# US 7,612,589 B2 · Phase-locked loop and control method utilizing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,589 B2 - Document ID: US7612589B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/871,223 - Filed: 2007-10-12 - Published: 2009-04-16 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-12 - Assignees: Mediatek Inc. - Inventors: Chuan Liu; Chuan-Cheng Hsiao; Jeng-Horng Tsai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612589B2 ## CPC - H03L 7/099: concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop - H03L 7/104: {using an additional signal from outside the loop for setting or controlling a parameter in the loop (H03L7/107, H03L7/12 take precedence)} - H03L 2207/06: Phase locked loops with a controlled oscillator having at least two frequency control terminals - H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B) ## Abstract A phase-locked loop includes a processing unit, a voltage-controlled oscillator, and a control unit. The processing unit generates a control voltage to a node according to a phase difference between a reference clock and a first feedback clock. The voltage-controlled oscillator generates the first feedback clock according to a voltage of the node. The control unit deactivates the voltage-controlled oscillator and provides a start voltage to the node in a power-down mode, and activates the voltage-controlled oscillator to generate the first feedback clock according to the voltage of the node in a power-on mode. The control unit stops providing the start voltage in the power-on mode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A phase-locked loop, comprising: a processing unit generating a control voltage to a node according to a phase difference between a reference clock and a first feedback clock; a voltage-controlled oscillator generating the first feedback clock according to a voltage of the node; and a control unit deactivating the voltage-controlled oscillator and providing a start voltage to the node in a power-down mode, and activating the voltage-controlled oscillator to generate the first feedback clock according to the voltage of the node in a power-on mode, wherein the control unit stops providing the start voltage in the power-on mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit comprises: a first control module deactivating the voltage-controlled oscillator to stop providing the first feedback clock in the power-down mode and activating the voltage-controlled oscillator in the power-on mode; and a second control module providing the start voltage to the node in the power-down mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first control module comprises a first switch which stops providing a voltage signal to the voltage-controlled oscillator for deactivating the voltage-controlled oscillator in the power-down mode, and provides the voltage signal to the voltage-controlled oscillator for activating the voltage-controlled oscillator in the power-on mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second control module comprises: a voltage divider generating the start voltage; and a second switch transmitting the start voltage to the node in the power-down mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 4, wherein one of the first and second switches is a P-type transistor and the other is an N-type transistor, or each of the first switch and the second switch is a transmission gate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second control module comprises a storage module which stores the control voltage in the power-on mode and provides the stored control voltage to the node in the power-down mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a frequency generating unit controlling frequency of the reference clock. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 7, wherein the frequency generating unit comprises: a selection module outputting a first clock comprising the normal frequency in the power-on mode and outputting a second clock comprising the saving frequency in the power-down mode; a first frequency module generating the first clock; and a second frequency module generating the second clock. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second frequency module is a ring oscillator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first frequency module comprises: a crystal generating a third clock; a ring oscillator generating a pseudo clock; and a processing module coupled to the selection module for providing one of the third clock and the pseudo clock to serve as the first clock. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing module comprises: a processor controlling a control signal; and a selector providing the third clock to serve as the first clock when level of the control signal is at a first level and providing the pseudo clock to serve as the first clock when the level of the control signal is at a second level. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is a detector controlling the level of the control signal at the first level when amplitude of the third clock is equal to a preset value, and controlling the level of the control signal at the second level when amplitude of the third clock is less than the preset value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is a counter controlling the level of the control signal at the first level when the counter counts to a preset value, and controlling the level of the control signal at the second level when the counter does not count to the preset value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor is a comparator controlling the level of the control signal at the first level when frequency of the third clock is approximate to that of the pseudo clock and controlling the level of the control signal at the second level when frequency of the third clock is not approximate to that of the pseudo clock. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 10, wherein the crystal stops generating the third clock in the power-down mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises: a phase-frequency detector generating a detection signal according to a phase difference between the reference clock and the first feedback clock; a charge pump transforming the detection signal into a pump current; and a low-pass filter transforming the pump current into the control voltage and providing the control voltage to the node. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises: a divider processing the first feedback clock to generate a second feedback clock; a phase-frequency detector generating a detection signal according to a phase difference between the reference clock and the second feedback clock; a charge pump transforming the detection signal into a pump current; and a low-pass filter transforming the pump current into the control voltage and providing the control voltage to the node. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The phase-locked loop as claimed in claim 17, wherein frequency of the first feedback clock is multiple to the frequency of the second feedback clock. ### Claim 19 A control method, comprising: providing a processing unit for generating a control voltage to a node according to a phase difference between a reference clock and a first feedback clock; providing a voltage-controlled oscillator for generating the first feedback clock according to a voltage of the node; deactivating the voltage-controlled oscillator and providing a start voltage to the node in a power-down mode; activating the voltage-controlled oscillator such that the voltage-controlled oscillator generates the first feedback clock according to the voltage of the node in a power-on mode, wherein the voltage of the node is equal to the start voltage; and stopping providing the start voltage to the node in the power-on mode. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The control method as claimed in claim 19, wherein deactivating comprises removing an operation voltage from the voltage-controlled oscillator. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The control method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising reducing frequency of the reference clock in the power-down mode.