Patents by Inventor David Ruffieux

David Ruffieux 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: 11025232
    Abstract: An electronic device including a digital circuit to be compensated and a compensation device for compensating PVT variations of this digital circuit. This compensation device is arranged also for controlling the operating speed of the digital circuit and can also be arranged for equalising a rise time and a fall time of a logic gate including the transistors of the digital circuit. The electronic device implements a first loop, allowing to control the operating speed of the digital circuit by exploiting the same voltage at the compensation terminals of the compensation device and at the terminals at the digital circuit and at a critical path replica module allowing to control the threshold voltages of the respective transistors. The electronic device can implement also a second loop allowing to equalise the rise and fall times of a logic gate including the transistors of the digital circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: Nicola Scolari, Marc Pon Sole, David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 11012067
    Abstract: A compensation device for compensating PVT variations of an analog and/or digital circuit. The compensation device includes a transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal allowing to modify a threshold voltage of the transistor. The transistor is configured to be in saturation region. The voltage at the third terminal has a predetermined value and the difference between the voltage at the second terminal and the voltage at the third terminal has a predetermined value. A current generation module is configured to generate a current of a predetermined value. A compensation module is configured to force this current to flow between the first terminal and the third terminal by adjusting the voltage of the fourth terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA—RECHERCHE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT
    Inventors: David Ruffieux, Camilo Andres Salazar Gutierrez, Marc Pons Sole, Daniel Severac, Jean-Luc Nagel, Alain-Serge Porret
  • Publication number: 20200350893
    Abstract: An electronic device including a digital circuit to be compensated and a compensation device for compensating PVT variations of this digital circuit. This compensation device is arranged also for controlling the operating speed of the digital circuit and can also be arranged for equalising a rise time and a fall time of a logic gate including the transistors of the digital circuit. The electronic device implements a first loop, allowing to control the operating speed of the digital circuit by exploiting the same voltage at the compensation terminals of the compensation device and at the terminals at the digital circuit and at a critical path replica module allowing to control the threshold voltages of the respective transistors. The electronic device can implement also a second loop allowing to equalise the rise and fall times of a logic gate including the transistors of the digital circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Nicola Scolari, Marc Pon Sole, David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20190280688
    Abstract: A compensation device for compensating PVT variations of an analog and/or digital circuit. The compensation device includes a transistor having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal allowing to modify a threshold voltage of the transistor. The transistor is configured to be in saturation region. The voltage at the third terminal has a predetermined value and the difference between the voltage at the second terminal and the voltage at the third terminal has a predetermined value. A current generation module is configured to generate a current of a predetermined value. A compensation module is configured to force this current to flow between the first terminal and the third terminal by adjusting the voltage of the fourth terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA - Recherche et Développement
    Inventors: David RUFFIEUX, Camilo Andrès SALAZAR GUTIERREZ, Marc PONS SOLÉ, Daniel SÉVERAC, Jean-Luc NAGEL, Alain-Serge PORRET
  • Patent number: 8922283
    Abstract: A wristwatch, which comprises an atomic oscillator comprising a system for detecting the beat frequencies obtained by the Raman effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: ROLEX S.A.
    Inventors: Laurent Balet, Jacques Haesler, Steve Lecomte, David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 8901983
    Abstract: The temperature compensated timing signal generator comprises a crystal oscillator that generates a reference time signal, and a divider circuit that receives the reference time signal as input and outputs a coarse time unit signal, the coarse time unit signal having an actual frequency deviating from a desired frequency as a function of temperature of the crystal oscillator. The signal generator also includes a high frequency oscillator configured to generate an interpolation signal having a frequency greater than the frequency of the crystal oscillator. A finite state machine computes a deviation compensating signal as a function of temperature, the signal comprises an integer part representative of an integer number of pulses to be inhibited or injected in the divider circuit and a fractional part representative of how much the output of a new time unit signal pulse should further be delayed to compensate for any remaining deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Micro Crystal AG
    Inventors: David Ruffieux, Nicola Scolari
  • Patent number: 8896359
    Abstract: The temperature compensated timing signal generator comprises a crystal oscillator that generates a reference time signal, and a divider circuit that receives the reference time signal as input and outputs a coarse time unit signal, the coarse time unit signal having an actual frequency deviating from a desired frequency as a function of temperature of the crystal oscillator. The signal generator also includes a high frequency oscillator that generates an interpolation signal having a frequency greater than the frequency of the crystal oscillator. A finite state machine computes a deviation compensating signal as a function of the temperature signal, the signal comprises an integer part representative of an integer number of pulses to be inhibited or injected in the divider circuit and a fractional part representative of how much the output of a new time unit signal pulse should further be delayed to compensate for any remaining deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Micro Crystal AG
    Inventors: David Ruffieux, Nicola Scolari
  • Patent number: 8615202
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer includes: a first oscillator (1) controlled by a first control device, the first oscillator having a high quality factor that is greater than 300 and produces a first clock signal (2) RF having a fixed frequency, the first control device (30) controlling the frequency of the first controlled oscillator (1) on the basis of a first reference frequency; a second oscillator (3) controlled by a second control device and producing a second clock signal (4); the second control device (31) controlling the frequency of the second controlled oscillator (3) on the basis of a second reference frequency; and an integer frequency divider (5) dividing the frequency of the second clock signal (4) by a variable integer factor N1 and producing a third clock signal (6), the frequency of which is continuously variable by modifying the factor N1 and the control of the second oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA—Recherche et Development
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20120229222
    Abstract: A wristwatch, which comprises an atomic oscillator comprising a system for detecting the beat frequencies obtained by the Raman effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: ROLEX S.A.
    Inventors: Laurent Balet, Jacques Haesler, Steve Lecomte, David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 8264292
    Abstract: A device for compensating for the frequency of a resonator includes (a) a temperature sensor, (b) a sequencer determining a second compensation signal on the basis of the temperature and corresponding to a positive value N, and a third compensation signal on the basis of the temperature corresponding to a ratio between a positive integer S and N, S being lower than or equal to N, and (c) a variable counter receiving the compensation signals and generating a fourth output signal every N periods of a clock signal from the resonator and generating a fifth signal for modifying the charge capacity of the resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Developpement
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20120015610
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer includes: a first oscillator (1) controlled by a first control device, the first oscillator having a high quality factor that is greater than 300 and produces a first clock signal (2) RF having a fixed frequency, the first control device (30) controlling the frequency of the first controlled oscillator (1) on the basis of a first reference frequency; a second oscillator (3) controlled by a second control device and producing a second clock signal (4); the second control device (31) controlling the frequency of the second controlled oscillator (3) on the basis of a second reference frequency; and an integer frequency divider (5) dividing the frequency of the second clock signal (4) by a variable integer factor N1 and producing a third clock signal (6), the frequency of which is continuously variable by modifying the factor N1 and the control of the second oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 8098002
    Abstract: The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Developpement
    Inventors: Jacek Baborowski, Claude Bourgeois, Marc-Alexandre Dubois, David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 8040190
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop includes: a variable oscillator connected to a first resonator, said oscillator being able to deliver an output signal at a first output frequency Fout1, a first frequency divider receiving the output signal and able to convert it into a divided frequency signal Fout1/n, a reference oscillator connected to a second so-called reference resonator, delivering a reference signal at a low reference frequency Fref, generating an electrical dissipation lower than a microampere, a phase comparator measuring the phase error between the divided frequency signal Fout1/n and the reference signal and being able to produce a test signal, a low-pass filter or an integrating circuit able to filter the test signal and able to generate a voltage or a control word designed to control the voltage-controlled or digitally controlled oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA-Recherche et Developpement
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20110012686
    Abstract: A device for compensating for the frequency of a resonator, includes: a temperature sensor for the resonator; a sequencer determining a second compensation signal on the basis of the temperature value corresponding to a positive value N, and a third compensation signal on the basis of the temperature value, corresponding to a ratio between a positive integer S and N, S being lower than or equal to N; a variable counter receiving the compensation signals and generating a fourth output signal every N periods of a clock signal from the resonator and generating a fifth signal for modifying the charge capacity of the resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA Recherche et Developpement
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20100013360
    Abstract: The invention relates to a silicon resonator (10) of the tuning-fork type in which the linear frequency drift depending on the temperature is compensated. The resonator includes a silicon base (14), a plurality of parallel arms (11, 12, 13) capable of vibrating and actuator (18, 21, 22), wherein the arms include a silicon layer provided between two layers of silicon oxide having a thickness, relative to that of the silicon layer, such that it ensures the first-order compensation of the resonator thermal drift.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique Sa
    Inventors: Jacek Baborowski, Claude Bourgeois, Marc-Alexandre Bubois, David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20090273402
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a phase-locked loop comprising: a variable oscillator connected to a first resonator, said oscillator being able to deliver an output signal at a first output frequency Fout1, a first frequency divider receiving said output signal and able to convert it into a divided frequency signal Fout1/n, a reference oscillator connected to a second so-called reference resonator, delivering a reference signal at a low reference frequency Fref, generating an electrical dissipation lower than a microampere, a phase comparator measuring the phase error between the divided frequency signal Fout1/n and the reference signal and being able to produce a test signal, a low-pass filter or an integrating circuit able to filter the test signal and able to generate a voltage or a control word designed to control the voltage-controlled or digitally controlled oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D' ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA- RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPMENT
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20080191808
    Abstract: Time base including two oscillators, one of which has a lower frequency than the other, the latter being intermittently set to standby mode, generating according to the same intermittency a first stable time reference (REF) by difference between the frequencies of the two oscillators, a second permanent time reference (RTC) being obtained by division of the frequency of the oscillator having the lowest frequency and the division factor being dependent on the pulses counted for the first oscillator (OSC1) during a time interval determined by the first stable time reference (REF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Patent number: 7339854
    Abstract: This clock generator comprises an oscillator for generating an alternating current pilot signal and a pulse formatting circuit which is intended to convert the pilot signal from the oscillator into a pulse clock signal having a duty factor of at least approximately 50%. According to one implementation, a series of at least two inverters is provided, the input of the first inverter being controlled by the alternating current pilot signal and the output of the second inverter supplying the clock signal. A power supply means may also be provided to supply the inverters with a regulated power supply voltage dependent on the signals appearing at the outputs of the inverters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechique SA, Recherche et Developpement
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20070008041
    Abstract: Time base including two oscillators, one of which has a lower frequency than the other, the latter being intermittently set to standby mode, generating according to the same intermittency a first stable time reference (REF) by difference between the frequencies of the two oscillators, a second permanent time reference (RTC) being obtained by division of the frequency of the oscillator having the lowest frequency and the division factor being dependent on the pulses counted for the first oscillator (OSC1) during a time interval determined by the first stable time reference (REF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Publication date: January 11, 2007
    Inventor: David Ruffieux
  • Publication number: 20060214701
    Abstract: This clock generator comprises an oscillator for generating an alternating current pilot signal and a pulse formatting circuit which is intended to convert the pilot signal from the oscillator into a pulse clock signal having a duty factor of at least approximately 50%. According to one implementation, a series of at least two inverters is provided, the input of the first inverter being controlled by the alternating current pilot signal and the output of the second inverter supplying the clock signal. A power supply means may also be provided to supply the inverters with a regulated power supply voltage dependent on the signals appearing at the outputs of the inverters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventor: David Ruffieux