear input signal and a constant level signal of a predetermined level, outputting a reversed or non-reversed signal to the linear input signal, and having a limiter function to limit the output signal to a predetermined maximum value and a minimum value; a constant level signal generation circuit for supplying the constant level signal to each of the six differential amplifiers; a current mirror circuit (14) for controlling current flowing in the differential amplifiers (15A to 15F); and addition resistors (16A, 16B) for adding the output current of the differential amplifiers (15A to 15F).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Microsystems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takako Kawasaki, Kenji Nemoto
  • Patent number: 7151418
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus to bias a charge pump in a phase locked loop (PLL) to compensate a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) gain have been disclosed. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a PLL comprising a charge pump, the charge pump comprising an input and an output, and a bias circuit coupled to the input of the charge pump, the bias circuit comprising a sensor circuit to sense a temperature and at least one of a voltage and a process variation and a current reference circuit coupled to the sensor circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Chwei-Po Chew, Paul H. Scott
  • Patent number: 7148763
    Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a first circuit that receives a clock signal. A first temperature sensor senses a first temperature. Non-volatile memory that communicates with the first temperature sensor outputs calibration data as a function of the first temperature. A semiconductor oscillator that communicates with the non-volatile memory and the first circuit generates the clock signal having a frequency that is related to the calibration data. A select input selects the frequency of the output signal as a function of an external passive component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Sehat Sutardja
  • Patent number: 7142069
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for controlling an amplitude of an oscillator signal is accomplished by comparing the oscillator signal to reference signals. The amplitude of the oscillator signal is capable of being adjusted by means of a control signal. The control signal is developed by a regulating circuit that depends upon a comparison result of the oscillator signal with a reference signal such that the amplitude of the oscillator signal adopts a desired value. At least one further reference signal is compared to the oscillator signal and the regulating circuit is adjusted depending on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Vincenzo Costa, Henrik Icking
  • Patent number: 7132902
    Abstract: A semiconductor oscillator circuit for an EEPROM high voltage charge pump utilizes a current generating means to charge a first and a second capacitor alternatively. The charging current produced by the current generating means is inversely proportional to the ambient temperature. The charging current is proportional to the supply voltage and consequently, the oscillator frequency output remains constant over a variable voltage supply. Such a constant frequency characteristic makes a low voltage operation possible, but slows down the oscillator frequency as temperature increases. The slowing of oscillator frequency limits the charge pump output voltage and enhances the lifespan of the EEPROM cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Stephane Ricard, Marc Merandat, Jerome Pratlong, Sylvie B. Vergnes, Laureline Bour
  • Patent number: 7129800
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for age related degradation in the performance of integrated circuits. In one embodiment, the phase-locked loop (PLL) charge pump is provided with multiple legs that can be selectively enabled or disabled to compensate for the effects of aging. In an alternate embodiment, the power supply voltage control codes can be increased or decreased to compensate for aging effects. In another embodiment, a ring oscillator is used to approximate the effects of NBTI. In this embodiment, the frequency domain is converted to time domain using digital counters and programmable power supply control words are used to change the operating parameters of the power supply to compensate for aging effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Claude R. Gauthier, Pradeep R. Trivedi, Raymond A. Heald, Gin S. Yee
  • Patent number: 7129798
    Abstract: An oscillator includes first, second and third inverters (1, 2, 3) connected in series. A feedback path is connected from the output terminal of the third inverter (3) to the input terminal of the first inverter 1 through a resistor (5) while a second feedback path is connected from the output terminal of the second inverter (2) to the input terminal of the first inverter (1) through a capacitor (4). The second feedback path further includes a resistor (6) having a temperature coefficient larger than that of resistor (5) is inserted to adjust the charge/discharge trigger voltage and charge/discharge time of the capacitor (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Seiki Aoyama, Toshikazu Itakura
  • Patent number: 7126434
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit for a semiconductor device is disclosed which can generate internal clocks having a stable period regardless of variations of a process of transistors and resistors, a power voltage and a temperature, by controlling an oscillator unit by separating a gate voltage and a reference voltage, and which can normally operate chip functions according to the stable internal clocks without suffering from large variations by external factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Seok Joo Lee
  • Patent number: 7123105
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes a capacitor device, a current source for supplying a current to the capacitor device, a reference voltage, and a control circuit. The reference voltage is a first input to a comparator. An output of the capacitor device and an output of the current source are a second input to the comparator. The control circuit resets the oscillator circuit when the first and second inputs to the comparator are equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies North American Corporation
    Inventors: Jung Pill Kim, Jens Christopher Egerer, Stephen Bowyer
  • Patent number: 7116181
    Abstract: An integrated temperature-compensated RC oscillator circuit includes an inverter having an input and an output. An RC network is coupled between the inverter and a pair of comparators. A first comparator has an inverting input coupled to a first reference voltage, a non-inverting input coupled to the RC network, and an output. A second comparator has an inverting input coupled to the RC network, a non-inverting input coupled to a second reference voltage, and an output. A set-reset flip-flop has a set input coupled to the output of the first comparator, a reset input coupled to the output of the second comparator, and an output coupled to the input of the inverter. Differential amplifiers in the comparators each have a diode-connected p-channel MOS transistor controlling a mirrored p-channel MOS transistor whose channel width is less than that of the diode-connected p-channel current mirror transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: Gregory Bakker
  • Patent number: 7116183
    Abstract: A VCO with temperature compensation is achieved using reverse biased diodes. The VCO includes an amplifier that provides the required signal gain, a resonator tank circuit that provides the required phase shift, and at least one frequency tuning circuit for tuning the frequency of the oscillator signal. Each frequency tuning circuit includes at least one tuning capacitor and at least one MOS pass transistor that connects or disconnects the tuning capacitor(s) to/from the resonator tank circuit. Each reverse biased diode may be a parasitic diode that is formed at a drain or source junction of a MOS transistor. The reverse biased diodes have capacitance that can be controlled by a reverse bias voltage to compensate for drift in the VCO oscillation frequency over temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventor: Yue Wu