# US 9,882,571 B2 · Semiconductor integrated circuit

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- Number: US 9,882,571 B2
- Document ID: US9882571B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/134,090
- Filed: 2016-04-20
- Published: 2016-08-11
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-07
- Assignees: Socionext Inc.
- Applicants: Socionext Inc.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Homma; Kenichi Nomura; Ryusuke Obara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882571B2

## CPC

- H03L 7/093: using special filtering or amplification characteristics in the loop (H03L7/087 - H03L7/091 take precedence)
- H03L: AUTOMATIC CONTROL, STARTING, SYNCHRONISATION OR STABILISATION OF GENERATORS OF ELECTRONIC OSCILLATIONS OR PULSES (generation of oscillations H03B)

## Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a phase locked loop circuit which outputs a clock signal; an internal circuit which executes processing; a capacitor; and a switch circuit which connects the capacitor to either of the phase locked loop circuit and the internal circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:
a phase locked loop circuit configured to output a clock signal;
an internal circuit configured to execute processing;
a capacitor; and
a switch circuit configured to connect the capacitor to the internal circuit when a switch control signal is in a first state and to connect the capacitor to the phase locked loop circuit when the switch control signal is in a second state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the phase locked loop circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate the clock signal with a frequency in accordance with a voltage of a control voltage terminal; and
the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to the control voltage terminal of the voltage-controlled oscillator, as a low-pass filter, when the switch control signal is in the second state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the second state.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the phase locked loop circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate the clock signal with a frequency in accordance with a voltage of a control voltage terminal;
the capacitor includes a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element;
and
the switch circuit includes a first switch element and a second switch element, wherein:
the first switch element connects the first capacitor element to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the first switch control signal is in the first state, and the first switch element connects the first capacitor element to the control voltage terminal of the voltage-controlled oscillator, as a low-pass filter, when the first switch control signal is in the second state; and
the second switch element connects the second capacitor element to the power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as the bypass capacitor, when a second switch control signal is in a third state, and the second switch element connects the second capacitor element to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the second switch control signal is in a fourth state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the phase locked loop circuit includes a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to generate the clock signal with a frequency in accordance with a voltage of a control voltage terminal; and
the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, the switch circuit connects the capacitor to the control voltage terminal of the voltage-controlled oscillator, as a low-pass filter, when the switch control signal is in the second state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in a third state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects plural capacitor elements that are continuously provided out of the plurality of capacitor elements to the phase locked loop circuit in a chain state, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit, in accordance with the switch control signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements, wherein
the plurality of capacitor elements include controllable capacitor elements and uncontrollable capacitor elements which are fixedly connected to the internal circuit;
the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises a detection circuit configured to detect a number of the controllable capacitor elements out of the plurality of capacitor elements based on an initial state of the switch control signal of the switch circuit; and
the switch circuit connects a first number of the capacitor elements out of the controllable capacitor elements, to the phase locked loop circuit, the first number being a number corresponding to a designated ratio of the number of the controllable capacitor elements detected by the detection circuit, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects a capacitor element according to a capacitance control signal out of the plurality of capacitor elements to the phase locked loop circuit, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects a capacitor element according to a capacitance control signal out of the plurality of capacitor elements to either of the phase locked loop circuit and the internal circuit, in accordance with a connection destination control signal.

### Claim 10

A processing circuit, comprising:
an internal circuit configured to execute processing;
a capacitor; and
a switch circuit configured to connect the capacitor to the internal circuit when a switch control signal is in a first state and to connect the capacitor to a phase locked loop circuit when the switch control signal is in a second state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein
the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a control voltage terminal of a voltage-controlled oscillator in the phase locked loop circuit, as a low-pass filter, when the switch control signal is in the second state.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein
the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the second state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the capacitor includes a first capacitor element and a second capacitor element;
and
the switch circuit includes a first switch element and a second switch element, wherein:
the first switch element connects the first capacitor element to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when a first switch control signal is in the first state, and the first switch element connects the first capacitor elements to a control voltage terminal of a voltage-controlled oscillator in the phase locked loop circuit, as a low-pass filter, when the first switch control signal is in the second state; and
the second switch element connects the second capacitor element to the power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as the bypass capacitor, when a second switch control signal is in a third state, and the second switch element connects the second capacitor element to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the second switch control signal is in a fourth state.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the internal circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signal is in the first state, the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a control voltage terminal of a voltage-controlled oscillator in the phase locked loop circuit, as a low-pass filter, when the switch control signal is in the second state, and the switch circuit connects the capacitor to a power supply voltage node of the phase locked loop circuit, as a bypass capacitor, when the switch control signals are in a third state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects plural capacitor elements that are continuously provided out of the plurality of capacitor elements to the phase locked loop circuit in a chain state, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit, in accordance with the switch control signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements, wherein
the plurality of capacitor elements include controllable capacitor elements and uncontrollable capacitor elements which are fixedly connected to the internal circuit;
the semiconductor integrated circuit further comprises a detection circuit configured to detect a number of the controllable capacitor elements out of the plurality of capacitor elements based on an initial state of the switch control signal of the switch circuit; and
the switch circuit connects a first number of the capacitor elements out of the controllable capacitor elements, to the phase locked loop circuit, the first number being a number corresponding to a designated ratio of the number of the controllable capacitor elements detected by the detection circuit, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects a capacitor element according to a capacitance control signal out of the plurality of capacitor elements to the phase locked loop circuit, and connects the rest of the capacitor elements to the internal circuit.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The processing circuit according to claim 10, wherein:
the capacitor includes a plurality of capacitor elements; and
the switch circuit connects a capacitor element according to a capacitance control signal out of the plurality of capacitor elements to either of the phase locked loop circuit and the internal circuit, in accordance with a connection destination control signal.