# US 10,771,013 B2 · Oscillator, electronic apparatus, vehicle, and manufacturing method of oscillator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,013 B2 - Document ID: US10771013B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/902,476 - Filed: 2018-02-22 - Published: 2018-08-30 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Hisahiro Ito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771013B2 ## CPC - H03B 5/364: {the amplifier comprising field effect transistors (H03B5/366 takes precedence)} - H03B 5/362: {the amplifier being a single transistor (H03B5/364 - H03B5/368 take precedence)} - H03B 5/366: {and comprising means for varying the frequency by a variable voltage or current} - H03H 9/25: Constructional features of resonators using surface acoustic waves {(devices for manipulating acoustic surface waves in general G10K11/36)} - H10N 30/88: Mounts; Supports; Enclosures; Casings - H03B 2200/0038: including a current mirror - H03B 2201/0208: the means being an element with a variable capacitance, e.g. capacitance diode - H03B 2201/0266: the means comprising a transistor - H03H 9/0547: {consisting of a vertical arrangement (H03H9/0566 takes precedence)} - H03H 9/1021: {the BAW device being of the cantilever type} - H03B: GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; masers or lasers H01S; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H) - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An oscillator includes: an external terminal, a resonator, and an oscillation circuit that oscillates the resonator, in which the oscillation circuit includes an amplification circuit and a current source which supplies a current to the amplification circuit, in which the current is set according to a first control signal which is input from the external terminal and a drive level of the resonator is changed according to the setting of the current. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oscillator comprising: an external terminal; a resonator; and an oscillation circuit that oscillates the resonator, wherein: the oscillation circuit includes an amplification circuit and a current source which supplies a current to the amplification circuit, the current is configured, after the oscillator has been turned on, to be set according to a first control signal which is input from the external terminal and a drive level of the resonator is configured to be changed according to the setting of the current, the current source includes a constant current source and a current mirror circuit and is controlled by current select data to generate various current values, the current mirror circuit includes a first transistor that is connected to the constant current source, the current source includes two or more transistors that are each connected to a switch to be selectively turned on or off based on the current select data, and according to the first control signal input from the external terminal, the switch for each of the two or more transistors in the current source sequentially enters into an ON state, and after reaching a maximum value of the current supplied to the amplification circuit, the switch sequentially enters into an OFF state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the amplification circuit includes an NMOS transistor and a resistor of which one end is electrically connected to a gate terminal of the NMOS transistor and the other end is electrically connected to a drain terminal of the NMOS transistor, and wherein the current source supplies the current to the drain terminal of the NMOS transistor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein a load capacitance of the resonator is variably set by a second control signal which is input from the external terminal, and the drive level is changed according to the load capacitance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The oscillator according to claim 2, wherein a load capacitance of the resonator is variably set by a second control signal which is input from the external terminal, and the drive level is changed according to the load capacitance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the amplification circuit includes an NMOS transistor, wherein the oscillation circuit includes a first load capacitance which is electrically connected to a gate terminal of the NMOS transistor and a second load capacitance which is electrically connected to a drain terminal of the NMOS transistor, and wherein at least one of the first load capacitance and the second load capacitance is variably set according to a second control signal which is input from the external terminal, and the drive level is changed according to the first load capacitance and the second load capacitance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The oscillator according to claim 5, wherein the drive level increases as the first load capacitance increases, and wherein the drive level decreases as the second load capacitance increases. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal includes at least one pulse, and wherein the setting of the current is switched each time the pulse is input to the external terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The oscillator according to claim 2, wherein the first control signal includes at least one pulse, and wherein the setting of the current is switched each time the pulse is input to the external terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The oscillator according to claim 3, wherein the first control signal includes at least one pulse, and wherein the setting of the current is switched each time the pulse is input to the external terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The oscillator according to claim 5, wherein the first control signal includes at least one pulse, and wherein the setting of the current is switched each time the pulse is input to the external terminal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit is changed according to the current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The oscillator according to claim 2, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit is changed according to the current. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The oscillator according to claim 3, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit is changed according to the current. ### Claim 14 (depends on 5) The oscillator according to claim 5, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit is changed according to the current. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The oscillator according to claim 7, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit is changed according to the current. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein the oscillator does not include an external terminal which is electrically connected to a wiring connecting the resonator and the oscillation circuit and is used only for an inspection of the resonator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An electronic apparatus comprising: the oscillator according to claim 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising: the oscillator according to claim 1. ### Claim 19 A manufacturing method of an oscillator, the method comprising: assembling an oscillator, the oscillator including an external terminal, a resonator, and an oscillation circuit that oscillates the resonator, in which the oscillation circuit includes an amplification circuit and a current source which supplies a current to the amplification circuit, in which the current is configured, after the oscillator has been turned on, to be set according to a first control signal which is input from the external terminal and a drive level of the resonator is changed according to the current; and inputting the first control signal to the external terminal and inspecting a drive level dependency of the resonator based on a change of a signal output from the oscillator, wherein the current source includes a constant current source and a current mirror circuit and is controlled by current select data to generate various current values, wherein: the current mirror circuit includes a first transistor that is connected to the constant current source, the current source includes two or more transistors that are each connected to a switch to be selectively turned on or off based on the current select data, and according to the first control signal input from the external terminal, the switch for each of the two or more transistors in the current source sequentially enters into an ON state, and after reaching a maximum value of the current supplied to the amplification circuit, the switch sequentially enters into an OFF state. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein a negative resistance value of the oscillation circuit of the oscillator is changed according to the current, and wherein the inspecting of the drive level dependency of the resonator further includes inspecting of an impedance value of the resonator based on the signal output from the oscillator.