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US 8,786,375 B2Granted
Runtime compensated oscillator
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorMartin Feldtkeller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for generating an oscillating signal and an oscillator circuit.
Claims25
A method for generating periodic signal, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of n capacitive storage elements, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 2, and wherein each capacitive storage element contains a first amount of charge in a first charging state and a second amount of charge in a second charging state;
- and providing at least two separate threshold detector circuits, with each capacitive storage element having one threshold detector circuit associated thereto, and with each threshold detector circuit being connected to detect a charging state of at least one associated capacitive storage element;
- generating one period of the periodic signal such that the period includes at least n subsequent sub-periods, wherein generating each sub-period comprises:
- changing the charging state of the at least one capacitive storage element from the first charging state to the second charging state when the associated threshold detector circuit detects that the first charging state has been reached, wherein changing the charging state comprises providing a constant charging current to the at least one capacitive storage element, and setting back the charging state of the at least one capacitive storage element to the first charging state from the second charging state after the sub-period when the associated threshold detector circuit detects that the second charging state has been reached.
1 more element
A method for generating an oscillating signal having subsequent oscillator signal periods, the method comprising:
- providing n oscillator units, wherein n is an integer greater than two, wherein each of the oscillator units is configured to alternately assume an active mode and a preset mode, has an internal state that can assume a first state and a second state, has an internal runtime and comprises a capacitive storage element;
- generating one oscillator signal period of the oscillator signal as a sequence of at least n sub-periods, each sub-period having a sub-period duration defined by one oscillator unit in the active mode, where a duration of two directly subsequent sub-periods are defined by two different oscillator units;
- wherein each oscillator unit is configured to change its internal state from the first state to the second state in the active mode, and is preset to the first state in the preset mode,
- wherein the first state and the second state is defined by a charging state of a corresponding capacitive storage element, with the charging state being defined by an amount of electrical charge stored in the capacitive storage element,
- wherein the capacitive storage element is charged at a first terminal in the active mode, and a voltage applied to a second terminal of the capacitive storage element is changed when the oscillator unit transitions from the preset mode to the active mode, and
- wherein the capacitive storage element in the first state and in the second state comprises a same offset charge that is dependent on the internal runtime, so that a charge difference between an amount of charge stored in the capacitive storage element in the first state and an amount of charge stored in the capacitive storage element in the second state is independent on the internal runtime.
3 more elements
A method for generating a time duration of one sub-clock signal of a clock signal, the method comprising:
- precharging a capacitive storage element at a first terminal of the capacitive storage element until a threshold detector detects that a voltage at a first terminal of the capacitive storage element has crossed a threshold, and stop charging the capacitive storage element when the threshold detector detects that the voltage at the first terminal of the capacitive storage element has crossed a first threshold;
- continue charging the capacitive storage element at a first terminal of the capacitive storage element, and changing a voltage at a second terminal of the capacitive storage element when a time interval for generating a sub-clock begins;
- and
- terminating the sub-clock when the threshold detector detects that the voltage at the first terminal of the capacitive storage element has crossed the threshold.
1 more element
An oscillator circuit, comprising:
- n oscillator units, wherein n is an integer greater than two, wherein each of the oscillator units is configured to alternately assume an active mode and a preset mode, has an internal state that can assume a first state and a second state, has an internal runtime and comprises a capacitive storage element;
- wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to generate one oscillator signal period of an oscillator signal as a sequence of at least n sub-periods, each sub-period having a sub-period duration defined by one oscillator unit in the active mode, where a duration of two directly subsequent sub-periods are defined by two different oscillator units;
- wherein each oscillator unit is configured to change its internal state from the first state to the second state in the active mode, and is preset to the first state in the preset mode, and
- wherein the first state and the second state is defined by a charging state of a corresponding capacitive storage element, with the charging state being defined by an amount of electrical charge stored in the capacitive storage element,
- wherein the capacitive storage element is charged at a first terminal in the active mode, and a voltage applied to a second terminal of the capacitive storage element is changed when the oscillator unit transitions from the preset mode to the active mode,
- wherein the capacitive storage element in the first state and in the second state comprises a same offset charge that is dependent on the internal runtime, so that a charge difference between an amount of charge stored in the capacitive storage element in the first state and an amount of charge stored in the capacitive storage element in the second state is independent on the internal runtime.
3 more elements
An oscillator circuit comprising at least two oscillator units,
- the at least two oscillator units being configured in an alternating order to generate a frequency determining sub-period,
- wherein generating the sub-period comprises charging a capacitive storage element from a first charging state to a second charging state at a first terminal of the capacitive charging element and modifying a voltage applied to a second terminal of the capacitive charging element at a beginning of a sub-period, wherein the capacitive storage element contains a first amount of charge in the first charging state and a second amount of charge in the second charging state,
- wherein a propagation delay on detection of the second charging state is compensated by precharging the capacitive storage element during a preceding sub-period to the first charging state being dependent on the propagation delay.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.