Patent · US Active

System and method for variable frequency clock generation

US8933737B1 · kind B1 · utility

13Cited by
7References
29Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateOct 4, 2013
Grant dateJan 13, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 4, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03L7/095
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A variable frequency clock generator. In aspects, a clock generator includes a droop detector circuit configured to monitor a voltage supply to an integrated circuit. If the supply voltage falls below a specific threshold, a droop voltage flag may be set such that a frequency-locked loop is triggered into a droop voltage mode for handling the voltage droop at the supply voltage. In response, a current control signal that is input to an oscillator that generates a system clock signal is reduced by sinking current away from the current control signal to the oscillator. This results in an immediate reduction on the system clock frequency. Such a state remains until the voltage droop has dissipated when the current path is removed for sinking some of the current.

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