Patent · US Expired

Frequency division

US7167685B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
4References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 30, 2004
Grant dateJan 23, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K23/667
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of operating a frequency divider. The frequency divider includes a plurality of divider cells arranged in a chain. Each divider cell is adapted to divide a frequency of an input signal with one of two enabled division ratios in accordance with an applied division ratio control signal, and each divider cell but the last is adapted to provide a frequency divided signal as an input signal for a respective next divider cell. In order to enable a Fractional-N division, the method comprises receiving and buffering a new division ratio control signal for each of the divider cells, and synchronizing an application of the buffered division ratio control signals to the divider cells with a status of a current division cycle. The invention relates equally to a corresponding frequency divider, PLL frequency synthesizer, RF front end, device and system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.