Plural Oscillators Controlled Patents (Class 331/2)
  • Patent number: 8854091
    Abstract: Circuitry capable of performing fractional clock multiplication by using an injection-locked oscillator is described. Some embodiments described herein perform fractional clock multiplication by periodically changing the injection location, from a set of injection locations, where the injection signal is injected and/or by periodically changing a phase, from a set of phases, of the injection signal that is injected into the ILO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Masum Hossain, Farshid Aryanfar, Mohammad Hekmat, Reza Navid
  • Publication number: 20140285270
    Abstract: An electronic oscillator circuit has a first oscillator, for supplying a first oscillation signal, a second oscillator, for supplying a second oscillation signal, a first controller for delivering the first control signal as a function of a phase difference between a first controller input and a second controller input of the first controller; a second controller for delivering the second control signal as a function of a phase difference between a first controller input of the second controller and a second controller input of the second controller; a resonator; at least a second resonance frequency, with a first phase shift dependent on the difference between the frequency of a second exciting signal and the second resonance frequency and processing means, for receiving the first oscillator signal and the second oscillator signal, determining their mutual proportion, looking up a frequency compensation factor in a prestored table and outputting a compensated oscillation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventor: Antonius Johannes Maria Montagne
  • Patent number: 8816778
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an oscillator clock frequency, comprising: providing a first oscillator, applying a first setpoint value to the first oscillator, determining a first oscillator frequency value within a first time frame, providing a second oscillator, applying a second setpoint value to the second oscillator, determining a second oscillator frequency value within a second time frame, determining a new frequency setpoint value from the first and second frequency values, the first and second setpoint values, and a desired frequency value, and applying the new frequency setpoint value to one of the first and second oscillators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: INSIDE Secure
    Inventors: Gaetan Bracmard, Jean-Pascal Maraninchi, Julien Roche
  • Patent number: 8816777
    Abstract: A microwave synthesizer is disclosed that may generate low phase noise and high frequency resolution microwave signals The microwave synthesizer may include a coarse-tuning loop, the coarse-tuning loop may be adopted to generate a first signal with coarsely adjustable frequency. The coarse-tuning loop may have a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). An output loop, the output loop may be adopted to generate a second signal with finely adjustable frequency. The output loop may have a second VCO. A frequency mixer may be configured to couple the coarse-tuning loop and the output loop. A frequency mixer may be adopted to subtract the first and second signals. A reference frequency source may be coupled to the coarse-tuning loop and the output loop to provide reference signal for the microwave synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Inventor: Tomany Szilagyi
  • Patent number: 8798198
    Abstract: A calibration system may be provided for calibrating wireless communications circuitry in an electronic device during manufacturing. The calibration system may include data acquisition equipment for receiving an amplitude-modulated calibration signal from the electronic device. The calibration system may include calibration computing equipment for extracting pre-distortion coefficients from the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The calibration computing equipment may be configured to detect a bulk phase drift in the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The calibration computing equipment may be configured to remove the bulk phase drift from the amplitude-modulated calibration signal. The wireless communications circuitry may include a power amplifier that distorts a signal generated by the wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include a pre-distortion compensator for countering the distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Gary Lang Do
  • Patent number: 8791762
    Abstract: Frequency synthesizers for use with oscillators that generate an arbitrary frequency are described, as well as related devices and methods. Divider information can be generated or otherwise accessed for use in configuring a phase lock loop device that is adapted for coupling with the oscillator, where the phase lock loop device can include a plurality of integer dividers without utilizing a fractional divider, where the divider information can include frequency deviations corresponding to groups of integer divider settings for the phase lock loop device, and where each deviation of the frequency deviations can be based on a frequency differential between a standard operating frequency and an output frequency for the phase lock loop utilizing one group of integer divider settings from the groups of integer divider settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sand 9, Inc.
    Inventors: Reimund Rebel, Klaus Juergen Schoepf
  • Patent number: 8779865
    Abstract: A design for an oscillator, and a PLL incorporating such an oscillator, which takes up little physical area but maintains a large tuning range and low phase noise. Two LC-tanks are nested and switched. Through tuning the inactive tank, the range of the active tank may be increased and finer tuning becomes possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Herschel A. Ainspan, John F. Bulzacchelli, Daniel J. Friedman, Ankush Goel, Alexander V. Rylyakov
  • Publication number: 20140184342
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer for a WLAN transceiver is disclosed that may be used to generate 5.4 GHz and 2.4 GHz signals. The frequency synthesizer may be configured to minimize VCO pulling by using VCO operating frequencies that are not integer multiples of the RF bands. Further, the frequency synthesizer may be configured to minimize interference with other frequency bands used by existing wireless systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Richard Chang, Tomas O'Sullivan, Cristian Marcu, Brian Kaczynski
  • Patent number: 8754719
    Abstract: A divider for use in an integrated circuit chip, such as a clock generator chip, includes a ramp generator circuit configured to generate a ramp signal and a synchronous detector circuit configured to receive the ramp signal and an input clock signal and to responsively control the ramp signal generator circuit to generate an output clock signal at an output of the synchronous detector circuit. In some embodiments, the synchronous detector circuit may include a voltage threshold detector circuit configured to receive the ramp signal and to generate a detection signal responsive thereto and a synchronous latch circuit having a clock input configured to receive the input clock signal and a data input configured to receive the detection signal. The synchronous latch circuit may be configured to control the ramp generator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Justin O'Day
  • Patent number: 8756451
    Abstract: Multi-tier methods and systems to synthesize a reference frequency, and control one or more tiers in view of multiple prioritized criteria. A first tier of a frequency synthesizer may include a first phase locked loop (PLL), which may include an inductive-capacitive voltage-controlled oscillator (LC VCO). One or more subsequent tiers may each include a second PLL, which may include a self-biased (SB) VCO PLL or a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) PPL. A subsequent tier may be controllable with respect to multiple parameters. Parameters may be evaluated and selected based on multiple criteria, which may be prioritized. Parameters may be selected, for example, to minimize a frequency error equal relative to a permissible deviation from a desired frequency as a first priority, reduce jitter as a second priority, and minimize a frequency error relative to the desired frequency as a third priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mark L. Neidengard, Nasser A. Kurd, Robert J. Greiner, Vaughn J. Grossnickle
  • Patent number: 8749313
    Abstract: An electronic device has two oscillators, for example a first highly accurate crystal oscillator and a second less accurate low power oscillator. In a normal mode of operation, time is counted based on an output from the crystal oscillator, but in a low power mode of operation, time is counted based on an output from the less accurate oscillator. During the low power mode of operation, a calibration process is performed repeatedly. During a first calibration time period the second oscillator is calibrated against the first oscillator to obtain a first calibration result, and a recalibration is performed during a second calibration time period to obtain a second calibration result. A correction factor is determined from the first and second calibration results, and the correction factor is applied when subsequently counting time based on the output from the second oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventor: Andrew Ellis
  • Patent number: 8705663
    Abstract: A receiver is described. The receiver includes a first injection-locked oscillator having a first input configured to receive a BPSK signal and a second input configured to receive a first frequency reference. The receiver also includes a second injection-locked oscillator having a third input configured to receive the BPSK signal and a fourth input configured to receive a second frequency reference. Further, the receiver includes a first phase-locked loop coupled with the second input of the first injection-locked oscillator. The first phase-locked loop is configured to generate the first frequency reference. And, a second phase-locked loop is coupled with the fourth input of the second injection-locked oscillator. The second phase-locked loop is configured to generate the second frequency reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Innophase Inc.
    Inventor: Yang Xu
  • Patent number: 8698565
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for voltage-controlled oscillator selection in a multi-mode system having multiple voltage-controlled oscillators. Part of oscillator selection is a calibration operation that utilizes maximum and minimum capacitance limits for a voltage-controlled oscillator, which translates to a frequency range, to calculate overlap regions. Overlap regions comprise frequency ranges that overlap such that the overlap region may be generated by two voltage-controlled oscillators with adjacent frequency ranges. One voltage-controlled oscillator selection routine comprises a real time voltage-controlled oscillator calibration and selection routine that executes every time the system requests a new frequency. Another selection routine comprises a start-up routine that executes only at power up or periodically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Obkircher, Bipul Agarwal, Georgi Taskov
  • Patent number: 8692623
    Abstract: A control circuit controls first and second clock generator subcircuits so that one subcircuit of the first and second clock generator subcircuits operates for a comparison voltage generating interval, then another subcircuit operates for a clock generating interval, and so that the first and second clock generator subcircuits alternately repeat processes of the comparison voltage generating interval and the clock generating interval. For the comparison voltage generating interval, each of the first and second clock generator subcircuits is controlled to generate a comparison voltage and output the same voltage to an inverted output terminal of a comparator. For the clock generating interval, each of the first and second clock generator subcircuits compares an output voltage from a current-voltage converter circuit with the comparison voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center
    Inventors: Seichiro Shiga, Tetsuya Hirose, Yuji Osaki
  • Patent number: 8692626
    Abstract: An oscillation device for reducing memory capacity includes a frequency difference detecting unit and a compensation value obtaining unit. When oscillation frequencies of the first and second oscillation circuits are respectively f1 and f2, and oscillation frequencies of the first and second oscillation circuits at a reference temperature are respectively f1r and f2r, the frequency difference detecting unit determines a difference corresponding value x corresponding to a difference value between a value corresponding to a difference between f1 and f1r, and a value corresponding to a difference between f2 and f2r. The compensation value obtaining unit obtains a frequency compensation value of f1 resulting from ambient temperature different from reference temperature based on the difference corresponding value x, and calculates the frequency compensation value of f1 by calculating nth-order polynomial for X being a value corresponding to x/k, where k is a divide coefficient specific to a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8686806
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for compensating for a mismatch in temperature coefficients of two oscillator frequencies to match a desired frequency ratio between the two oscillator frequencies over a temperature range. In one embodiment of a temperature sensor, first and second oscillators of different temperature characteristics are coupled to a differential frequency discriminator (DFD) circuit. The DFD circuit compensates for the different characteristics in order to match a frequency difference between the first and second frequencies over a temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Emmanuel P. Quevy, Manu Seth
  • Patent number: 8686804
    Abstract: An orthogonally referenced integrated ensemble for navigation and timing includes a dual-polyhedral oscillator array, including an outer sensing array of oscillators and an inner clock array of oscillators situated inside the outer sensing array. The outer sensing array includes a first pair of sensing oscillators situated along a first axis of the outer sensing array, a second pair of sensing oscillators situated along a second axis of the outer sensing array, and a third pair of sensing oscillators situated along a third axis of the outer sensing array. The inner clock array of oscillators includes a first pair of clock oscillators situated along a first axis of the inner clock array, a second pair of clock oscillators situated along a second axis of the inner clock array, and a third pair of clock oscillators situated along a third axis of the inner clock array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Fulton Smith, James Anthony Moore
  • Patent number: 8670736
    Abstract: A circuit includes, in part, a receiver, a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and an oscillator. The receiver receives an incoming signal and an oscillating signal. The RSSI is responsive to the receiver and generates an output signal representative of the strength of the incoming signal. The oscillator receives different biasing conditions in response to different outputs of the RSSI. The oscillator generates the oscillating signal received by the receiver. The oscillator receives a first biasing condition when the incoming signal is detected as having a strength lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold value and a second biasing condition when the incoming signal is detected as having a strength higher than the predetermined threshold value. The first biasing condition may be defined by a first current, and the second biasing condition may be defined by a sum of the first current and a second current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventor: Sheng Ye
  • Patent number: 8659364
    Abstract: A value corresponding to a difference value between a value corresponding to a difference between f1 and f1r and a value corresponding to a difference between f2 and f2r is treated as an instantaneous temperature, where f1 and f2 denote oscillation outputs of the first and second oscillation circuits, respectively, and f1r and f2r denote oscillation frequencies of the first and second oscillation circuits, respectively, at a reference temperature. A first correction value is obtained using an approximation formula of the frequency correction value of f1 based on the value corresponding to the difference value, and a second correction value for canceling a correction residual error is obtained from the correction residual error which is a difference between the first correction value and the frequency correction value actually measured. The frequency correction value is obtained from a sum of the first and second correction values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaoru Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8659472
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a stable local oscillator, which includes a first control loop. The first control loop includes a first voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate a first output signal and a first phase-locked loop. The apparatus also includes a frequency up-converter configured to increase a frequency of the first output signal. The apparatus further includes a second control loop configured to receive the up-converted first output signal. The second control loop includes a second voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate a second output signal and a second phase-locked loop. The second control loop may further include a mixer having a first input coupled to the frequency up-converter, a second input coupled to the second voltage-controlled oscillator, and an output coupled to the second phase-locked loop. A reference frequency source may be configured to generate a signal identifying a reference frequency and to provide that signal to the phase-locked loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Enraf B.V.
    Inventors: Bin Sai, Ronald C. Sehrier
  • Publication number: 20140031076
    Abstract: A method includes generating a first signal based on a difference between a first frequency of a first voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a second frequency of a second VCO. The method further includes determining a gain of the first VCO at least partially based on the first signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Yiwu Tang, Yunliang Zhu, Chiewcharn Narathong, Sujiang Rong
  • Publication number: 20140015615
    Abstract: A phase-locked loop circuit comprises a multi-phase oscillator having a plurality of coupled oscillators. A calibration module detects mismatches between frequency characteristics of the different oscillators in the phase-locked loop circuit during a calibration process. The calibration module then calibrates the various oscillators to compensate for the detected mismatch. Once calibrated, the phase-locked loop circuit can operate with little or no performance degradation despite the mismatch in frequency characteristics between the different oscillators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: Mohammad Hekmat, Reza Navid
  • Publication number: 20130335148
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a first oscillator has an oscillation frequency that is changed depending on a temperature. A second oscillator has different temperature characteristics from the first oscillator. An on-chip heater heats the first oscillator and the second oscillator. A counter counts a first oscillation signal of the first oscillator. An ADPLL generates a third oscillation signal on the basis of a second oscillation signal of the second oscillator and corrects the frequency of the third oscillation signal on the basis of a count value of the counter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Shouhei KOUSAI, Yuji SATOH, Hiroyuki KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 8610511
    Abstract: The high-frequency digitally controlled oscillator includes fully digital cells capable of being ported to any CMOS fabrication process. The oscillator has a basic modular architecture comprising a digitally controlled digital ring oscillator (DRO) having a plurality of delay stages, a counter divider and a selection multiplexer. The DRO generates the basic (intrinsic) high frequency range and the counter provides the remaining ranges through division by multiples of two. The multiplexer provides a selection mechanism for the required range of frequencies. Load capacitances to the delay stages are added/removed to control delay via utilization of a unique capacitive cell driven synchronously by two ring oscillators such that the capacitance could be added or removed utilizing the Miller effect. Moreover, multiple capacitive load cells can be added to the same stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
    Inventor: Muhammad E. S. Elrabaa
  • Patent number: 8598956
    Abstract: A device is provided having a local oscillator (LO) configured to generate a first signal comprising at least one of timing information, frequency information, phase information and combinations thereof. The device also has a LO error corrector comprising an input, the input configured to receive a second signal comprising at least one of timing information, frequency information, phase information and combinations thereof. The second signal is used for disciplining the LO. The LO error corrector is capable of disciplining the LO using a source that is less accurate than a preferred second signal, if the preferred second signal is unavailable to discipline the LO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Russell Smiley
  • Patent number: 8593232
    Abstract: An oscillating device is provided that has several oscillators. Each oscillator has a capacitive inductive resonant circuit and a flow-through conduction circuit having a negative flow-through conduction. The inductive elements of the oscillators are mutually coupled. Each oscillator also has short-circuit or not short-circuit the capacitive element of the oscillator. The oscillating device also has a controllable commutating means arranged to activate one oscillator at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: ST-Ericsson SA
    Inventor: Emmanuel Chataigner
  • Patent number: 8564375
    Abstract: In one general aspect, an apparatus can include a reference oscillator counter circuit configured to produce a reference oscillator count value based on a reference oscillator signal, and a target oscillator counter circuit configured to produce a target oscillator count value based on a target oscillator signal where the target oscillator signal has a frequency targeted for calibration against a frequency of the reference oscillator signal. The apparatus can include a difference circuit configured to calculate a difference between the reference oscillator counter value and the target oscillator counter value, and a summation circuit configured to define a trim code based on only a portion of bit values from the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Turner, Tyler Daigle
  • Patent number: 8558623
    Abstract: An oscillator including two groups of elementary junctions having giant magnetoresistance effect traversed by electric currents, the junctions of each of the two groups being in series and energized by respective main currents and the voltages across the terminals of the groups being added together to provide a voltage on an output of the oscillating circuit. The voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of a first group is applied to a first input of a phase comparator and the voltage across the terminals of one or more junctions of the other group is applied to another input of the phase comparator, the phase comparator providing on two outputs secondary currents of the same amplitude and of opposite signs, which are dependent on the mean phase difference between the voltages applied to the inputs, the secondary currents each being added to a respective main current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
    Inventors: Mykhailo Zarudniev, Eric Colinet, Patrick Villard
  • Patent number: 8552804
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an adjustable oscillator circuit configured to generate an output signal having a frequency that varies responsive to a frequency control signal and a frequency reference generator circuit configured to produce a frequency reference signal. The apparatus further includes a calibration circuit configured to determine a relationship of the output signal to the frequency reference signal and to enable and disable the frequency reference generator circuit based on the determined relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Integrated Device Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Chenxiao Ren, Tao Jing
  • Patent number: 8547178
    Abstract: A ring oscillator is disclosed. The ring oscillator includes a first tri-path inverter, a second tri-path inverter and a third tri-path inverter. The second tri-path inverter is connected to the first tri-path inverter. The third tri-path inverter is connected to the first and second tri-path inverters to provide feedback for oscillations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Neil E. Wood, Patrick Fleming, Andrew T. Kelly, Bin Li, Daniel M. Pirkl
  • Patent number: 8542779
    Abstract: A receiver is described. The receiver includes a first injection-locked oscillator having a first input configured to receive a BPSK signal and a second input configured to receive a first frequency reference. The receiver also includes a second injection-locked oscillator having a third input configured to receive the BPSK signal and a fourth input configured to receive a second frequency reference. Further, the receiver includes a first phase-locked loop coupled with the second input of the first injection-locked oscillator. The first phase-locked loop is configured to generate the first frequency reference. And, a second phase-locked loop is coupled with the fourth input of the second injection-locked oscillator. The second phase-locked loop is configured to generate the second frequency reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Innophase Inc.
    Inventor: Yang Xu
  • Patent number: 8536953
    Abstract: A quartz oscillator module includes a first quartz oscillator, a second quartz oscillator, a first electronic switch, and a second electronic switch. The first and second quartz oscillators provide two different clock signals. When the first electronic switch is turned on, the first quartz oscillator is activated. When the second electronic switch is turned on, the second quartz oscillator is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Meng-Che Yu
  • Patent number: 8513957
    Abstract: A method and circuit for implementing dynamic voltage sensing and a trigger circuit, and a design structure on which the subject circuits resides are provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes a first quiet oscillator generating a reference clock, and a second noisy oscillator generating a noisy clock. A digital control loop coupled to the first quiet oscillator and the second noisy oscillator matches frequency of the first quiet oscillator and the second noisy oscillator. The reference clock drives a first predefined-bit shift register and the noisy clock drives a second predefined-bit shift register, where the second predefined-bit shift register is greater than the first predefined-bit shift register. When the first predefined-bit shift register overflows, the contents of the second predefined-bit shift register are evaluated. The contents of the second predefined-bit shift register are compared with a noise threshold select value to identify a noise event and trigger a noise detector control output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kennedy K. Cheruiyot, Joel T. Ficke, David M. Friend, Grant P. Kesselring, James D. Strom
  • Patent number: 8508308
    Abstract: Described embodiments provide a method of calibrating, by a calibration engine, a phase-locked loop (PLL) having one or more adjustable oscillators. The method includes entering a calibration mode of the PLL. The PLL is set to an initial state, thereby selecting one of the adjustable oscillators for calibration, an initial threshold window, and an initial tuning band of the selected adjustable oscillator. If the control signal of the selected adjustable oscillator is not within the initial threshold window, the calibration engine iteratively adjusts at least one of: (i) the selected tuning band of the selected adjustable oscillator, (ii) the selected adjustable oscillator, and (iii) the selected threshold window until the control signal of the selected adjustable oscillator is within the adjusted threshold window. If the control signal is within the threshold window, the one or more calibration settings of the PLL are stored and used to set the PLL operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Yikui Jen Dong, Freeman Y. Zhong, Tai Jing, Chaitanya Palusa
  • Patent number: 8497740
    Abstract: A rubidium oscillator or a cesium oscillator is used as a high stability oscillator, and an OCXO being a metastable oscillator which is inferior in a long-term frequency stability compared with the above oscillators but has a high short-term frequency stability is used as a backup. There is prepared a table in which an elapsed time since an occurrence of an abnormality in the high stability oscillator and weighting (use ratio) of use of the both oscillators is corresponded, and by using this table, after the high stability oscillator recovers, an oscillation frequency of the metastable oscillator is used by 100% initially, but thereafter the weighting (use ratio) of use of the metastable oscillator is made smaller and the use ratio of the high stability oscillator is made larger in stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Nihon Dempa Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Onishi
  • Patent number: 8487708
    Abstract: An object is to provide a method for preventing the occurrence of variations in time resolution by providing a calibration process to a TDC at the time of start up and further preventing the increase in circuit scale by reducing the redundancy of delay elements. A calibration of a multiphase oscillator TDC and a vernier TDC is carried out at the time of power-on. In the calibration, a timing input to be input to the vernier TDC is selected from output signals of DCCO based on a reference clock. Also, data is defined as an output signal which is adjacent to the output signal of DCCO mentioned above and proceeds in phase, and the delay therebetween is derived. By repeating it to all of the output signals, the one cycle of the output signal of DCCO is derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Isamu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8487710
    Abstract: A pulse width modulator based on a pair of rotary traveling wave oscillators. The first oscillator operates freely or as part of a phase-locked loop. The second oscillator operates at the same frequency as the first oscillator, but with a controllable phase offset from the first oscillator. The phase offset is set by an input voltage. A block takes the outputs of the first and second oscillators and combines them so that the output is a pulse whose width is the overlap of the oscillation signals from the first and second oscillators. The output pulse width is thus a function of the input voltage. When the pulse width modulator receives the input voltage from the output of a switching power supply, it can use the modulated pulse width to control the switching transistor of the power supply to maintain the output at a regulated voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Beccue, Andrey Martchovsky
  • Patent number: 8463205
    Abstract: A transmitting apparatus operative at a plurality of different bands includes at least a modulator, an intermediate frequency (IF) filter, and an offset phase-locked-loop (OPLL). Regardless at which one of the frequency bands the transmitting apparatus operates, a divisor of at least one frequency divider included within the OPLL is fixed, and a signal, which is outputted by a controllable oscillator and received by an offset mixer included within the OPLL, corresponds to a substantially fixed frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hsu-Hung Chang, Fucheng Wang
  • Patent number: 8456244
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for adjusting a gain of an electronic oscillator, such as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), are disclosed. In one aspect, an apparatus for compensating for VCO gain variations includes a charge pump controller. The charge pump controller can be configured to select a VCO gain model based on a comparison of a VCO gain indicator and a threshold value stored in a memory, obtain VCO gain model parameters from the memory corresponding to the selected VCO gain model, and compute a charge pump current control value using the VCO gain model parameters. The charge pump current control value can be used to compensate for VCO gain variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Obkircher, Bipul Agarwal, Wei-Hong Chen
  • Patent number: 8456243
    Abstract: A failsafe oscillator monitor and alarm circuit receives clock pulses from an external oscillator that if a failure thereto occurs, the failsafe oscillator monitor and alarm circuit will notify a digital processor of the external oscillator failure. The failsafe oscillator monitor and alarm circuit is a very low current usage circuit that charges a storage capacitor with clock pulses from the external oscillator when functioning normally and discharges the storage capacitor with a constant current sink if the external oscillator stops functioning. When the voltage charge on the storage capacitor becomes less than a reference voltage an alarm signal is sent to the digital processor for exception or error handling of the failed external oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventors: Enrique Aleman, Jonathan Dillon, Vivien Delport, Joseph Julicher
  • Patent number: 8456245
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system that provides a high frequency local oscillator (LO) signal. The system comprises a first LO that generates a first frequency LO signal component, a mixer that generates a difference signal from the first frequency LO signal component and a second frequency LO signal component, and a second LO that generates the second frequency LO signal component that is a harmonic of the difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Gireesh Rajendran
  • Patent number: 8432229
    Abstract: In described embodiments, a wide toning-range (WTR) inductive-capacitive (LC) phase locked loop (PLL) provides for a large range of differing oscillation frequencies with a set of individual LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) paths. The output of each individual wide range LCVCO path is provided to a multiplexor (MUX), whose output is selected based on a control signal from, for example, a device controller. Each of the set of individual wide range LCVCO paths includes a switch that couples the LCVCO to a loop filter of a voltage tuning module, wherein each switch also receives the control signal to disable or enable the LCVCO path when providing the output signal from the MUX. Each switch is configured so as to minimize leakage current drawn by the LCVCO when disabled, and to reduce or eliminate effects of input capacitance of each dormant LCVCO to the loop dynamics of the PLL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Yikui Jen Dong, Freeman Y. Zhong
  • Patent number: 8428544
    Abstract: Heterodyne commutating apparatuses and methods for creating the heterodyne commutating apparatuses are disclosed. The heterodyne commutating mixer includes a plurality of switches for transferring a radio frequency input signal sequentially during a plurality of local oscillator period timeslots to a plurality of output capacitors. The heterodyne commutating mixer also includes a plurality of inductors added across differential in-phase output terminals and quadrature output terminals. Values of inductance and capacitance are set to achieve resonance at an output intermediate frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph P. Heck, Stephen L. Kuffner
  • Patent number: 8416025
    Abstract: A reference assisted control system and method thereof are disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a first input signal and a second control signal; generating a first intermediate signal in accordance with a difference between the first input signal and the first output signal; filtering the second control signal to generate a second intermediate signal; performing a weighted sum of the first intermediate signal and the second intermediate signal to generate the control signal; and outputting the first output signal in accordance with the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chia-Liang Lin, Chao-Cheng Lee
  • Patent number: 8391803
    Abstract: Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of configurable frequency signal generation. For example, a device may include at least one configurable local-oscillator (LO) generator to receive an input frequency signal and one or more configurable input values and to convert the input frequency signal into at least one output frequency signal according to a configurable conversion ratio, which is based on the configurable input values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Rotem Banin, Ofir Degani
  • Patent number: 8378751
    Abstract: A frequency synthesizer with multiple tuning loops, e.g., a fine tuning loop and a coarse tuning loop, is described. The fine tuning loop may operate over a limited tuning range and may have fine frequency resolution. The coarse tuning loop may operate over a wide tuning range and may have coarse frequency resolution. The fine tuning loop may receive a reference signal at a reference frequency and generate a fine tuning signal at a first frequency adjustable in fine steps. The coarse tuning loop may receive the reference signal, generate an output signal at an output frequency, and generate a coarse tuning signal at a second frequency based on the output signal and the fine tuning signal. The second frequency may be adjustable in coarse steps, e.g., in integer multiples of the reference frequency. The output frequency may be determined based on the first frequency and the second frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell John Fagg
  • Patent number: 8362809
    Abstract: The invention provides a dual-mode voltage-controlled oscillator (DMVCO), a frequency synthesizer and a wireless receiving device, and pertains to the technical field of integrated circuit of radio frequency wireless receiver. The DMVCO and the frequency synthesizer can operate in a wideband mode and a quadrature mode. When operating in the quadrature mode, a quadrature signal is provided for a Single Sideband Mixer of the frequency synthesizer by a quadrature coupling of a first voltage-controlled oscillator unit and a second voltage-controlled oscillator unit in the DMVCO in the overlapped frequency band so that the frequency synthesizer can cover a higher output frequency band. Therefore, the tuning range of the DMVCO of the invention is wide, and the frequency synthesizer using the DMVCO is low in power consumption, simple in structure and has good frequency spur performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Fudan University
    Inventors: Wei Li, Jin Zhou
  • Patent number: 8344811
    Abstract: In a dual-hand capable voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) device at least two voltage-controlled oscillator units (VCO1, VCO2) are coupled via a reactive component (A) and each said at least one voltage-controlled oscillator unit (VCO1, VCO2) further being connected to at least a respective external switching device (B1, B2) adapted to control an operating frequency of the (VCO) device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventor: Mingquan Bao
  • Patent number: 8339211
    Abstract: This invention provides a voltage-controlled oscillator, comprising a first voltage-controlled oscillator circuit and a second voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. The first voltage-controlled oscillator circuit comprises a plurality of inductors, a plurality of variable capacitors, and a plurality of MOS transistors. The circuit configuration of the second voltage-controlled oscillator circuit is symmetrical to that of the first voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. The inductors of the first voltage-controlled oscillator circuit are cross-coupled to the inductors of the second voltage-controlled oscillator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Shey-Shi Lu, Hsien-Ku Chen
  • Patent number: RE44879
    Abstract: A phase locked loop has a controlled oscillator for outputting an oscillator signal depending on a control signal. A comparator generates a comparison result from a comparison between a reference frequency signal and a feedback signal derived from the oscillator signal. The phase locked loop also has a filter block for filtering the comparison result and for deriving the control signal from the comparison result, where the filter block has a loop filter and a rejection filter for the frequency-selective attenuation of at least one first interference frequency in the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Mayer, Christian Wicpalek, Thomas Bauernfeind, Linus Maurer