Phase Locked Loop Patents (Class 375/376)
  • Patent number: 8810291
    Abstract: The PLL includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a frequency down conversion circuit, a phase-frequency detector (PFD), and an adjusting circuit. The VCO is configured to generate an output clock signal. The frequency down conversion circuit is configured to receive the output clock signal and an auxiliary clock signal, and to mix the output clock signal and the auxiliary clock signal to generate a feedback clock signal. By detecting the strength of the feedback clock signal, it provides an auxiliary signal to adjust the frequency of the output clock signal. The PFD is configured to compare the frequencies and the phases of the feedback clock signal and a reference clock signal to generate an adjusting signal. The adjusting circuit is configured to receive the adjusting signal, and to adjust the frequency of the output clock signal generated by the VCO according to the adjusting signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: National Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Wei-Zen Chen, Yan-Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 8811554
    Abstract: In order to provide an interface circuit (100; 100?) as well as a method for receiving and/or for decoding, in particular for recovering, data signals (D; R, G, B), in particular high speed data signals, for example high speed sequential digital data signals, wherein at least one sampling clock signal (SC), in particular at least one multi-phase sampling clock signal (PC[n-1:0]) with n different phases, and/or the data signals (D; R, G, B) are delayed, and wherein it is possible to optimize the components, in particular the analog components, for a fixed operating frequency, it is proposed that the sampling clock signal (SC), in particular the multi-phase sampling clock signal (PC[n-1:0]), is asynchronous—to at least one interface clock signal (IC), by which the interface circuit (100; 100?), in particular the input of the interface circuit (100; 100?), can be provided with, and/or to the data signals (D; R, G, B).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Wolfgang Furtner
  • Patent number: 8810320
    Abstract: In a circuit having a runaway detector coupled to a phase-locked loop (PLL), the PLL may include a loop filter to receive a control voltage within the PLL and provide a filtered control voltage and a voltage-controlled oscillator to receive the filtered control voltage and provide an output clock signal. The runaway detector may provide a control signal for adjusting the filtered control voltage in response to a predetermined PLL condition. The runaway detector may include a comparator to receive a first and second input voltages, where the second input voltage is based on the output clock signal. When the predetermined PLL condition exists, the runaway detector may be active to adjust the filtered control voltage, thereby enabling the PLL to return to a lock condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell Israel (M.I.S.L)
    Inventor: Mel Bazes
  • Patent number: 8804889
    Abstract: A receiver derives the desired data sampling clock phase by averaging the phase information of transitions before and after a data eye. The average of the phase information reduces data clock phase error due to variations in the phases of transitions in received data signals depending on the polarity and positions of the transitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Chaitanya Palusa, Tomasz Prokop
  • Patent number: 8804890
    Abstract: Phase locked loop circuitry operates digitally, to at least a large extent, to select from a plurality of phase-distributed candidate clock signals the signal that is closest in phase to transitions in another signal such as a clock data recovery (“CDR”) signal. The circuitry is constructed and operated to avoid glitches in the output clock signal that might otherwise result from changes in selection of the candidate clock signal. Frequency division of the candidate clock signals may be used to help the circuitry support serial communication at bit rates below frequencies that an analog portion of the phase locked loop circuitry can economically provide. Over-transmission or over-sampling may be used on the transmit side for similar reasons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Ramanand Venkata, Chong H. Lee
  • Patent number: 8804877
    Abstract: An apparatus for correcting a phase error is provided. The apparatus includes an error estimating module and a correcting module. The error estimating module receives a phase-shift keying signal, and calculates a phase error according to the phase-shift keying signal, a plurality of known candidate signals and Bayesian estimation. The correcting module corrects the phase-shift keying signal according to the phase error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Kai-Wen Cheng, Yi-Ying Liao, Tung-Sheng Lin, Tai-Lai Tung
  • Patent number: 8804892
    Abstract: A clock and data recovery device receives a serial data stream and produces recovered clock and data signals. The clock and data recovery device operates over a range of frequencies and without use an external reference clock. A first loop supplies a first clock signal to a second loop. The second loop modifies the first clock signal to produce the recovered clock signal and uses the recover clock signal to produce the recovered data signal. The first loop changes the frequency of the first clock signal based on frequency comparison and data transition density metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Ian Kyles
  • Patent number: 8804891
    Abstract: A frequency detector includes a multi-phase clock generation unit, a sampling unit connected to the multi-phase clock generation unit and a digital logic unit connected to the sampling unit. An inputted single-phase clock is received by the multi-phase clock generation unit and transformed into a multi-phase clock. Inputted random data are received by the sampling unit and sampled by the multi-phase clock. Each data bit of the random data is divided into several sampling intervals according to a phase number of the multi-phase clock. The digital logic unit analyzes sampling values logically, judges the corresponding sampling interval of each sampling value and outputs signals for indicating that a frequency of the random data is higher or lower than the frequency of the single-phase clock based on differences in the corresponding sampling intervals of the sampling values at two adjacent times. A method for detecting frequencies is further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: IPGoal Microelectronics (SiChuan) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Quan, Guosheng Wu
  • Patent number: 8797075
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus including a phase detector unit to determine a phase difference between an inverted reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal. The apparatus further includes a controller unit to generate a delay signal based on the phase difference. The apparatus further includes a set of voltage-controlled delay lines to generate phase outputs based on the delay signal, where the phase outputs are provided by the apparatus to a clock generator unit to generate an oversampled clock signal for data recovery by a receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Wei-Lien Yang
  • Publication number: 20140211899
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit includes a PLL circuit configured to lock to a frequency contained in an input signal, a signal generating circuit configured to detect a direct-current component of a signal that is obtained by shifting frequencies of the input signal by a displacement equal to the locked frequency, and to generate a signal that has an amplitude responsive to the detected direct-current component and that has the same frequency and phase as a signal component of the locked frequency of the input signal, and a subtraction circuit configured to subtract the signal generated by the signal generating circuit from the input signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Hideki FURUDATE
  • Patent number: 8792535
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a clock and data recovery unit to which a receive signal is inputted and which extracts, based on an operation clock signal, a clock signal and a data signal from the receive signal; a frequency error adjusting unit which generates a frequency error signal indicating a frequency error between the clock signal extracted from the receive signal and the operation clock signal; a frequency error signal storage unit which stores the frequency error signal; an operation clock generation unit which controls, based on the frequency error signal, a frequency of the operation clock signal; and an SSCG unit which, based on the value of the frequency error signal stored in the frequency error signal storage unit, varies the operation clock signal generated by the operation clock generation unit by spreading the spectrum of the operation clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Nakadaira
  • Patent number: 8791734
    Abstract: A cascaded phase-locked loop (PLL) clock generation technique reduces frequency drift of a low-jitter clock signal in a holdover mode. An apparatus includes a first PLL circuit configured to generate a control signal based on a first clock signal and a first divider value. The apparatus includes a second PLL circuit configured to generate the first clock signal based on a low-jitter clock signal and a second divider value. The apparatus includes a third PLL circuit configured to generate the second divider value based on the first clock signal, a third divider value, and a second clock signal. The low-jitter clock signal may have a greater temperature dependence than the second clock signal and the second clock signal may have a higher jitter than the low-jitter clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Silicon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventors: Susumu Hara, Adam D. Eldredge, Jeffrey S. Batchelor, Daniel Gallant
  • Patent number: 8791733
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a frequency synthesizer. The frequency synthesizer includes a phase comparator having first and second input nodes. The first input node receives a reference signal having a reference frequency. A channel control block has an input that receives a channel word and an output coupled to the second input node of the phase comparator. A local oscillator (LO) output node provides an LO signal having an LO frequency based on the reference frequency and the channel word. A feedback back couples the LO output node to the second input node of the phase comparator through the channel control block. A non-linear error correction element is operably coupled on a coupling path extending between the phase comparator and the DCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Tertinek, Thomas Mayer, Christian Wicpalek
  • Patent number: 8791736
    Abstract: This invention provides a loop filter device and a method for IC designers to adjust the pole or zero location of a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit. The pole and zero location are controlled by an amplifier and some on-chip resistor and capacitor components. The effective capacitance is magnified by the gain of the amplifier. The advantage of the loop filter device and the method according to embodiments of the present invention provides a feasible way to achieve a very low bandwidth in the PLL circuit without a huge external surface-mount capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Inventor: Yen Dang
  • Patent number: 8787424
    Abstract: A spread spectrum transmission circuit includes a phase locked loop composed of a filter. The phase locked loop generates a series of incremental control signals and decreasing control signals based on the frequency difference and phase difference between a reference clock signal and a feedback signal. The circuit further has a frequency locked loop an amplitude locked loop, a digital-analog converter, an injection current source, an extraction current source, a multiplexer is connected to the locked phase loop and a rail-to-rail digital signal generator having an input connected to the multiplexer and an output connected to inputs of the locked frequency loop and the locked amplitude loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Tai-Cheng Lee, Chien-Heng Wong
  • Patent number: 8787515
    Abstract: A clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit having a phase locked module and a frequency locked module is provided. A phase detector of the phase locked module compares a phase of an input data stream with a phase of a data-recovery clock to output an adjusting signal. The frequency locked module performs a first-order integration process and a second-order integration process on the adjusting signal to generate a first integration error and a frequency control signal. The phase locked module generates a phase control signal according to the first integration error and the adjusting signal. An oscillation circuit of the frequency locked module generates at least one reference clock according to the frequency control signal. A phase converter of the phase locked module outputs the data-recovery clock to the phase detector according to the phase control signal and the reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Phison Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: An-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 8781054
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a clock-and-data recovery circuit including a phase tracking loop that generates a phase difference signal indicating a phase difference between a reception clock generated from a transmission clock and an input signal and makes the reception clock track the input signal, a frequency tracking loop that performs control to make a frequency of the reception clock track a frequency of the input signal, the clock-and-data recovery circuit being configured to extract a data signal and a synchronization clock from the input signal and to control a phase and a frequency of the reception clock, a frequency error adjuster that increases or decreases a value indicated by a frequency adjustment signal according to a frequency difference signal generated based on the phase difference signal, and an oscillator that increases or decreases a frequency of the transmission clock based on the frequency adjustment signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Morishige Aoyama
  • Patent number: 8781053
    Abstract: A system includes a memory controller and a plurality of semiconductor devices that are series-connected. Each of the devices has memory core for storing data. The memory controller provides a clock signal for synchronizing the operations of the devices. Each device includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) that is selectively enabled or disabled by a PLL enable signal. In each group, the PLLs of a selected number of devices are enabled by PLL enable signals and the other devices are disabled. The enabled PLL provides a plurality of reproduced clock signals with a phase shift of a multiple of 90° in response to an input clock signal. The data transfer is synchronized with at least one of the reproduced clock signals. In the devices of disabled PLLs, the data transfer is synchronized with the input clock signal. The enabled PLL and disabled PLL cause the devices to be the source and the common synchronous clocking, respectively. The devices can be grouped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Conversant Intellectual Property Management Incorporated
    Inventors: Hong Beom Pyeon, Peter Gillingham
  • Patent number: 8781045
    Abstract: A communication apparatus having a first and second wireless communications modules is provided. The first wireless communications module includes a receiving unit receiving RF signals from an air interface, a signal processing module performing frequency down conversion on the RF signals to generate baseband signals according to a clock signal, and a processor processing the baseband signals. The processor further detects an ON/OFF status of the second wireless communications module to obtain a detection result and compensates for frequency drift of the clock signal according to the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventor: Chi-Yeh Lo
  • Patent number: 8774262
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and systems are presented for performing adaptive equalization involving receiving a signal originating from a channel associated with inter-symbol interference, filtering the signal using a filter having a plurality of adjustable tap weights to produce a filtered signal, and adaptively updating each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights to a new value to reduce effects of inter-symbol interference, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights is adaptively updated to take into account a constraint relating to a measure of error in the filtered signal and a constraint relating to group delay associated with the filter. Each of the plurality of adjustable tap weights may be adaptively updated to drive group delay associated with the filter toward a target group delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Sudeep Bhoja, John S. Wang, Hai Tao
  • Patent number: 8774337
    Abstract: A circuit for performing clock recovery according to a received digital signal 30. The circuit includes at least an edge sampler 105 and a data sampler 145 for sampling the digital signal, and a clock signal supply circuit. The clock signal supply circuit provides edge clock 25 and data clock 20 signals offset in phase from one another to the respective clock inputs of the edge sampler 105 and the data sampler 145. The clock signal supply circuit is operable to selectively vary a phase offset between the edge and data clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Hae-Chang Lee, Jared LeVan Zerbe, Carl William Werner
  • Patent number: 8773185
    Abstract: A calibratable delay chain having a delay chain and an adjustment circuitry varying a delay of each of the plurality of delay stages in the chain. The calibration circuitry is configured to calibrate a delay of the delay chain. The calibration circuitry includes calibration control circuitry for controlling the calibration and supplying the input value to an adjustment circuitry. Output selection circuitry is provided to select an output from a predetermined point along the delay chain. A bypass path bypasses the delay chain and a digital comparator compares an output from the delay chain and an output from the bypass path. An analogue comparator compares an output from the delay chain and an output from the bypass path. The calibration control circuitry is configured to control the output selection circuitry to output a signal from one point on the delay chain to the digital comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Sivaramakrishnan Subramanian, Nidhir Kumar, Sridhar Cheruku
  • Patent number: 8773182
    Abstract: A stochastic beating time-to-digital converter (TDC) can include triggered ring oscillator (TRO) and a stochastic TDC (sTDC). The TRO, when triggered by a reference signal edge, can generate a periodic TRO signal with a TRO period that is a selected ratio of a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) period. The TRO period can be greater than or less than the VCO period by the specified ratio. The sTDC with an event triggered memory can include an sTDC component with a plurality of groups of latches. Each group of latches can be configured to sample and store a VCO state at an edge of a TRO signal. The sTDC component can trigger a capture of a select number of VCO states of the group of latches when one latch in the group of latches transitions to a different digital state referred to as a transition edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ofir Degani, Ashoke Ravi, Hasnain Lakdawala, Rotem Banin
  • Patent number: 8774731
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for a satellite communication system comprising: a processor to determine at least one out of a phase offset for a frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels demultiplexed from a carrier to compensate for group delay variation within the carrier and a gain offset for the frequency channel to compensate for gain variation within the carrier, wherein the processor is further configured to apply the at least one out of the determined phase offset and gain offset to the frequency channel before the carrier is reformed from said plurality of frequency channels. The invention therefore provides a way of digitally compensating for any undesired gain and group delay introduced by, for example, analogue components such as filters in the satellite communication system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Astrium Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Phillip Brown, Anthony Duncan Craig, Robert Julian Francis Hughes
  • Patent number: 8773181
    Abstract: The present invention provides a locked loop circuit in which the input clock signal is delayed according to a saw-tooth signal in order to output a range of frequencies not necessarily equal to an integer multiple of the input clock signal. The absolute value of the delay (i.e. the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the saw-tooth delay) can be calibrated by detecting the value of the circuit phase detector at the wrap point of the saw-tooth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Duncan Mcleod, Farshid Nowshadi, David Chappaz
  • Patent number: 8766687
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a clock period reflector configured to reflect time corresponding to period information of an internal clock signal to an input data signal, a data-clock converter configured to generate a synchronization clock signal having phases corresponding to an output signal of the clock period reflector, and a synchronization output unit configured to synchronize and output the input data signal in response to the synchronization clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Kwan-Dong Kim
  • Patent number: 8766681
    Abstract: Circuit and method for resetting clock circuitry. The circuit includes a chain of cascading units, each of which receives an input of a number of parallel bit streams and outputs a different number of parallel bit streams. A chain of dividers provides one or more divided clock signals to the cascading units, wherein the divided clock signals are based on a gated common clock signal. An asynchronous reset signal is delivered to the dividers, and when asserted sets the dividers to a reset state. A clock source provides an ungated common clock signal. A clock gating circuit generates the gated common clock signal based on the ungated common clock signal, and is configured to hold the gated common clock signal while the asynchronous reset signal is asserted. The clock gating circuit provides the gated common clock signal to the dividers when the asynchronous reset signal is de-asserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Applied Micro Circuits Corporation
    Inventors: Guy J Fortier, Jonathan Showell
  • Patent number: 8760577
    Abstract: A clock data recovery circuit has: a receiver circuit configured to receive a serial data including a predetermined pattern and to sample the serial data in synchronization with a clock signal to generate a sampled data; a PLL circuit configured to perform clock data recovery based on the sampled data to generate the clock signal; and a false lock detection circuit configured to detect false lock of the PLL circuit by detecting a false lock pattern included in the sampled data. The false lock pattern is a pattern obtained by the receiver circuit sampling the predetermined pattern when the false lock of the PLL circuit occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Akio Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8761207
    Abstract: A system and method for separating clock recovery for a pseudowire communication. An incoming signal is received for a pseudowire communication. The incoming signal is separated into a first signal and a second signal. Packets within the first signal are ordered in a first register. A clock signal is extracted from the second signal in a second register to generate a modified clock signal. A delay is incurred during generating of the modified clock signal. The first signal is communicated utilizing the modified clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventor: Michael K. Bugenhagen
  • Patent number: 8754713
    Abstract: In an ADPLL composed of a digital circuit, a technique improving phase difference detection in a vicinity of a phase difference of 0 (zero) is provided. A feedback loop comprises a PFD comparing phases and frequencies of a reference signal and a feedback signal, a TDC converting an output of the PFD into a digital value, a DLF removing a high frequency noise component from an output of the TDC, a DCO controlled based on an output of the DLF and a DIV frequency-dividing an output the DCO and outputting the feedback signal. An offset value is added at any portion of the feedback loop, a phase of the feedback signal is controlled and a value other than 0 is inputted to the TDC even when the ADPLL is locked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignees: Renesas Electronics Corporation, Epoch Microelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiya Uozumi, Keisuke Ueda, Mitsunori Samata, Satoru Yamamoto, Russell P Mohn, Aleksander Dec, Ken Suyama
  • Patent number: 8755480
    Abstract: Circuits and techniques for operating an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. A disclosed circuit includes a divider circuit that is operable to receive a first signal at a first speed and output a second signal at a second speed based on the first signal. A recovery circuit is coupled to the divider circuit. The recovery circuit is operable to determine the frequency of the second signal and is further operable to generate a first ready signal and a recovered clock signal based on the second signal. A phase aligner circuit, operable to align a phase of the second signal with a phase of the recovered clocks signal based on the first ready signal, is coupled to the recovery circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Han Hua Leong
  • Patent number: 8755472
    Abstract: A high sensitivity GPS receiver includes an acquisition engine and a tracking engine. The acquisition engine processes GPS satellite data at data rate that is substantially equal to twice the coarse acquisition (CA) code chip rate. This data rate advantageously enables the acquisition engine to process GPS satellite data with relatively less hardware area than traditional GPS acquisition approaches. In one embodiment, the high efficiency acquisition engine may be over-clocked, thereby allowing different phases of a CA code to be correlated quickly. The tracking engine can advantageously process GPS satellite data at a data rate that does not have an integer relationship to the CA code chip rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Qinfang Sun, Wen-Chang Yeh, Ho-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 8750448
    Abstract: A frequency calibration apparatus and method are provided. A frequency calibration method includes determining a frequency band according to results of frequency comparisons between a synchronized reference signal whose phase is synchronized to a phase of a prescale signal and a divided signal, and performing a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) operation on a reference signal and the divided signal at the determined frequency band to lock the divided signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dzmitry Mazkou, Hyun-su Chae
  • Publication number: 20140146933
    Abstract: A spread spectrum transmission circuit includes a phase locked loop composed of a filter. The phase locked loop generates a series of incremental control signals and decreasing control signals based on the frequency difference and phase difference between a reference clock signal and a feedback signal. The circuit further has a frequency locked loop an amplitude locked loop, a digital-analog converter, an injection current source, an extraction current source, a multiplexer is connected to the locked phase loop and a rail-to-rail digital signal generator having an input connected to the multiplexer and an output connected to inputs of the locked frequency loop and the locked amplitude loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Inventors: Tai-Cheng Lee, Chien-Heng Wong
  • Patent number: 8737434
    Abstract: An IP network includes a central entity and at least one customer premises equipment (CPE) device. The central entity generates a program clock reference (PCR) clock and provides audio-visual packets to a CPE based on the PCR clock. The CPE sets a first clock based on the PCR clock for decoding operations. The CPE sets a second clock that is independent from the first clock for audio and video output operations. For example, the CPE can process the audio-visual packets using the second clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Fisher, Brian Schoner, Rajesh S. Mamidwar
  • Publication number: 20140140460
    Abstract: A data receiver includes a writing unit that receives transmission data including live data and excessive data for adjusting a signal length to store the live data in a storage unit, an AND circuit that generates a first signal indicating the positions of the live data and the excessive data in the signal length of the transmission data, a signal converting unit that generates a second signal indicating positions at which positions of the excessive data in the first signal are rearranged at certain intervals in the signal length, a digital phase locked loop (DPLL) unit that smoothes the positions of the live data in the second signal to generate a third signal indicating the timing to read the live data in the signal length, and a reading unit that reads the live data stored in the storage unit by using the third signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hideyuki MATSUURA, HIRONOBU HONGOU
  • Patent number: 8729941
    Abstract: A differential amplifier may be configured to have a duty cycle and/or gain that is adjustable, such as by adjusting the switch points of circuitry in the differential amplifier. The differential amplifier may alternatively or additionally have a hysteresis function by, for example, using a signal feedback from the output of the amplifier to adjust the switch points of circuitry in the differential amplifier. The differential amplifier may be used for a variety of purposes, such as in an input buffer or delay line, either of which may be used, for example, in a clock generator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron Willey
  • Patent number: 8730083
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, there are provided a capacitor DAC for generating an output signal in accordance with a connection state of a capacitor element, a reference voltage generation circuit for supplying a reference voltage to the capacitor DAC, a comparator for outputting a comparison result in accordance with the output signal, a successive approximation register for outputting a digital signal in accordance with the comparison result, and a control circuit for controlling a connection state of the capacitor element in accordance with the comparison result and comparing an ideal code with a digital signal obtained by sampling a predetermined voltage, thereby correcting an error of the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hirotomo Ishii, Tomohiko Sugimoto, Masanori Furuta
  • Patent number: 8731126
    Abstract: A phase locked loop includes: a loop filter; a voltage controlled oscillating unit configured to output a frequency varying according to an output voltage of the loop filter; a frequency down-converting unit configured to down-convert an output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillating unit according to a band of the output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillating unit; and a frequency divider configured to divide a frequency down-converted by the frequency down-converting unit. The output frequency of the voltage controlled oscillating unit varies according to the output voltage of the loop filter and a control signal compensating the frequency down-converted by the frequency down-converting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Joon-Gyu Ryu, Dae-Ig Chang
  • Patent number: 8732510
    Abstract: An opportunity is apparent to develop alternative circuitry. Simplified circuitry without artifacts tied to the clock that drives a digital frequency generator (DFG) is useful in a variety of tunable electronic devices. The present invention relates to digital frequency generation. In particular, it relates to a method and apparatus for the digital generation of a pulse stream having a desired frequency relative to a reference clock signal and the ratio of two integers. The method applies generally to integers whose ratio is not an integer. The DFG as a device can be integrated onto a simple chip, without need for an off-chip filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: ESS Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Mallinson
  • Patent number: 8723567
    Abstract: This invention provides a loop filter device and a method for IC designers to adjust the pole or zero location of a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit. The pole and zero location are controlled by an amplifier and some on-chip resistor and capacitor components. The effective capacitance is magnified by the gain of the amplifier. The advantage of the loop filter device and the method according to embodiments of the present invention provides a feasible way to achieve a very low bandwidth in the PLL circuit without a huge external surface-mount capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Inventor: Yen Dang
  • Patent number: 8724758
    Abstract: A method in a communication device includes exchanging data between a Baseband Integrated Circuit (BBIC) and a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) over a digital interface having a variable clock rate. The clock rate of the digital interface is modified repeatedly during a communication session conducted by the communication device, in response to changes in a current operational state of the communication device during the communication session, to a lowest clock rate that is suitable for the current operational state, so as to reduce a power consumption of the communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Ilan Meltser, Avner Epstein, Yehoshua Yabbo
  • Patent number: 8724765
    Abstract: The present invention provides a locking method and system, and the method includes: a locking system performing a phase discrimination and conversion process to an input signal Fi of an external standard source and a feedback output signal F0 of a local thermostatic crystal oscillator which pass through a frequency division, to generate a clock signal clk and a signal sign which is used to denote a frequency size relationship between the signal Fi and the signal F0, and performing a filtering process to the signal clk and the signal sign, and performing a voltage controlled oscillation process to a signal ahead used to denote that the frequency of the signal F0 is lower than the frequency of the signal Fi and a signal lag used to denote that the frequency of the signal F0 is higher than the frequency of the signal Fi, to implement a locking of the signal F0 and the signal Fi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: ZTE Corporation
    Inventors: Yongbo Liu, Hongwei Zhang, Jian Li, Zhaoli Zhang, Liang Fan, Zhen Liu, Yutao Jia
  • Patent number: 8718217
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) configured to generate k first clock signals that each have a first phase based on a charge-pump control voltage signal; one or more phase interpolators (PIs) configured to receive the k first clock signals and one or more first feedback controls signals and generate m second clock signals that each have a second phase based on the k first clock signals and the one or more first feedback control signals; a first phase detector (PD) configured to receive the m second clock signals and generate the one or more first feedback control signals based on the m second clock signals; a second PD configured to generate one or more second feedback control signals based on the m second clock signals; and a charge pump configured to output the charge-pump control voltage signal based on the second feedback control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: William W. Walker, H. Anders Kristensson, Nikola Nedovic, Nestor Tzartzanis
  • Patent number: 8718196
    Abstract: A symbol error detector can be configured to detect symbol errors of GFSK modulated portions of a Bluetooth packet without relying solely on a CRC error detection mechanism. The symbol error detector can operate on frequency error signals that are a difference between a frequency associated with a current symbol and predetermined frequency outputs from a bank of filters matched to a frequency response of the Bluetooth receiver for predefined combinations of three consecutive symbols (i.e., an estimated previously decoded symbol, an estimated current symbol, and an estimated subsequent symbol). The frequency error signals can be compared against a threshold and against each other to determine a potential unreliability in decoding the current symbol and to determine whether to generate a symbol error notification. The frequency error signals being within a threshold of each other can indicate potential unreliability in decoding the current symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Soner Ozgur
  • Patent number: 8717075
    Abstract: A phase locked loop circuit includes a phase frequency detector, a control circuit, a charge pump, a loop filter, a supply circuit, a ring oscillator, a frequency divider and a voltage detector. The phase frequency detector generates a frequency-increasing signal and a frequency-decreasing signal according to a phase difference between an input signal and a feedback signal. The control circuit generates a first control signal and/or a second control signal according to the frequency-increasing signal and the frequency-decreasing signal. The charge pump generates a current signal according to the first control signal and/or the second control signal. The voltage detector monitors a supply voltage of the supply circuit, and controls the control circuit to generate only the second control signal so as to reduce the supply voltage if the supply voltage is greater than a high reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: Global Unichip Corp., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chun-Chi Chang
  • Patent number: 8711983
    Abstract: A phase-locking loop (PLL) for use with orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals. In one embodiment, a wireless receiver includes a PLL is configured to reduce phase and frequency divergence between the wireless receiver and a transmitter of a packet received by the wireless receiver. The PLL includes a loop bandwidth controller. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to set a bandwidth of the PLL to a first value for reception of an initial symbol of the packet. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to reduce the bandwidth of the PLL over a number of symbols preceding an initial header of the packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Taejoon Kim, Timothy M. Schmidl, Srinath Hosur
  • Publication number: 20140112425
    Abstract: A control method utilized in a clock data recovery device supporting a plurality of frequency bands, for controlling the clock data recovery device to select an operating frequency band from the plurality of frequency bands and to generate a recovery clock for generating retimed data, includes receiving a serial data stream with a data frequency; making each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands correspond to a plurality of frequency band groups, wherein each frequency band group includes at least one frequency band and corresponds to different frequency ranges; selecting a frequency band group from the plurality of frequency band groups as a coarse-tuned frequency band group according to the data frequency and a locking voltage range; and selecting a frequency band from the plurality of frequency bands according to the data frequency, the locking voltage range and the coarse-tuned frequency band group for generating the recovery clock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: NOVATEK MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Tzu-Chien Tzeng, Hung-Yi Cheng
  • Patent number: 8705676
    Abstract: A multi-tone transceiver including: a transform component, a tone selector, an error detector, an aggregator and an oscillator. The transform component transforms received communications from the time domain to the frequency domain. The tone selector selects a sub-set of the received tones which exhibit an elevated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as a clock recovery tone set (CRTS) and drops and add tones to the CRTS as required by changes in the SNR of the individual tones. The error detector detects phase errors in each received tone of the CRTS. The aggregator calculates an average aggregate phase error from all tones in the CRTS. The oscillator controls clocking of the transceiver. The oscillator is responsive to the average aggregate phase error to adjust a clock phase in a direction which reduces a phase error with a clock on the opposing transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Ikanos Communications Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Ayrapetian, Qasem Aldrubi, Hossein Dehghan-Fard, Christopher Chow
  • Patent number: 8704602
    Abstract: A modulation section including a feedback circuit configured to conduct feedback control of an output signal from a voltage controlled oscillator based on an inputted modulation signal, and a feed-forward circuit configured to calibrate the modulation signal and outputting the calibrated modulation signal to the voltage controlled oscillator; a signal output section configured to output, to the modulation section, a predetermined reference signal instead of the modulation signal when a calibration is conducted; and a gain correction section configured to, in a state where the feedback circuit is forming an open loop, calculate a frequency transition amount of the reference signal outputted by the voltage controlled oscillator, and correct a gain used for calibrating the modulation signal at the feed-forward circuit based on the calculated frequency transition amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Miyanaga, Takayuki Tsukizawa