Clock signal generator circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270435-B2
Application number	US-201815980797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A clock signal generator circuit includes a CR oscillator part, which outputs a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to a time constant determined by a capacitor and a resistor, and a frequency varying part. The frequency varying part includes a counter for performing a counting operation and varies a frequency of the clock signal by varying a resistance value of the resistor in correspondence to a count value of the counter. The resistor of the CR oscillator part includes plural resistive elements, one terminal of which are connected to a common node. The frequency varying part includes tri-state buffers, input terminals of which are connected in common and output terminals of which are connected to other terminals of the resistive elements, respectively, and varies the resistance value of the resistor by switching over states of the buffers in correspondence to the count value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clock signal generator circuit comprising:
a CR oscillator part including a capacitor and a resistor and outputting from a first common node a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to a time constant determined by the capacitor and the resistor; and
a frequency varying part including an operation part, which performs a predetermined operation and outputs a signal corresponding to its operation state, and varying the frequency of the clock signal by varying a resistance value of the resistor in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part,
wherein the resistor includes plural resistive elements, one terminal of each of which is connected in parallel to a second common node different from the first common node,
the frequency varying part includes plural buffers having input terminals connected in common to the first common node, and output terminals connected to other terminals of the resistive elements, respectively, and are switchable between a normal operation state and a high impedance state, and
the frequency varying part varies the resistance value of the resistor by switching over states of the buffers in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part.

2. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the operation part is a counter, which performs a counting operation as the predetermined operation and outputs a signal indicating a count value.

3. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the frequency varying part performs a switchover operation so that at least one of the plural buffers is set to the normal operation state.

4. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the plural buffers is set to remain in the normal operation state continuously.

5. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
the clock signal is applied to a charge pump circuit as an operation clock.

6. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
a frequency of the clock signal is set to be equal to or higher than 1 MHz.

7. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:
a modulation rate, which is determined by dividing a variation amount of the frequency of the clock signal by an average value of the frequency of the clock signal, is equal to or higher than 0.02.

8. A clock signal generator circuit comprising:
a CR oscillator part including a capacitor and a resistor and outputting a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to a time constant determined by the capacitor and the resistor; and
a frequency varying part including an operation part, which performs a predetermined operation and outputs a signal corresponding to its operation state, and varying the frequency of the clock signal by varying a resistance value of the resistor in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part,
wherein
the resistor includes plural resistive elements, one terminals of which are connected to a common node,
the frequency varying part includes plural buffers having input terminals connected in common and output terminals connected to other terminals of the resistive elements, respectively, and are switchable between a normal operation state and a high impedance state,
the frequency varying part varies the resistance value of the resistor by switching over states of the buffers in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part, and
the operation part is a counter, which performs a counting operation as the predetermined operation and outputs a signal indicating a count value.

9. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the counter counts the clock signal as a clock in the counting operation.

10. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the counter performs counting up or counting down as the counting operation.

11. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the counter performs both of counting up and down as the counting operation.

12. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the counter is a binary counter.

13. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the counter is a ring counter.

14. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the frequency varying part performs a switchover operation so that at least one of the plural buffers is set to the normal operation state.

15. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
at least one of the plural buffers is set to remain in the normal operation state continuously.

16. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , further comprising:
an adjustment part for adjusting the resistance value of the resistor.

17. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
the clock signal is applied to a charge pump circuit as an operation clock.

18. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 8 , wherein:
a frequency of the clock signal is set to be equal to or higher than 1 MHz.

19. A clock signal generator circuit comprising:
a CR oscillator part including a capacitor and a resistor and outputting a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to a time constant determined by the capacitor and the resistor; and
a frequency varying part including an operation part, which performs a predetermined operation and outputs a signal corresponding to its operation state, and varying the frequency of the clock signal by varying a resistance value of the resistor in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part,
wherein
the resistor includes plural resistive elements, one terminals of which are connected to a common node,
the frequency varying part includes plural buffers having input terminals connected in common and output terminals connected to other terminals of the resistive elements, respectively, and are switchable between a normal operation state and a high impedance state,
the frequency varying part varies the resistance value of the resistor by switching over states of the buffers in correspondence to the signal outputted from the operation part, and
a modulation rate, which is determined by dividing a variation amount of the frequency of the clock signal by an average value of the frequency of the clock signal, is equal to or higher than 0.02.

20. The clock signal generator circuit according to claim 19 , wherein:
the modulation rate is equal to or higher than 0.129.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Nakai Satoshi
• Kawamoto Ippei

Classifications

• G06F1/08

  Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency · CPC title

• H02M3/07

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title

• H03K21/08

  Output circuits · CPC title

• H03K5/1252 Primary

  Suppression or limitation of noise or interference (specially adapted for transmission systems H04B15/00, H04L25/08) · CPC title