Patents by Inventor Atsuko Monma

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

  • Patent number: 8164371
    Abstract: To provide a duty detection circuit including: a plurality of duty detectors that detect a duty ratio of internal clocks; a controller that controls the plurality of duty detectors so that the plurality of duty detectors operates in different phases from one another; and an output selecting unit that selects one of duty detection signals from the plurality of duty detectors. According to the present invention, since the duty detectors operate in the different phases from one another, the output selecting unit can output a duty detection signal with a higher frequency than a generation frequency with which each duty detector generates the duty detection signal. Accordingly, when the duty detection circuit according to the present invention is used to adjust a clock of the DLL circuit, a control period of the DLL circuit can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Atsuko Monma
  • Publication number: 20110204942
    Abstract: A clock control circuit includes: a phase determination circuit that generates a phase determination signal based on a phase of an external clock signal; a counter circuit having a count value updated based on a logic level of the phase determination signal; a delay line that generates an internal clock signal by delaying the external clock signal based on the count value; and a pitch adjustment circuit that sets an update pitch of the counter circuit to be twice as high as a minimum pitch in a period in which the phase determination signal has no change, and sets the update pitch of the counter circuit to the minimum pitch in response to a change in the phase determination signal. With this configuration, it is possible to realize quick and highly accurate locking of a DLL circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuneo Abe, Atsuko Monma
  • Publication number: 20100237917
    Abstract: To provide a duty detection circuit including: a plurality of duty detectors that detect a duty ratio of internal clocks; a controller that controls the plurality of duty detectors so that the plurality of duty detectors operates in different phases from one another; and an output selecting unit that selects one of duty detection signals from the plurality of duty detectors. According to the present invention, since the duty detectors operate in the different phases from one another, the output selecting unit can output a duty detection signal with a higher frequency than a generation frequency with which each duty detector generates the duty detection signal. Accordingly, when the duty detection circuit according to the present invention is used to adjust a clock of the DLL circuit, a control period of the DLL circuit can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
    Inventor: Atsuko Monma
  • Patent number: 7642829
    Abstract: A duty detection circuit includes an integration circuit for receiving an RCLK signal and an FCLK signal that are internal clock signals generated by a DLL circuit, and generating voltage levels in accordance with the duty ratio of these internal clock signals; an amplifier for amplifying the output of the integration circuit; a latch circuit for latching the output of the amplifier; a control circuit for controlling the operation timings of each component; a bias circuit for feeding a BIAS signal to the integration circuit; and a frequency monitor circuit unit for monitoring the frequency of the clock signal. The frequency monitor circuit unit is a circuit component used when the power source is turned on, during resetting, and when other initial settings are performed, and detects the actual frequency of the clock signal and adjusts the amount of charging or discharging of the capacitors C1 through C4 in the integration circuit according to this actual frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanji Oishi
  • Patent number: 7411435
    Abstract: A duty detection circuit includes an integration circuit for receiving an RCLK signal and an FCLK signal that are internal clock signals generated by a DLL circuit, and generating voltage levels in accordance with the duty ratio of these internal clock signals; an amplifier for amplifying the output of the integration circuit; a latch circuit for latching the output of the amplifier; a control circuit for controlling the operation timings of each component; a bias circuit for feeding a BIAS signal to the integration circuit; and a frequency monitor circuit unit for monitoring the frequency of the clock signal. The frequency monitor circuit unit is a circuit component used when the power source is turned on, during resetting, and when other initial settings are performed, and detects the actual frequency of the clock signal and adjusts the amount of charging or discharging of the capacitors C1 through C4 in the integration circuit according to this actual frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanji Oishi
  • Publication number: 20080129358
    Abstract: A duty detection circuit includes an integration circuit for receiving an RCLK signal and an FCLK signal that are internal clock signals generated by a DLL circuit, and generating voltage levels in accordance with the duty ratio of these internal clock signals; an amplifier for amplifying the output of the integration circuit; a latch circuit for latching the output of the amplifier; a control circuit for controlling the operation timings of each component; a bias circuit for feeding a BIAS signal to the integration circuit; and a frequency monitor circuit unit for monitoring the frequency of the clock signal. The frequency monitor circuit unit is a circuit component used when the power source is turned on, during resetting, and when other initial settings are performed, and detects the actual frequency of the clock signal and adjusts the amount of charging or discharging of the capacitors C1 through C4 in the integration circuit according to this actual frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: ELPIDA MEMORY, INC.
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanji Oishi
  • Patent number: 7276950
    Abstract: The clock delay circuit according to the present invention includes a delay circuit section, a selection circuit section, and jitter suppression elements. The delay circuit section provides a plurality of delay clock signals that are obtained by delaying a clock signal with a different delay amount. The selection circuit section selects and provides any one of a plurality of delay clock signals that are provided from the delay circuit section. The jitter suppression elements are connected in series between the delay circuit section and the selection circuit section. When jitters occur at the time of switching the delay clock signals at the selection circuit section, the jitter suppression elements serve to prevent the propagation of the jitters through the delay circuit section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanji Oishi
  • Publication number: 20060170475
    Abstract: The duty detection circuit (100) comprises an integration circuit (110) for receiving an RCLK signal and an FCLK signal that are internal clock signals generated by a DLL circuit, and generating voltage levels (DB signal and VREF signal) in accordance with the duty ratio of these internal clock signals; an amplifier (120) for amplifying the output of the integration circuit (110); a latch circuit (130) for latching the output of the amplifier (120); a control circuit (140) for controlling the operation timings of each component; a bias circuit (150) for feeding a BIAS signal to the integration circuit (110); and a frequency monitor circuit unit (160) for monitoring the frequency of the clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 3, 2006
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanji Oishi
  • Publication number: 20060091926
    Abstract: The clock delay circuit according to the present invention includes a delay circuit section, a selection circuit section, and jitter suppression elements. The delay circuit section provides a plurality of delay clock signals that are obtained by delaying a clock signal with a different delay amount. The selection circuit section selects and provides any one of a plurality of delay clock signals that are provided from the delay circuit section. The jitter suppression elements are connected in series between the delay circuit section and the selection circuit section. When jitters occur at the time of switching the delay clock signals at the selection circuit section, the jitter suppression elements serve to prevent the propagation of the jitters through the delay circuit section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Atsuko Monma, Kanj Oishi
  • Patent number: RE46231
    Abstract: To provide a duty detection circuit including: a plurality of duty detectors that detect a duty ratio of internal clocks; a controller that controls the plurality of duty detectors so that the plurality of duty detectors operates in different phases from one another; and an output selecting unit that selects one of duty detection signals from the plurality of duty detectors. According to the present invention, since the duty detectors operate in the different phases from one another, the output selecting unit can output a duty detection signal with a higher frequency than a generation frequency with which each duty detector generates the duty detection signal. Accordingly, when the duty detection circuit according to the present invention is used to adjust a clock of the DLL circuit, a control period of the DLL circuit can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: LONGITUDE SEMICONDUCTOR S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Atsuko Monma