Ring Oscillators Patents (Class 331/57)
  • Patent number: 7786816
    Abstract: An oscillating signal in an oscillator is caused to phase shift toward the phase of an input signal coupled to the oscillating signal. The resonant frequency of the oscillator is about equal to an integer multiple of the frequency of the input signal. The input signal may be generated in a pulse generator to have an input pulse duration less than or equal to that of the oscillating signal. The oscillator circuit may be used as a filter to filter pulse width variations or to filter jitter from a reference clock. The oscillator circuit may also serve as a buffer by amplifying the input signal. Phase interpolation can be obtained by coupling at least one input signal with at least one oscillating signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Dally, Ramin Farjad-Rad, John W. Poulton, Thomas H. Greer, III, Hiok-Tiaq Ng, Teva J. Stone
  • Patent number: 7786814
    Abstract: Generally, methods and apparatus are provided for deriving an integrated circuit (IC) clock signal with a frequency that is offset from the IC system clock. An offset clock having a frequency that is offset from a system clock is generated by configuring a ring oscillator in a first mode to generate the system clock having a desired frequency; and adjusting the configuration of the ring oscillator in a second mode to generate the offset clock having the frequency that is offset from the system clock. The configuration of the ring oscillator is adjusted in the second mode by adjusting (i) a power supply value applied to the ring oscillator in the second mode relative to a power supply value applied in the first mode; or (ii) a number of delay line elements that are active in the ring oscillator loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. Buonpane, James D. Chlipala, Richard P. Martin, Scott A. Segan, Zhongke Wang
  • Publication number: 20100214032
    Abstract: An oscillator includes a control circuit and a ring of symmetric load delay cells. Each delay cell includes two novel symmetric loads. Each load involves a level shift circuit and a diode-connected transistor coupled in parallel with a current source-connected transistor. The control circuit converts an oscillator input signal into bias control signals that in turn control the effective resistance of the symmetric loads such that delays through the delay cells are a function of the input signal. The control circuit uses a symmetric load replica in a control loop to control the level shift circuits of the delay cells such that the oscillating delay cell output signals have a constant amplitude. In a first advantageous aspect, due to the constant amplitude, the oscillator is operable over a wide frequency range. In a second advantageous aspect, the oscillator input signal to output signal oscillation frequency has a substantially linear relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Jeffrey M. Hinrichs
  • Publication number: 20100214033
    Abstract: Low voltage oscillators that provide a stable output frequency with varying supply voltage are provided. The subject oscillators find use in a variety of different types of devices, e.g., medical devices, including both implantable and ex-vivo devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Fleming, Cherie Kushner, Nilay Jani, Jonathan Withrington, Mark Zdeblick
  • Patent number: 7782146
    Abstract: An interleaved voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is disclosed. The VCO includes a ring circuit comprising a series connection of main logic inverter gates, a plurality of delay elements connected in parallel with a selected sequence of the main logic inverter gates, at least one temperature compensation circuit comprising a logic inverter gate in series connection with one or more field effect transistors, the field effect transistor responsive to a compensating voltage input that is proportional to temperature, and an electronic circuit in signal communication with the at least one temperature compensation circuit and configured to provide a voltage signal responsive to temperature. Each delay element includes a feedforward section, comprising controls for regulating signal transmission through feedforward elements responsive to one or more control voltages, and a proportional section, comprising controls for regulating signal transmission through at least one logic inverter gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David W. Boerstler, Eskinder Hailu, Jieming Qi, Mike Shen
  • Patent number: 7782092
    Abstract: A cascaded pass-gate test circuit including interposed split-output drive devices provides accurate measurement of critical timing parameters of pass gates. The rise time and fall time of signals passed through the pass gate can be separately measured in a ring oscillator or one-shot delay line configuration. Inverters or other buffer circuits are provided as drive devices to couple the pass gates in cascade. The final complementary tree in each drive device is split so that the only one of the output pull-down transistor or pull-up transistor is connected to the next pass gate input, while the other transistor is connected to the output of the pass gate. The result is that the state transition associated with the device connected to the pass gate input is dominant in the delay, while the other state transition is propagated directly to the output of the pass gate, bypassing the pass gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ching-Te Chuang, Jente B. Kuang, Hung C. Ngo
  • Publication number: 20100211624
    Abstract: A device generates a random bit sequence with a digital ring oscillator circuit comprising logic components. The circuit has an input node and an output node, wherein the digital ring oscillator circuit is designed such that oscillation occurs during a change of state of a logic start signal coupled on the input node, said oscillation having a fixed point, and wherein on the output node a random signal can be tapped having an arbitrary level curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2008
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Inventor: Markus Dichtl
  • Patent number: 7777580
    Abstract: A coupled ring oscillator includes n ring oscillators (20) each including m inverter circuits (10), and a phase-coupling loop (40) in which m×n phase-coupling circuits (30), each of which couples signal phases at two points in a certain phase mode, are connected with each other to form a loop. Connection points at which the inverter circuits (10) are connected with each other and the connection points at which the phase-coupling circuits (30) are connected with each other are connected bijectively; and each of the inverter circuits (10) is connected between two points that divide the phase-coupling circuits (30) into two parts at a certain ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shiro Dosho, Shiro Sakiyama, Noriaki Takeda
  • Patent number: 7777582
    Abstract: A clock generator has a ring oscillator which has odd-numbered inverters connected in series, wherein an output of the inverter at a final stage is inputted into the inverter at a first stage to generate and output a clock signal, a frequency divider which receives the clock signal outputted from the ring oscillator, and divides frequency thereof for output, and a heater which is on-off controlled based on the output of the frequency divider and heats the ring oscillator when turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Yoshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7778610
    Abstract: A novel and useful apparatus for and method of local oscillator (LO) generation with non-integer multiplication ratio between the local oscillator and RF frequencies. The LO generation schemes presented are operative to generate I and Q square waves at a designated frequency while avoiding the well known issue of harmonic pulling. The use of analog mixers of the prior art is avoided and replaced with an XOR gate configured to generate the correct average frequency. The edges are dynamically adjusted by ±T/12 or zero based on the state of the controlled oscillator down-divided clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert B. Staszewski, Nir Tal
  • Patent number: 7777581
    Abstract: A wide tuning range and constant swing VCO is described that is based on a multipass Ring Oscillator enhanced with feed-backward connections. This VCO is designed to overcome tuning range limitations of prior-art “feed-forward” ring oscillators. The Feedback multipass Ring Oscillator of the invention provides decreasing frequency when tuned by increasing the feedback, thus covering a much wider tuning range irrespective of the speed limit of the technology while at the same time providing almost constant amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Diablo Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Dirk Pfaff, Volodymyr Yavorskyy
  • Patent number: 7772929
    Abstract: A method and a device are proposed for frequency synthesis by means of oscillator means, particularly a digitally controlled oscillator, which are capable of generating output frequencies out of a set of possible output frequencies. For the purpose of generating a desired frequency that is not included in the set of possible output frequencies, the oscillator means are driven by a control device in such a way that said oscillator means alternately generate at least two different output frequencies, out of the set of possible output frequencies, in such a way that the average value of the generated output frequencies over a time period is substantially the desired frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Nicola Da Dalt
  • Patent number: 7772935
    Abstract: A power source circuit for an oscillator is provided comprising a multiplexer, a plurality of transmission gates, a plurality of resistors, a current source circuit, and an output circuit. The multiplexer inputs a digital signal and outputs one or more control signals. The transmission gates is individually coupled to the multiplexer and receives the one or more control signals, wherein each of the plurality of transmission gates are turned on or off according to the one or more control signals. The plurality of resistors is coupled in series and individually coupled to the plurality of transmission gates. The current source circuit is coupled to the plurality of resistors and provides a current source. The output circuit is coupled to the current source and provides output power for the oscillator according to the current source and the operation of the transmission gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Shiun-Dian Jan
  • Patent number: 7768360
    Abstract: A crystal oscillator emulator integrated circuit, comprises a first temperature sensor that senses a first temperature of the integrated circuit; memory that stores calibration parameters and that selects at least one of the calibration parameters based on the first temperature; a semiconductor oscillator that generates an output signal having a frequency that is based on the calibration parameters; and an adaptive calibration circuit that adaptively adjusts a calibration approach for generating the calibration parameters based on a number of temperature test points input thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventor: Sehat Sutardja
  • Patent number: 7768356
    Abstract: A dynamic oscillating ring circuit is described, which has multiple non-inverting domino circuits, each having a signal input, a trigger input, inputs for charge state clock and clocked cutoff and an output inverter. A number of the domino circuits are coupled in series, the output of one feeding the input of the next, to form a chain, which form stages of the ring. A number of the stages are coupled in series, the output of one feeding the input of the next, to form the ring. The first domino circuit of said chain receives a logic signal input and a single trigger input for the chain. Within the ring, the output of each stage feeds the input signal to the next stage and is fed back to clock an earlier stage to allow the ring to oscillate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Inventor: Robert P Masleid
  • Patent number: 7764132
    Abstract: A (DFLL) circuit residing on a local core of a multi-core microprocessor for generating a local core clock with a frequency for driving the local core includes a micro-controller configured to receive core characterizing digital data; a ring oscillator configured to generate the local core clock for the local core, and having a delay chain disposed between an output and a feedback input of the ring oscillator, the delay chain having delay taps each receiving the local core clock enabling quantum changes in the frequency of the local core clock; and a counter device configured to continually validate the frequency by generating a digital signal representative of the frequency to the micro-controller, the micro-controller compares the frequency of the local core clock to a desired clock frequency, and selects one of the delay taps based on the comparison to adjust the frequency value of the local core clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Jacobowitz, Daniel J. Stigliani, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7764130
    Abstract: A clock distribution system that includes a length of two-conductor transmission line driven differentially at one end and terminated at the other end, a plurality of regeneration devices, and a plurality of regeneration device pairs. The two-conductor transmission line is arranged in a serpentine configuration with a number of locations at which portions of the transmission line come physically close to each other. The regeneration devices are located at various spaced-apart positions on the transmission line and operate to provide energy to a wave traveling on the transmission line. Each of the regeneration device pairs is connected between the transmission line portions that are physically close to each other so as to cause a traveling wave on adjacent portions of the line to have opposite phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Multigig Inc.
    Inventor: John Wood
  • Publication number: 20100182852
    Abstract: An oscillation circuit includes an internal voltage generator and an oscillator. The internal voltage generator receives an external voltage and generates an internal voltage based on the external voltage. The internal voltage varies in linearly with an operational temperature. The oscillator generates a variable oscillation signal based on the internal voltage. A period of the variable oscillation signal varies in linearly with the operational temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Jong-Doo Joo, Cheol-Ha Lee, Sang-Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 7760000
    Abstract: A multiphase clock with high resolution is generated. A first clock generator circuit (120) includes n level converters BUFs that conduct level conversion on two input signals, and generate a pair of pulse signals that switch the levels with reference to a crossing point at which the two signal are identical in level with each other. An i-th BUF in the first clock generator circuit (120) inputs a one-side output pair that is respective one-side outputs of the differential outputs of two i-th (1?i?n) and (i+1)-th (1 when i=n) differential circuits in a ring oscillator 110 in which n differential circuits DCELs having differential inputs and outputs are connected in a ring configuration. The one-side output pair is two one-side outputs that are input to the noninverting terminal of the next differential circuit, or the two one-side outputs that are input to the inverting terminal of the next differential circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Sano
  • Patent number: 7759991
    Abstract: A scannable virtual rail ring oscillator circuit and system for measuring variations in device characteristics provides the ability to study random device characteristic variation as well as systematic differences between N-channel and P-channel devices using a ring oscillator frequency measurement. The ring oscillator is operated from at least one virtual power supply rail that is connected to the actual power supply rail by a plurality of transistors controlled by a programmable source. The transistors are physically distributed along the physical distribution of the ring oscillator elements and each can be enabled in turn and the variation in ring oscillator frequency measured. The ring oscillator frequency measurements yield information about the variation between the transistors and N-channel vs. P-channel variation can be studied by employing positive and negative virtual power supply rails with corresponding P-channel and N-channel control transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kanak B. Agarwal, Sani R. Nassif
  • Patent number: 7760032
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is provided that includes: a plurality of differential inverter stages coupled to form a loop, each differential inverter stage having including a switched capacitor circuit configured to control a signal delay through the differential inverter stage responsive to a control circuit, whereby an output frequency for the VCO is inherently compensated against changes in semiconductor process variations and thermal variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Tialinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammad Ardehali
  • Patent number: 7760033
    Abstract: A ring oscillator circuit using only NMOS or only PMOS transistors is described. The ring oscillator circuit uses the equivalent of three transistors to form an oscillator stage, which may be a main component to the ring oscillator: A load transistor, an enable transistor, and a switch transistor. A source of the load transistor may be coupled to a drain of the enable transistor and a source of the enable transistor coupled to a drain of the switch transistor. The load transistor can have three different configurations: 1) a reference circuit with a gate and a drain of the load transistor coupled together; 2) a source to drain leakage monitor circuit with a gate and a source of the load transistor coupled together; and 3) a gate leakage monitor circuit with a drain and the source of the load transistor coupled together. An odd plurality of oscillator stages can be coupled together with an input circuit and an output circuit to form a ring oscillator. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Milos Podmanik, Iwan Grau
  • Publication number: 20100176890
    Abstract: A system and method for characterizing process variations are provided. A circuit comprises a plurality of inverters arranged in a sequential loop, and a plurality of transmission gates, with each transmission gate coupled between a pair of serially arranged inverters. Each transmission gate comprises a first field effect transistor (FET) having a first channel, and a second FET having a second channel. The first channel and the second channel are coupled in parallel and a gate terminal of the first FET and a gate terminal of the second FET are coupled to a first control signal and a second control signal, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Yi-Wei Chen, Chi-Wei Hu, Wei-Pin Changchien, Chin-Chou Liu
  • Publication number: 20100176889
    Abstract: An oscillator. The oscillator includes a first ring oscillator having a first plurality of inverters, a first plurality of capacitors each having a first terminal coupled to an output terminal of a corresponding one of the first plurality of inverters, a second ring oscillator having a second plurality of inverters, and a second plurality of capacitors each having a first terminal coupled to an output terminal of a corresponding one of the second plurality of inverters. A second terminal of the first plurality of capacitors is coupled to an output terminal of a corresponding one of the second plurality of inverters. A second terminal of the second plurality of capacitors is coupled to an output terminal of a corresponding one of the first plurality of inverters. The oscillator is configured to provide as an output a differential clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Michael A. Nix, Saeed Abbasi
  • Publication number: 20100171558
    Abstract: An oscillator including a current bias circuit and a ring oscillator. The current bias circuit tracks a temperature change of the oscillator by using a control voltage and generates a plurality of bias voltages to supply a bias current according to the temperature change. The ring oscillator compares differential output signals generated according to the bias voltages and generates an oscillation signal as a result of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Hyoung Rae Kim, Nam Jin Song
  • Publication number: 20100174503
    Abstract: An apparatus for directly measuring performance offset of NFET transistors with respect to PFET transistors in CMOS device processing includes a ring oscillator whose frequency is used to measure random across chip variations, as well as correlated across chip variations; a balanced inverter having a input driven by the ring oscillator, wherein the balanced inverter is designed to be formed such that a current drive capability of one or more NFET devices of the inverter is substantially equal to a current drive capability of one or more PFET devices of the inverter at a given operating temperature; and a capacitor coupled to an output of the inverter, with a voltage across the capacitor indicative of whether a skew exists between NFET device performance and PFET device performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Balch, Anthony Wayne Fazekas, Mark C.H. Lamorey, Jeffrey H. Oppold, Joseph James Oler, JR., Chirstopher Daniel Parkinson
  • Patent number: 7750744
    Abstract: A method, system, and circuit device for interfacing single-ended charge pump output to differential voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) inputs to yield low duty cycle distortion from a VCO. A single-ended charge pump output is utilized to create a compliment differential voltage leg, while optimally centering the common-mode voltage level to interface to a current starved ring VCO. A replica of the VCO's current starved delay cell is implemented along with negative feedback to generate the compliment differential voltage leg. The single-ended charge pump output is coupled to a first transistor, while a second transistor is coupled to the output of an error amplifier. The error amplifier utilizes negative feedback to bias the second transistor, forcing the output of the replica circuit to equal a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven M. Clements, Todd M. Rasmus
  • Patent number: 7750743
    Abstract: A compensating quantity-providing circuit includes a frequency signal generator having an output for a frequency signal the frequency of which depends on mechanical stress in a circuit, and a compensating quantity provider having an input for the frequency signal and an output for a compensating quantity which is based on the frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Udo Ausserlechner, Mario Motz
  • Patent number: 7746183
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a measurement apparatus for improving performances of standard cells in a standard cell library when verifying performance of the standard cell library through a ring oscillator among various test element groups (TEGs). A built-in circuit is used to measure and verify performance of the standard cell library through a TEG. Therefore, it is possible to effectively improve performances of the standard cells in the standard cell library. Particularly, it is possible to not only remove human errors or internal errors of equipment, but also perform the measurement more readily, rapidly and accurately. Further, it is possible to curtail the use of high-performance equipment or manpower and time required in a measurement process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Heon Kim, Woo Chol Shin, Kyeong Soon Cho
  • Publication number: 20100156543
    Abstract: An oscillator having a plurality of operatively coupled ring oscillators arranged in hyper-matrix architecture. The operatively coupled ring oscillators are either identical or non-identical and are coupled through a common inverter or tail current transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
    Inventor: Prashant Dubey
  • Publication number: 20100156544
    Abstract: Provided is a ring oscillator having an extended range of oscillation frequency by varactors coupled to delay cells even in a simple structure. The wide frequency range results from simply varying an oscillation frequency by control signals applied to the varactors. Since additional switches connected to the delay cells contribute to increase or decrease of the oscillation frequency range, the ring oscillator can conveniently be employed in various types of oscillation systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Hui Dong Lee, Kwi Dong Kim, Jong Kee Kwon
  • Patent number: 7741923
    Abstract: A transistor voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a frequency synthesizer having the transistor VCO are provided. The frequency synthesizer adopts a divide-by-five injection-locked frequency divider, which includes a five-stage inverter ring oscillating frequency dividing circuit for reducing the operating frequency of the oscillating signal from the VCO, thus decreasing power consumption due to counting operation of the frequency synthesizer. The transistor VCO includes three transistor switching capacitor sets connected in parallel to one another to form a parallel structure. The gates of the transistor switching capacitor sets are connected to respective operating voltage sources, so as to switch the status of the corresponding transistor switching capacitor set, which in turn adjusts the harmonic frequency generated by the VCO, thereby allowing the VCO to generate a corresponding operating frequency with enough bandwidth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Ping-Yuan Deng, Jean-Fu Kiang
  • Patent number: 7741921
    Abstract: A Trigger-Mode Distributed Wave Oscillator that provides accurate multiple phases of an oscillation and a method of use of the same. An auxiliary oscillator triggers an oscillation on independent conductor loops or rings forming a differential transmission medium for the oscillation wave. Once the oscillation wave is triggered, the auxiliary oscillator can be powered down to turn it off, and the wave can sustain itself indefinitely through active amplifying devices which can compensate for losses in the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Waveworks, Inc.
    Inventor: Damir Ismailov
  • Patent number: 7737795
    Abstract: A ring oscillator based voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is disclosed. The VCO includes a set of delay cells connected to each other in a ring configuration. Each of the delay cells includes a source-coupled input transistor pair, a current-steering transistor pair and a pair of load resistors. The source-coupled input transistor pair receives a pair of differential voltage inputs. The load resistors, which are connected to the source-coupled input transistor pair, provide a pair of differential voltage outputs. The current-steering transistor pair, which is connected to the source-coupled input transistor pair, receives a pair of differential bias voltage inputs. The output frequency of the VCO is directly proportional to the differential bias voltages at the pair of differential bias voltage inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Inventors: Giri N. K. Rangan, Earl E. Swartzlander, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7733189
    Abstract: Control circuitry is disclosed including an oscillator operable to generate an oscillator signal. A frequency of the oscillator signal increases as an amplitude of a first voltage increases up to a threshold, and the frequency of the oscillator signal decreases as an amplitude of the first voltage exceeds the threshold. The oscillator is operable to generate a foldover signal indicating when the frequency of the oscillator signal is decreasing due to the first voltage exceeding the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: George J. Bennett
  • Publication number: 20100134162
    Abstract: A clock signal generation apparatus includes a clock signal generation circuit generating a plurality of clock signals, and a self-test circuit measuring a phase difference of one pair of clock signals. The self-test circuit includes a clock signal selection circuit selecting the pair of clock signals among the plurality of clock signals, a phase detection circuit generating a phase difference pulse signal, a test signal generation circuit generating a test signal having a frequency which is lower than the phase difference pulse signal, and a counter circuit counting the pulse number of the test signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMTED
    Inventor: Masafumi KONDOU
  • Publication number: 20100134149
    Abstract: An ultra-low-power transconductance device is provided, (FIG. 1b, FIG. 1c), comprising a series connection of a transistor of a first channel type (A) and a transistor of a second channel type (B), the first channel type having a different polarity than the second channel type. The transistors each have a source, a drain and a gate. The source of the transistor of the first channel type (A) is coupled with the source of the transistor of the second channel type (B) and the drain of the transistor of the first channel type (A) is coupled with the gate of the transistor of the second channel type (B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Inventors: David Bol, Denis Flandre, Jean-Didier Legat
  • Patent number: 7728683
    Abstract: A phase recovery circuit for avoiding noise interfering with the clock signal generated from an oscillator is disclosed. The phase recovery circuit includes a noise detector, a phase detector, and a phase locker. The noise detector detects noise and accordingly generates a noise detecting signal. The phase detector is triggered by the noise detecting signal for detecting the phase of the clock signal and accordingly generating a phase detecting signal. The phase locker locks the phase of the clock signal to a predetermined phase within a predetermined period after the occurrence of the noise detecting signal, and after the predetermined period, the phase locker releases the clock signal. In this way, the phase of the clock signal is not affected by noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Leadtrend Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Ju-Lin Chia
  • Patent number: 7728678
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a voltage control and oscillation circuit oscillating at a frequency according to a first control voltage to output an oscillation signal, a frequency/voltage conversion circuit receiving the oscillation signal from the voltage control and oscillation circuit and converting a frequency of the oscillation signal into a voltage, a control voltage generation circuit generating a new second control voltage having a level between that of the voltage converted by the frequency/voltage conversion circuit and that of a second control voltage generated previously, and an analog integration circuit integrating the second control voltage to generate the first control voltage and outputting the first control voltage to the voltage control and oscillation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Katsuyoshi Mitsui
  • Patent number: 7728677
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for calibrating a voltage controlled oscillator, such as an N-stage voltage controlled ring oscillator. The voltage controlled oscillator comprises a power supply input and at least one gate delay element and has a frequency that is a function of a delay of the gate delay element and a voltage applied to the power supply input. A voltage controlled oscillator is calibrated by varying an output voltage of a programmable voltage source through a range of values; applying the output voltage to the power supply input of the voltage controlled oscillator; comparing an output clock frequency of the voltage controlled oscillator to a reference frequency clock for each of the output voltage values; and selecting a value of the output voltage that provides an approximate minimum frequency difference between the output clock frequency and the reference frequency clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn M. Logan
  • Patent number: 7728688
    Abstract: A power supply circuit includes a first voltage regulator to generate a first supply voltage for a first circuit of a phase-locked loop and a second voltage regulator to generate a second supply voltage for a second circuit of the phase-locked loop. The first and second supply voltages are independently generated by the first and second voltage regulators based on the same reference signal. The first circuit may be a charge pump and the second circuit may be a voltage-controlled oscillator. Different circuits may be supplied with the independently generated supply voltages in alternative embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph Shor
  • Patent number: 7719370
    Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator that is a differential ring oscillator type voltage controlled oscillator that, by connecting in cascade differential delay elements to which differential clock signals of a mutually reverse phase are input and controlling the current that flows to the differential delay elements by a bias voltage, controls a delay amount of this differential clock signal, having a phase detection portion that outputs a detection signal by comparing an output voltage of the differential output of any differential delay element and a reference voltage that is set to a voltage that detects an abnormal operation, and a cross-coupled circuit that is provided at each of the differential delay elements and, when the detection signal is input, amplifies the potential difference between the pair of differential output terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Takai
  • Patent number: 7719373
    Abstract: A device and a method are presented for generating an intermitted oscillating signal comprising a plurality of oscillating portions separated from each other in time. The device and method are suited for communication systems, in particular for Ultra-Wide Bandwidth (UWB) applications. The device comprises a variable oscillator for generating the oscillating portions; switching circuitry for switching on/switching off the variable oscillator at the beginning/end of each oscillating portion; and circuitry for setting initial conditions in the variable oscillator to impose a predefined transient and a characterizing frequency upon each start-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Julien Ryckaert, Jan Craninckx
  • Publication number: 20100117744
    Abstract: An RTWO apparatus includes an N-phase RTWO (N is an integer greater than or equal to two) and a phase correction circuit. The N-phase RTWO includes a closed-loop transmission line formed as a Moebius strip. The closed-loop transmission line includes N transmission line segments, to which N voltage controlled capacitors are coupled. The N transmission line segments provide N output phases. The phase correction circuit operates to detect phase errors between output phases, and, depending on the detected phase errors, generates N control voltages for controlling the capacitances of the N voltage controlled capacitors. Controlling the capacitances of the N voltage controlled capacitors in this coordinated manner reduces the phase errors among the N output phases, thereby providing a phase accurate multi-phase RTWO output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Koji Takinami, Richard Walsworth
  • Patent number: 7714671
    Abstract: A target signal analyzer having at least one receiving antenna configured to receive the target signal, and a parallel array of oscillator rings. Each oscillator ring is operatively coupled to receive the target signal from the receiving antenna. Each oscillator ring has an odd number of at least three bistable, nonlinear oscillators circularly coupled to each other such that only one-way signal flow is allowed between the oscillators in each oscillator ring. Each of the oscillator rings is configured to oscillate and thereby produce a response signal only when the target signal frequency is within a designated frequency band. For every designated frequency band in a spectrum of interest, at least one of the oscillator rings is configured to produce a response signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Visarath In, Joseph D. Neff, Adi R. Bulsara
  • Patent number: 7710209
    Abstract: A digital controller for dc-dc switching converters can operate under light load conditions. The controller can be suitable for the use in switch-mode power supplies providing regulated output voltage for handheld devices and other low-power electronics. To create long time intervals, compared to the propagation time of digital logic a DPFM/DPAM can use a ring oscillator with two sets of delay cells and two signals racing around the ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Exar Corporation
    Inventors: Aleksandar Prodić, Kun Wang, Amir Parayandeh
  • Patent number: 7710206
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes a current controlled, phase locked loop device having a phase detector configured to compare a reference frequency to an output frequency of a current controlled oscillator (ICO), a charge pump coupled to the phase detector and a low pass filter coupled to the charge pump. A voltage to current (V to I) converter is coupled to the low pass filter, providing an output current for integral control of the ICO. A control circuit is coupled to the ICO, and receives increment and decrement outputs of the phase detector, wherein the control circuit is configured to provide proportional control of the ICO through an amount of bias current applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ram Kelkar, Anjali R Malladi
  • Patent number: 7710207
    Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) with improved frequency characteristics is provided. The VCO includes a converting circuit supplied between a bias voltage and a ground voltage for converting the control voltage into a control current, a replica bias circuit coupled to the converting circuit for providing a swing voltage, and a ring oscillating circuit coupled to the replica bias circuit having at least two delay units coupled in series for successively delaying an input signal as the oscillating signal after a period of delay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: VIA Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Yen Wu
  • Patent number: 7710208
    Abstract: A ring oscillator comprises a control circuit for receiving a frequency-selection signal operative to select from at least two ring oscillator frequencies, said control circuit using said control signal to generate a first control signal and a second control signal; a primary chain of an odd number of serially connected NOT gates, said primary chain including a primary switching NOT gate responsive to the first control signal and operative to perform a logical NOT or an IGNORE function on a first oscillating input signal to generate a first output signal; and a secondary chain of serially connected NOT gates, said secondary chain logically parallel to at least said primary switching NOT gate, said secondary chain including a secondary switching NOT gate responsive to the second control signal and operative to perform a logical NOT or an IGNORE function on a second oscillating input signal to generate a second output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: VNS Portfolio LLC
    Inventor: Lonnie C. Goff
  • Publication number: 20100102891
    Abstract: An oscillator device includes a plurality of stages. Each stage is a monostable stage having a delay path, whereby a signal transition of a designated type (rising or falling) at the input of the delay path results in a signal transition at the output of the stage of the same transition type. Each stage of the oscillator device also includes a reset module that causes the output signal to be reset to a nominal state a predetermined period of time after the signal transition of the output signal. Each stage thus provides an output signal pulse in response to the signal transition of the designated type at the input. The output of the final stage of the oscillator device is connected to the input, so that the oscillator output provides an oscillating signal having a period based upon the delay path of each the oscillator device stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Arshad I. Nissar, Jan-Michael Huber, Brian M. Lay, Kshitij Seth, Keith Burwinkel, Robert J. Dupcak