# US 11,309,872 B2 · Oscillator apparatus and oscillation method

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- Number: US 11,309,872 B2
- Document ID: US11309872B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/342,058
- Filed: 2017-11-07
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-21
- Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
- Inventors: Katsuhisa Ito
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309872B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/10: Distribution of clock signals {, e.g. skew}
- H03K 3/0315: {Ring oscillators}
- G06F 1/08: Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
- G06F 1/12: Synchronisation of different clock signals {provided by a plurality of clock generators}
- H01C 10/16: including plural resistive elements
- H03L 7/099: concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H01C: RESISTORS
- H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B)

## Abstract

The present technology relates to an oscillation apparatus and an oscillation method allowing a variation in a frequency of a clock signal to fall within a predetermined range without using a reference clock signal. An oscillation apparatus includes an oscillation section oscillating a clock signal, an adjustment section changing a parameter of a constituent element constituting the oscillation section to thereby adjust a frequency of the clock signal, and a calibration control section controlling the adjustment section to perform frequency calibration of the oscillation section in a case in which a variation in a frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillation section falls within a second range exceeding a first range permitted in an application of the clock signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An oscillation apparatus, comprising:
an oscillation section comprising a resistor, wherein the oscillation section is configured to oscillate a clock signal;
an adjustment section comprising a resistor switch, wherein the adjustment section is configured to:
acquire an adjustment code of the resistor switch based on an external reference resistor;
apply the acquired adjustment code to a resistance value of the resistor that constitutes the oscillation section;
change a parameter of the resistor that constitutes the oscillation section based on the applied adjustment code; and
adjust a frequency of the clock signal to a first range based on the changed parameter, wherein the first range is permitted in an application of the clock signal; and
a calibration control section configured to control the adjustment section to perform frequency calibration of the oscillation section, wherein the frequency calibration of the oscillation section is performed based on a variation in the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillation section that falls within a second range exceeding the first range permitted in the application of the clock signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The oscillation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment section is further configured to adjust the frequency of the clock signal to the first range without using a reference clock signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The oscillation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a data processing section configured to perform data processing based on the clock signal obtained based on the frequency calibration in which the variation in the frequency falls within the first range.

### Claim 4

An oscillation method of an oscillation apparatus, the oscillation method comprising:
acquiring an adjustment code of a resistor switch of an adjustment section of the oscillation apparatus based on an external reference resistor;
applying the acquired adjustment code to a resistance value of a resistor that constitutes an oscillation section of the oscillation apparatus, wherein the oscillation section is configured to oscillate a clock signal;
changing a parameter of the resistor that constitutes the oscillation section based on the applied adjustment code;
adjusting a frequency of the clock signal to a first range based on the changed parameter, wherein the first range is permitted in an application of the clock signal;
controlling the adjustment section of the oscillation apparatus to perform frequency calibration of the oscillation section, wherein the frequency calibration of the oscillation section is performed based on a variation in the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillation section that falls within a second range exceeding the first range permitted in the application of the clock signal; and
supplying the clock signal to a subsequent stage after the frequency calibration in which the variation in the frequency falls within the first range.

### Claim 5

An oscillation apparatus, comprising:
an oscillation section comprising a capacitor, wherein the oscillation section is configured to oscillate a clock signal;
an adjustment section comprising a capacitor switch, wherein the adjustment section is configured to:
acquire an adjustment code of the capacitor switch based on an external reference capacitor;
apply the acquired adjustment code to a capacitance value of the capacitor that constitutes the oscillation section;
change a parameter of the capacitor that constitutes the oscillation section based on the applied adjustment code; and
adjust a frequency of the clock signal to a first range based on the changed parameter, wherein the first range is permitted in an application of the clock signal; and
a calibration control section configured to control the adjustment section to perform frequency calibration of the oscillation section, wherein the frequency calibration of the oscillation section is performed based on a variation in the frequency of the clock signal oscillated by the oscillation section that falls within a second range exceeding the first range permitted in the application of the clock signal.