# US 9,438,211 B1 · High speed latch and method

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- Number: US 9,438,211 B1
- Document ID: US9438211B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/801,473
- Filed: 2015-07-16
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-07-16
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Euhan Chong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438211B1

## CPC

- H03K 3/356104: {using complementary field-effect transistors (H03K3/35625 takes precedence)}
- H03K 3/012: Modifications of generator to improve response time or to decrease power consumption
- H03K 3/356121: {with synchronous operation (H03K3/35613, H03K3/356147 take precedence)}
- 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)

## Abstract

An embodiment latch device includes a first stage having circuitry that receives a differential input and generates a clocked data signal according to a clock signal and the differential input, and a second stage connected to the first stage and having circuitry that generates differential outputs according to the clock signal and the clocked data signal. The second stage further has a reset circuit that resets a latch storage to a high value according to the clock signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A latch device comprising:
a first stage having circuitry that receives a differential input and generates a clocked data signal according to a clock signal and the differential input; and
a second stage connected to the first stage and having circuitry that generates differential outputs according to the clock signal and the clocked data signal, the second stage further having a reset circuit that resets a latch storage to a high value according to the clock signal, wherein the clock signal causes the reset circuit to reset the latch storage and causes the first stage to reset in a same portion of a cycle of the clock signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The latch device of claim 1, wherein the reset circuit resets the latch storage to the high value when the clock signal has a low value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The latch device of claim 2, the second stage further having a latch enable disposed between the latch storage and a ground, the latch enable having circuitry that connects the latch storage to ground according to the clock signal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The latch device of claim 3, wherein the circuitry of the latch enable comprises at least one first transistor having a first conductivity type; and
wherein the reset circuit comprises at least one second transistor having a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The latch device of claim 4, wherein the latch storage comprises at least two inverters that are cross coupled, each of the at least two inverters comprising at least two third transistors in series and an output port that is a node between the at least two third transistors of a respective one of the at least two inverters.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The latch device of claim 5, wherein the reset circuit comprises at least two second transistor that are connected between a voltage source and the output port of a respective one of the at least two inverters.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The latch device of claim 6, wherein the second stage further has a clocked input control connected between the output ports and the latch enable, the clocked input control having circuitry that accepts the clocked data signal and sets stored values in the latch storage according to the clocked data signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The latch device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry of the first stage generates the clocked data signal at a high value when the clock signal is low, and wherein the circuitry of the first stage generates the clocked data signal according to the differential input when the clock signal is high.

### Claim 9

A two stage latch circuit comprising:
a differential stage disposed between a voltage source node and a ground node and having differential input ports, first clock input ports and clocked data signal output ports; and
a regeneration stage, comprising:
a latch storage connected at a first end to the voltage source node and having signal storage elements and output ports;
a latch enable electrically connected between a second end of the latch storage and the ground node, the latch enable having a second clock input port;
a clocked input control connected between the output ports and the latch enable, and having a clocked data signal input port connected to the clocked data signal output port; and
a reset circuit connected to the latch storage and having third clock input ports;
wherein a first portion of a clock signal at the first clock input ports resets the differential stage, and wherein a same first portion of the clock signal causes the reset circuit to reset the latch storage.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 9, wherein the reset circuit is connected between the voltage source node and the output port.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 10, wherein the latch enable comprises at least one first transistor having a first conductivity type; and
wherein the reset circuit comprises second transistors having a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 11, wherein the second transistors of the reset circuit are connected between the voltage source node and respective ones of the output ports.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 12, wherein the second conductivity type is a p-type conductivity such that the reset circuit resets the latch storage to a high value when a clock signal at the third clock input ports has a low value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 12, wherein the clocked input control comprises third transistors connected between the output ports and the latch enable and having the first conductivity type.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 9, wherein the signal storage elements comprise at least a first inverter cross coupled with a second inverter, and wherein outputs of the first inverter and second inverter are the output ports of the latch storage.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 15, wherein the first inverter and second inverter are configured to latch values according to the clocked data signals at the clocked data signal input ports and in response to the clock signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The two stage latch circuit of claim 9, wherein the differential stage comprises fourth transistors that are each in series with a respective one of fifth transistors between the voltage source node and the ground node, and wherein the fifth transistors are each connected to respective ones of the differential input ports such that a clocked data signal is generated at the clocked data signal output ports according to a differential input signal at the differential input ports when a clock signal at the first clock input ports is high.

### Claim 18

A method for storing data in a circuit, comprising:
receiving a differential input at a differential stage;
generating, by the differential stage, clocked data signals according to a first portion of a clock signal cycle and the differential input;
latching values into a latch storage of a regeneration stage according to the first portion of a clock signal cycle and according to the clocked data signals;
providing differential output signals at output ports of the latch storage according to the first portion of a clock signal cycle and according to the latched values; and
resetting the latch storage to a high value according to a second portion of the clock signal cycle and resetting the differential stage at a same second portion of the clock cycle.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the latching the values into the latch storage of the regeneration stage comprises:
turning off a reset circuit during the first portion of the clock signal cycle; and
turning on a latch enable circuit during the first portion of the clock signal cycle, wherein the latch enable circuit provides a ground signal to the latch storage when turned on.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the resetting the latch storage to a high value comprises:
turning on a reset circuit during the second portion of the clock signal cycle, wherein the reset circuit provides a voltage source signal to the output ports to set the latch storage to the high value; and
turning off a latch enable circuit during the second portion of the clock signal cycle.