With Charge Pump Patents (Class 327/148)
  • Patent number: 8576970
    Abstract: A PLL circuit (1a, 1b) for generating a pixel-clock signal based on a hsync signal. The PLL circuit comprises a phase-frequency detector arranged to receive the hsync signal and a frequency divided pixel-clock signal, and generate up and down signals based on the hsync signal and the frequency-divided pixel-clock signal. A charge pump (20) is arranged to generate an output signal based on the up and down signals and a loop filter (30) is arranged to generate a frequency-control signal based on the output signal of the charge pump (20). Furthermore, a VCO (40a, 40b) is arranged to generate an oscillating signal and adjust the frequency of the oscillating signal in response to the frequency-control signal. The VCO (40a, 40b) is adapted to have a tuning range with a center frequency which is larger than or equal to 4 GHz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: CSR Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Graham R. Leach, Gordon A. Wilson, Rolf Sundblad
  • Patent number: 8558590
    Abstract: A reference current generating circuit includes a generator that generates a reference voltage, a bias generator includes plural transistors of a different conductive types from each other and generates a first bias voltage and a second bias voltage, respectively, a first output transistor and a second output transistor of a different conductive type that outputs a current corresponds to a reference current when the first bias voltage or the second bias voltage is supplied thereto, an input-output unit that one terminal connected between the first output transistor and the second output terminal and the other terminal connected to a load, and supplies current from the first output transistor to the load or from the load to the second output transistor, and a switch that turns on/off the first and the second output transistors based on the output voltage of the input-output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Naoya Shibayama
  • Patent number: 8553827
    Abstract: A Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) includes a Phase-to-Digital Converter (PDC), a programmable digital loop filter, a Digitally-Controlled Oscillator (DCO), and a loop divider. Within the PDC, phase information is converted into a stream of digital values by a charge pump and an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC). The stream of digital values is supplied to the digital loop filter which in turn supplies digital tuning words to the DCO. A number of types of ADCs can be used for the ADC including a continuous-time delta-sigma oversampling Digital ADC and a Successive Approximation ADC. The voltage signal on the charge pump output is a small amplitude midrange voltage signal. The small voltage amplitude of the signal leads to numerous advantages including improved charge pump linearity, reduced charge pump noise, and lower supply voltage operation of the overall PLL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventor: Gang Zhang
  • Patent number: 8547151
    Abstract: A die stack of an integrated circuit includes a plurality of dies. Each die in the die stack includes a phase lock loop (PLL). The PLLs in each of the dies share a loop filter and other corresponding circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Feng Wei Kuo, Shyh-An Chi, Huan-Neng Chen, Yen-Jen Chen, Chewn-Pu Jou
  • Patent number: 8542043
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a primary charge pump and replica charge pump may be coupled to matching control mechanisms and loads. In an embodiment, the replica charge pump may produce an error current originating from charge pump timing mismatches in a steady locked loop state. The error current produced by the replica charge pump may be measured by a difference amplifier to adjust at least one current source to compensate for the error current originating from the timing mismatches. To adjust the current sources, the amplifier may cause the current source to produce an equal but opposite current to cancel the effects of the error current, resulting in a constant output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph Moore
  • Patent number: 8531214
    Abstract: Spread spectrum generators and methods are disclosed. In one implementation, a spread spectrum clock generator includes a phase locked loop generating an output clock according to a first clock and a second clock; a delay line coupled between the first clock and the phase locked loop; a modulation unit providing a modulation signal to control the delay line thereby modulating phase of the first clock, such that frequency of the output clock generated by the phase locked loop varies periodically; a scaling unit scaling the modulation signal from the modulation unit according to a scaling ratio, and outputting to the delay line; and a calibration unit generating an output signal for controlling the scaling ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Shang-Ping Chen, Ping-Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 8531218
    Abstract: A frequency generating system including a phase-locked loop (PLL) and a control signal generation unit is provided. The PLL outputs a phase-locked clock and controls a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) therein by using a dual-path architecture. The VCO includes a varactor. The control signal generation unit is coupled to the PLL and disposed in one of the dual paths. The control signal generation unit provides an up voltage, a down voltage, or a middle voltage as a control signal to control the VCO according to an up signal and a down signal of the PLL. The control signal generation unit provides the middle voltage in response to an electrical characteristic of the varactor to compensate the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Phison Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Wei-Yung Chen
  • Patent number: 8525564
    Abstract: Charge-based charge pumps are described which include a switchable capacitor configured for connection to a voltage source, a ground, and a charge pump output. A first pair of switches include a first switch configured to connect the switchable capacitor to ground and a second switch configured to connect the switchable capacitor to the voltage source. A second pair of switches include a third switch configured to connect a first node, between the switchable capacitor and ground, to the charge pump output, and a fourth switch configured to connect a second node, between the switchable capacitor and the voltage source, to the charge pump output. Locked loop designs, such as phase locked loops or delay locked loops, are described that include charge-based charge pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Susan M. Schober, Robert C. Schober
  • Patent number: 8519757
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for frequency calibration in a frequency synthesizer are disclosed. The present invention includes an up/down processor. The up/down processor is utilized for outputting one of a GND voltage and a VDD voltage to a voltage-controlled oscillator via a loop filter in an open loop status, or outputting one of a step-up voltage and a step-down voltage in accordance with a phase difference to the voltage-controlled oscillator via the loop filter in a close loop status. When the up/down processor outputs one of the GND voltage and the VDD voltage in the open loop status, a memory bank selector compares frequencies for selecting a value of a memory bank and then adds an offset to the value of the memory bank so as to determine a final value of a VCO memory bank in the phase locked loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Inc.
    Inventors: Sechang Oh, Kyoohyun Lim, Kisub Kang
  • Patent number: 8513989
    Abstract: A micro-controller unit (MCU) includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) including an input, a timing input, and an output. The input of the ADC is configurable to couple to an output of a peripheral module. The MCU further includes a synchronous sampling controller configured to provide a clock signal to a clock output terminal configurable to couple to a clock input of the peripheral module. The synchronous sampling controller is further configured to provide a timing signal to the timing input of the ADC to synchronize sampling of a signal at the input of the ADC to timing of the peripheral module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley Martin, Thomas Saroshan David, Alan Lee Westwick
  • Patent number: 8513992
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementation of PLL minimum frequency via voltage comparison have been described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Amit Majumder, Praveen Rajan Singh, Alejandro Flavio Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 8513990
    Abstract: In a PLL frequency synthesizer, a loop is constituted by a phase comparison unit, a gate unit, a charge pump, a capacitive element, a potential adjustment unit, a voltage-controlled oscillator, and a feedback division unit. In this loop, the gate unit and the charge pump are provided in parallel with the potential adjustment unit. A charging/discharging current is input from the charge pump to the capacitive element and the potential of a first end of the capacitive element is adjusted by the potential adjustment unit, so that a phase difference between a reference oscillation signal and a feedback oscillation signal input to the phase comparison unit is small.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Thine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Seeichi Ozawa, Shuhei Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8508269
    Abstract: An oscillator circuit complementarily increases or reduces, in response to a transition of a signal level of a reference clock, a signal level of a first oscillation signal and a signal level of a second oscillation signal. An oscillation control circuit compares the first and second oscillation signals to a comparison voltage, and transitions the signal level of the reference clock in accordance with a result of the comparison. A reference control circuit increases or reduces the comparison voltage so that a difference between a signal level of an intermediate signal which is proportional to respective swings of the first and second oscillation signals and a reference voltage is reduced. A reference voltage control circuit increases or reduces the reference voltage according to a frequency difference between a basis clock and the reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Tokunaga, Shiro Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 8508265
    Abstract: Provided is a PLL circuit driven with a differential controlled voltage. The PLL circuit includes a VCO. The VCO outputs an oscillation signal in response to a difference between first and second control voltages. The PLL circuit includes a first loop for generating the first control voltage, and a second loop for generating the second control voltage having a phase opposite to the first control voltage. Intermediate generated signals of the first loop and intermediate generated signals of the second loop which respectively correspond to the intermediate generated signals of the first loop have opposed phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventor: Seok Ju Yun
  • Patent number: 8503255
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array has memory cells arranged therein at respective intersections between a plurality of first wirings and a plurality of second wirings. Each of the memory cells has a variable resistance element. The control circuit is configured to apply a voltage to a selected one of the first wirings and to a selected one of the second wirings. The control circuit includes a plurality of charge pump circuits and a plurality of clock oscillator circuits. The charge pump circuits generate a voltage applied to the first and second wirings. Each of the clock oscillator circuits is configured to supply a clock signal to a certain number of the charge pump circuits to control the timing of operation thereof. The clock oscillator circuits are configured to output clock signals at different frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Takahiko Sasaki
  • Patent number: 8502576
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit includes a charge generation circuit, a tracking circuit, a replica circuit, and a main charge pump. The main charge pump generates a charge current and a discharge current to a subsequent loop filter according to a UP signal and a DOWN signal. The replica circuit generates a first voltage in response to the current values of the first current source and the second current source of the main charge pump. The tracking circuit adjusts the current values of the first current source and the second current source of the main charge pump according to the first voltage and a second voltage, wherein the second voltage is in response to a voltage of an output node of the main charge pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Ralink Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Yi Bin Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8487677
    Abstract: A phase locked loop including first and second charge pumps, a voltage buffer and a bias generator for adaptive biasing for improved performance. A voltage controlled oscillator, feedback circuit and phase detector portions may be provided to operate similar to conventional configurations. The first charge pump receives an adjust signal, such as from the phase detector, and selectively charges an intermediate node. The second charge pump receives the adjust signal and selectively charges a control node developing the control voltage for the VCO. A loop filter capacitor is referenced to the intermediate node. The voltage buffer, replacing the loop filter resistor, buffers the intermediate node and drives the control node. The bias generator converts the control voltage to a converter bias current based on the control voltage and adjusts the charge pump currents and a bias current of the voltage buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Dashun Xue
  • Patent number: 8457269
    Abstract: A clock and data recovery (CDR) architecture which includes a frequency detector, a phase detector, a phase charge pump circuit, a frequency charge pump circuit and a voltage controlled oscillator is provided. The phase detector is configured to only include four AND gates to receive and evaluate the intermediate signals, generated by the frequency detector, and accordingly generate a phase control signal. The voltage controlled oscillator is configured to output a plurality of clock signals with different phases according to the current signals outputted from the phase and frequency charge pump circuits, and select at least one of the plurality of clock signals with different phases for sampling a data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignees: NCKU Research and Development Foundation, Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Soon-Jyh Chang, Yen Long Lee, Chung-Ming Huang
  • Patent number: 8442178
    Abstract: A linear phase detector includes an up/down pulse generator operating in response to received data signals and a recovered clock signal. The phase detector generates up and down pulses that have pulse widths proportional to the phase differences between transitions of the received data signals and edges of the recovered clock signal. By generating up and down pulses using a linear phase detector in proportion to a phase error, data signals are effectively recovered, even data signals with significant jitter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chul-Woo Kim, Seok-Soo Yoon, Young-Ho Kwak, In-Ho Lee, Ki-Hong Kim
  • Publication number: 20130113534
    Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit which has a high degree of jitter tolerance and can alleviate increase in the phase number of a multi-phase clock, power consumption, and a semiconductor chip area is provided. Each circuit of plural edge detection circuits comprises a first edge detection circuit and a second edge detection circuit. The first detection circuit detects that a data edge leads in phase more than ?1 phase from an edge detection phase, the second detection circuit detects that the data edge laggs in phase more than +1 phase from the edge detection phase. In response to the first output signal or the second output signal, the edge detection phase is changed by the amount of ?1 phase or +1 phase. When the data edge is detected in the range of ±1 phase, a next edge detection phase is maintained in the current state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130106475
    Abstract: A method of operating a charge pump of a phase-lock assistant circuit includes determining a first relative timing relationship of a phase of a data signal to a phase of a first phase clock. A second relative timing relationship of the phase of the data signal to a phase of a second phase clock is determined, and the first and second phase clocks have a 45° phase difference. An up signal and a down signal are generated in response to the first relative timing relationship and the second relative timing relationship. The charge pump circuit is driven according to the up signal and the down signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventors: Chih-Chang LIN, Chan-Hong CHERN, Steven SWEI, Ming-Chieh HUANG, Tien-Chun YANG
  • Patent number: 8432204
    Abstract: A PLL circuit includes a phase frequency detector; a programmable charge pump coupled to an output of the phase frequency detector; a loop filter coupled to an output of the charge pump, the loop filter providing a fine tuning voltage; a first voltage-to-current converter, the first voltage-to-current converter providing a fine tuning current corresponding to the fine tuning voltage; a current-controlled oscillator (CCO); a feedback divider coupled to an output of the CCO and an input of the phase frequency detector; and an analog calibration circuit. The analog calibration circuit provides a coarse adjustment current for coarse adjustments to a frequency pivot point for an oscillator frequency of the CCO, wherein the CCO generates a frequency signal at an output responsive to a summed coarse adjustment and fine tuning current, wherein the frequency pivot point is continuously adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chan-Hong Chern, Ming-Chieh Huang, Tao Wen Chung, Chih-Chang Lin, Yuwen Swei, Fu-Lung Hsueh
  • Publication number: 20130099836
    Abstract: A system and method in accordance with the present invention provides a gyroscope incorporating an improved PLL technique. The improved PLL auto-corrects its own reference low-frequency noise, thereby eliminating this source of noise, improving the noise performance of the gyroscope and allowing a compact implementation. The net result is a gyroscope with improved bias stability that can meet noise requirements with a smaller footprint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: InvenSense, Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Shaeffer, Ahingsa Soukhaphanith
  • Patent number: 8427208
    Abstract: A first mixer generates a first and a second clock signal having a phase opposite to that of the first clock signal. A second mixer generates a third clock signal having a phase lead angle of 90 degrees with respect to the first clock signal and a fourth clock signal having a phase opposite to that of the third clock signal. An ADC generates a digital signal from a signal that is generated on the basis of a composite signal of a voltage signal formed on the basis of the exclusive OR of the first and the third clock signal and a voltage signal formed on the basis of the exclusive OR of the second and the fourth clock signal. An adder adds the digital signal to the first control signal to generate the second control signal and supplies the second control signal to the second mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshitomo Ozeki
  • Patent number: 8421509
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit includes a first comparator, a PMOS tuner, a first current mirror, a first NMOS transistor, a first PMOS switch, an NMOS tuner, a second current mirror, a first PMOS transistor and a first NMOS switch. The first PMOS switch is coupled between the PMOS tuner and a first output PMOS transistor of the first current mirror, thus the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the drain of the first PMOS switch, the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the source of the first output PMOS transistor, and the parasitic capacitor formed between the gate and the drain of the first output PMOS transistor are equivalently coupled in series, lowering the capacitance between the PMOS tuner and the charge pump output, and reducing the clock feed through and the charge injection effect in the charge pump circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Liang Chen, Ya-Nan Mou, Yuan-Hui Chen, Yu-Jen Chang
  • Patent number: 8421430
    Abstract: A digital control switching power supply unit includes an A/D converter circuit having a delay line circuit that has a delay element array whose delay time is controlled by a bias current, and that converts a current value into a digital signal using a signal transmission delay time, a phase difference detector circuit that detects a phase difference between a switching cycle and an A/D conversion cycle, a charge pump circuit that generates a control voltage in accordance with the phase difference, and a bias current indicator circuit that determines a bias current in accordance with an output voltage of the charge pump circuit and a result of a comparison of a detected value of the output voltage and a reference voltage, wherein the digital control switching power supply unit controls in such a way that the A/D conversion cycle is synchronized with the switching cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sasaki, Tetsuya Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8415999
    Abstract: A method includes phase-shifting an output signal of a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit by applying an injection current to an output of a charge pump of a the PLL circuit. A circuit includes: a first phase lock loop (PLL) circuit and a second PLL circuit referenced to a same clock; a phase detector circuit that detects a phase difference between an output signal of the first PLL circuit and an output signal of the second PLL circuit; and an adjustable current source that applies an injection current to at least one of the first PLL circuit and the second PLL circuit based on an output of the phase detector circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hanyi Ding, Kai D. Feng, Zhenrong Jin, Francis F. Szenher
  • Patent number: 8410835
    Abstract: Leakage tolerant phase locked loop (PLL) circuit devices and methods of locking phases of output phase signals to a phase of a reference signal using a leakage tolerant PLL circuit device are provided. Embodiments include a PLL circuit device comprising: a primary loop and a secondary correction circuit. The primary loop includes a phase detector, an error controller, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and feedback divider. The secondary correction circuit is configured to generate and provide a secondary error-frequency signal to the error controller. The secondary correction circuit is configured to generate the secondary error-frequency signal in response to detecting a particular edge of a divided VCO output signal. The primary loop is configured to control a frequency adjustment based on at least one of a first error-frequency-increase signal, a first error-frequency-decrease signal, and the secondary error-frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. Sorna, Pradeep Thiagarajan
  • Patent number: 8411812
    Abstract: A delay locked loop operates over a wide range of frequencies and has high accuracy, small silicon area usage, low power consumption and a short lock time. The DLL combines an analog domain and a digital domain. The digital domain is responsible for initial lock and operational point stability and is frozen after the lock is reached. The analog domain is responsible for normal operation after lock is reached and provides high accuracy using smaller silicon area and low power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Peter Vlasenko, Dieter Haerle
  • Patent number: 8406364
    Abstract: In the following B cycles, the second frequency-divided signal fA is maintained at a low level, while the third frequency-divided signal fB is maintained at a high level. The three-modulus prescaler 13 has a frequency division value (M?1) if the pseudo random values are negative values, and a frequency division value (M+1) if the pseudo random values are positive values, in accordance with the signs of the pseudo random values outputted from the ?? modulator 8. After that, the frequency division value becomes M. A frequency division value of (MN+A+Bx) including the pseudo random value Bx is obtained in the comparison frequency divider 4. A fractional frequency division operation can be realized through ?? modulation by using the pseudo random numbers including negative values, as they are.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Morihito Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8400199
    Abstract: A charge pump being disposed in a phase locking system. The charge pump includes a sourcing element, a draining element and an offset element. The sourcing element is arranged to selectively source a first current into an output terminal of the charge pump according to a first control signal, and the draining element is arranged to selectively drain a second current from the output terminal according to a second control signal. The offset element is arranged to selectively conduct an offset current via the output terminal according to a third control signal, and one of the sourcing element and the draining element is disabled when the phase locking system is in a phase-locked state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Li Hsueh, Yi-Hsien Cho, Jing-Hong Conan Zhan
  • Patent number: 8378724
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a frequency locked loop and a controller. The controller stores a state of the frequency locked loop at which an output signal of the frequency locked loop is locked onto a reference signal and subsequently initializes the frequency locked loop with the stored state to cause the frequency locked loop to relock the output signal to the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas S. David, Kenneth W. Fernald, Alan L. Westwick
  • Patent number: 8378723
    Abstract: Integrated circuits with phase-locked loops are provided. A phase-locked loop may include voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) circuitry. The VCO circuitry may include multiple VCO circuits that receive power supply signals from a positive power supply terminal and a ground power supply terminal. Low-pass filters may be connected to the positive and ground power supply terminals to suppress high frequency noise that may be injected through the power supply terminals. The VCO circuitry may be operable in multiple modes. In a given mode, a selected one of the multiple VCO circuits is enabled while disabling the remaining VCO circuits. Switch circuits formed from transmission gates with pull-down transistors may be used to select which VCO circuit is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Ali Atesoglu
  • Patent number: 8379787
    Abstract: Spread spectrum clock generators. A phase lock loop generates an output clock according to a first input clock and a second input clock, a delay line is coupled between the first input clock and the phase lock loop. A modulation unit provides a modulation signal to control the delay line thereby modulating phase of the first input clock, such that frequency of the output clock generated by the phase lock loop varies periodically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Shang-Ping Chen, Ping-Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 8373468
    Abstract: A current generator for a phase-locked loop arranged to generate an output signal having predetermined frequency-relationship with a reference signal, the phase-locked loop comprising a signal generator arranged to generate the output signal, a divider arranged to receive the output signal and divide the output signal to form a feedback signal, the divider being arranged to vary the divisor by which the output signal is divided, a comparison unit arranged to compare the feedback signal with the reference signal and output a first error signal indicative of the phase-difference between the feedback signal and the reference signal to the current generator and a loop filter arranged to filter a current signal output by the current generator to form a control signal for controlling the signal generator, the current generator being capable of receiving the first error signal and generating a current in dependence thereon, receiving a second error signal indicative of an error in the feedback signal caused by the v
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited
    Inventors: Pasquale Lamanna, Nicolas Sornin
  • Patent number: 8373469
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop based frequency synthesizer generates a plurality of output reference signals by phase-delaying an input reference signal and generates a plurality of comparison signals by using a signal having a frequency divided by the fractional frequency divider. Here, the comparison signals are lower than the divided frequency. Further, the phase-locked loop based frequency synthesizer controls an output frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator through phase and frequency comparison between the plurality of output reference signals and the plurality of comparison signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute
    Inventors: Ki-Jin Kim, Kwang Ho Ahn
  • Patent number: 8368443
    Abstract: A differential charge pump circuit including a common mode bias unit, a first single-ended charge pump unit, and a second single-ended charge pump unit is provided. The common mode bias unit provides a differential signal to a low pass filter. The first single-ended charge pump unit provides a first current to the common mode bias unit or sinks the first current from the common mode bias unit via the first terminal based on an up signal and a down signal. The second single-ended charge pump unit provides a second current to the common mode bias unit or sinks the second current from the common mode bias unit via the second terminal based on the up signal and the down signal. The first and the second single-ended charge pump units respectively charge or discharge the first and the second terminals of the common mode bias unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Hsin-Chia Su
  • Patent number: 8368441
    Abstract: An on-chip phase-locked loop circuit has reduced power consumption in a semiconductor integrated circuit. The phase locked loop circuit is equipped with a phase frequency comparator, a loop attenuator, a charge pump, a loop filter, a voltage controlled oscillator and a divider. The attenuator includes a sampling circuit and a counter. A sampling pulse and first and second output signals both outputted from the phase frequency comparator are supplied to the sampling circuit. The sampling circuit outputs a sampling output signal. When the counter completes a countup of a predetermined number of sampling pulses outputted from the sampling circuit, the counter outputs a countup completion output signal. The charge pump outputs a charging current or a discharging current to the loop filter in response to the countup completion output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Kato
  • Patent number: 8368446
    Abstract: A delay locked loop includes a delay unit delaying an input clock to generate an output clock, a replica delay unit delaying the output clock to generate a feedback clock, a phase comparing unit outputting a phase signal having a first or second value according to whether the phase of the feedback clock leads the phase of the input clock, a filtering unit generates a filtering signal in response to the phase signal and updates the filtering signal when a difference of count numbers of the phase signal having the first value and the second value is substantially equal to a filtering depth, a locking unit generates a locking signal in response to the filtering signal, and a control unit adjusts a delay value in response to the filtering signal and maintains the delay value when the locking signal is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Jae-Min Jang, Yong-Ju Kim, Hae-Rang Choi
  • Patent number: 8368442
    Abstract: A charge pump exhibiting a voltage compensation function is provided. The charge pump includes: a first current generator, a first semiconductor device, a second current generator, a second semiconductor device, and a voltage regulator. The voltage regulator dynamically adjusts a voltage level at the gate of the first or second semiconductor device so as to adjust a first current or a second current outputted to a current output node. In addition, the voltage regulator provides a bias voltage at the current output node when both the first and second semiconductor devices are turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chien-Liang Chen
  • Patent number: 8362817
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a phase comparator including, a first latch, a second latch, a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit, and a charge-pump circuit having the function of a changeover switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kikuchi, Hideo Morohashi
  • Patent number: 8358160
    Abstract: A clock signal generation circuit includes a clock inversion unit inverting a reference clock signal and an internal clock signal to generate an inverted reference clock signal and an inverted internal clock signal, a first clock detection unit comparing the reference clock signal with the internal clock signal to output a first detection signal, a second clock detection unit comparing the inverted reference clock signal with the inverted internal clock signal to output a second detection signal, first and second charge pump units generating charge current or discharge current in response to the first second detection signals, respectively, a loop filter unit producing a control voltage signal having a voltage level corresponding to the charge currents or discharge currents, and an internal clock signal output unit producing the internal clock signal according to the control voltage signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Kwan-Dong Kim
  • Patent number: 8310288
    Abstract: In the PLL circuit including a phase comparator, a charge pump circuit, a loop filter, and a voltage controlled oscillator, the loop band after the locking can be expanded in such a manner that, when the phase difference between a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal is larger than a threshold value, an output current corresponding to the phase difference is outputted by reducing the change of the output current per unit amount of the phase difference, and that, when the phase difference is at most the threshold value, the output current corresponding to the phase difference is outputted by increasing the change of the output current per unit amount of the phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Hajime Sato
  • Patent number: 8306147
    Abstract: A 4× over-sampling data recovery system consists of a charge pump PLL, a 4× over-sampler, a data regenerator and a digital PLL. The charge pump PLL receives a clock signal and generates a plurality of multiplicative clock signals in response to the clock signal. The 4× over-sampler samples a serial data to generate a M-bit signal according to the plurality of multiplicative clock signals, wherein each bit in the serial data is sampled for four times. The data regenerator sequentially receives and combines two M-bit signals to generate a (M+N)-bit signal. The digital PLL divides the (M+N)-bit signal into (N+1) groups of M-bit data and selects a designated M-bit data from the (N+1) groups of M-bit data to generate a P-bit recovery data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chia-Hao Hsu
  • Patent number: 8299728
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention provides a precharge controlling method, including the steps of: providing a voltage generating circuit with an output circuit for outputting a voltage having a necessary level, and a comparator; judging an output voltage from the output circuit in the comparator during a precharge time period, and feeding back an output signal from the comparator to the output circuit; and controlling a precharge voltage until the voltage having the necessary level outputted from the output circuit is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakao
  • Patent number: 8294497
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit can include a first pair of transistors having connected sources and gates configured to receive a first pump signal and an inverse first pump signal and a second pair of transistors having connected drains and gates configured to receive a second pump signal and an inverse second pump signal, sources of the second pair of transistors being connected to drains of the first pair of transistors at first and second connection nodes, wherein the first and second pair of transistors are all of the same transistor type and provide an output current in response to the first and second pump signals. The charge pump circuit can also include a voltage stabilizer circuit connected to the second connection node and configured to regulate the second connection node to have a voltage within a predetermined range about a selectable voltage. Duty cycle stabilizers and control loops such as delay locked loops can include the charge pump circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad Jeffries, Michael Elliott
  • 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: 8283957
    Abstract: The voltage-controlled oscillator generates a first signal and a second signal having a phase reverse to that of the first signal, frequencies thereof being controlled depending on control voltages. The sub-sampling phase comparator generates first/second sampled voltages by sampling voltages of the first/second signals in each cycle of the reference signal having cycles. The current generating circuit has first/second charge pumps configured to generate first/second current signal depending on supply voltages, the second current signal having a polarity reverse to that of the first current signal. The selection controller selectively carries out a first supply mode for supplying the first and second sampled voltages to the second and first charge pumps and a second supply mode for supplying the first and second sampled voltages to the first and second charge pumps respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Akihide Sai
  • Patent number: 8264476
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device in which a power supply circuit is disposed on an array substrate, which achieves reduction of the size by suppressing an increase of the area occupied by the power supply wiring. The feature of the present invention is that a power supply circuit is disposed adjacent to a supply voltage input terminal and a signal line driving circuit. An extremely large amount of electric current is flown in a power supply wiring between the power supply circuit and the supply voltage input terminal and a power supply wiring between the power supply circuit and the signal line driving circuit. Thus, by disposing the power supply circuit adjacent to the supply voltage input terminal and the signal line driving circuit, the power supply wirings therebetween can be shortened. Accordingly, the wiring resistance proportional to the product of the length and the width becomes small so that the thinned power supply wiring can be tolerated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: NLT Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Nonaka
  • Patent number: 8264259
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit includes a phase comparator that compares phases between a reference signal and a feedback signal and outputs a phase difference signal indicating a phase difference therebetween; a charge pump that outputs a charge pump current according to the phase difference signal; a low-pass filter that includes a resistor and a capacitor and that smoothes the charge pump current and converts the smoothed current into a control voltage; a voltage-controlled oscillator that generates an oscillation signal with a frequency according to the control voltage; and a frequency divider that generates a frequency-divided signal by frequency-dividing the oscillation signal and outputs the frequency-divided signal to the phase comparator as the feedback signal, wherein the resistor in the low-pass filter is a variable resistor that is changed according to the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Hirohito Higashi