Oscillator circuit and frequency synthesizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9391622-B2
Application number	US-201514608264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Feb 10, 2014
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

An oscillator circuit includes: an arithmetic section configured to correct a first input code value and thereby generate a first code value that is within a first predetermined range, the arithmetic section being configured to correct a second input code value in correspondence with a correction amount of the first input code value and thereby generate a second code value, and the first predetermined range being narrower than a range of the first input code value; and an oscillation section configured to generate an oscillation signal having a frequency that varies at first sensitivity based on the first code value and varies at second sensitivity based on the second code value, the second sensitivity being higher than the first sensitivity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An oscillator circuit, comprising:
an arithmetic section configured to correct a first input code value and thereby generate a first code value that is within a first predetermined range, the arithmetic section being configured to correct a second input code value in correspondence with a correction amount of the first input code value and thereby generate a second code value, and the first predetermined range being narrower than a range of the first input code value; and
an oscillation section configured to have an oscillation signal having a frequency that varies at first sensitivity based on the first code value and varies at second sensitivity based on the second code value, the second sensitivity being higher than the first sensitivity.

2. The oscillator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a direction in which the frequency of the oscillation signal varies in response to correction of the first input code value is opposite from a direction in which the frequency of the oscillation signal varies in response to correction of the second input code value.

3. The oscillator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a correction amount of the second input code value is an amount that is in correspondence with a sensitivity ratio between the first sensitivity and the second sensitivity and is in correspondence with the correction amount of the first input code value.

4. The oscillator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the arithmetic section includes
a comparison section configured to compare the first code value to an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a second predetermined range and thereby generate a comparison result value, the second predetermined range being narrower than the first predetermined range,
a cumulative addition section configured to cumulatively add the comparison result value and thereby determine a cumulative value, and
a correction section configured to correct the first input code value based on the cumulative value and correct the second input code value based on the cumulative value.

5. The oscillator circuit according to claim 4 , wherein the comparison section further compares the first code value to an upper limit value and a lower limit value of the first predetermined range, and thereby generates the comparison result value.

6. The oscillator circuit according to claim 4 , wherein
the comparison result value is a positive value when the first code value is larger than the upper limit value of the second predetermined range, and is a negative value when the first code value is smaller than the lower limit value of the second predetermined range, and
the correction section increases the second input code value by the cumulative value to thereby correct the second input code value, and decreases the first input code value by a value of a product of the cumulative value and a value obtained by dividing the second sensitivity by the first sensitivity to thereby correct the first input code value.

7. The oscillator circuit according to claim 1 , wherein
the oscillation section includes
an inductor,
a first capacitor bank connected in parallel to the inductor and having a capacitance value that varies based on the first code value, and
a second capacitor bank connected in parallel to the inductor and having a capacitance value that varies based on the second code value.

8. The oscillator circuit according to claim 7 , wherein
the first capacitor bank includes a plurality of first variable capacitors each having a capacitance value that varies at a variation rate in correspondence with the first sensitivity, and
the second capacitor bank includes a plurality of second variable capacitors each having a capacitance value that varies at a variation rate in correspondence with the second sensitivity.

9. A frequency synthesizer, comprising:
a reference phase generation circuit configured to generate a reference phase signal;
a phase comparison circuit configured to detect a phase difference between the reference phase signal and a feedback phase signal;
a frequency control circuit configured to generate a first input code value and a second input code value based on a result of detection performed by the phase comparison circuit;
an oscillator circuit configured to generate an oscillation signal based on the first input code value and the second input code value; and
a phase detection circuit configured to determine a phase of the oscillation signal and output the determined phase as the feedback phase signal,
the oscillator circuit including
an arithmetic section configured to correct the first input code value and thereby generate a first code value that is within a first predetermined range, the arithmetic section being configured to correct the second input code value in correspondence with a correction amount of the first input code value and thereby generate a second code value, and the first predetermined range being narrower than a range of the first input code value, and
an oscillation section configured to generate the oscillation signal having a frequency that varies at first sensitivity based on the first code value and varies at second sensitivity based on the second code value, the second sensitivity being higher than the first sensitivity.

10. A frequency synthesizer, comprising:
a phase comparison circuit configured to detect a phase difference between an input clock signal and a feedback clock signal;
a frequency control circuit configured to generate a first input code value and a second input code value based on a result of detection performed by the phase comparison circuit;
an oscillator circuit configured to generate an oscillation signal based on the first input code value and the second input code value; and
a frequency divider circuit configured to divide a frequency of the oscillation signal and thereby generate the feedback clock signal,
the oscillator circuit including
an arithmetic section configured to correct the first input code value and thereby generate a first code value that is within a first predetermined range, the arithmetic section being configured to correct the second input code value in correspondence with a correction amount of the first input code value and thereby generate a second code value, and the first predetermined range being narrower than a range of the first input code value, and
an oscillation section configured to generate the oscillation signal having the frequency that varies at first sensitivity based on the first code value and varies at second sensitivity based on the second code value, the second sensitivity being higher than the first sensitivity.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Tamura Masahisa
• Takeuchi Hidenori

Classifications

• H03J2200/10

  Tuning of a resonator by means of digitally controlled capacitor bank · CPC title

• H03B5/1206

  using multiple transistors for amplification · CPC title

• H03L7/093

  using special filtering or amplification characteristics in the loop (H03L7/087 - H03L7/091 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03B5/124

  the means comprising a voltage dependent capacitance · CPC title

• H03B5/1265

  switched capacitors · CPC title