Qualcomm Incorporated

Sequoia Communications Corporation

Quintic Holdings

Raytheon Company

Michael Naone Farias

John B Groe

Damian Costa

Shunta Iguchi

Joseph Jay Austin

Xu Chi

Ilker Deligoz

Lloyd Frederick Linder

Eric S Shapiro

Don C Devendorf

Brett Christopher Walker

Babak Nejati

Lalitaprasad Daita

Kelvin T Tran

Clifford Duong

Raymond Rosik

Marc Facchini

Reza Kaznavi

Thomas Hardin

Nikunj Mehta

Jong Jin Kim

Jingyu Hu

Apparatus and methods for non-invasively monitoring an oscillation signal in an effort to provide a more reliable oscillation signal. An example oscillation circuit generally includes an oscillator configured to generate an oscillation signal, the oscillator comprising an oscillator core circuit for coupling to a resonator and configured to generate the oscillation signal to enable the resonator to resonate and an adjustable current source coupled to the oscillator core circuit and configured to control an amplitude of the oscillation signal; a first automatic gain control (AGC) circuit having an input coupled to an output of the oscillator and having an output coupled to a control input of the adjustable current source; a second AGC circuit configured to replicate the first AGC circuit; and logic having a first input coupled to the output of the first AGC circuit and having a second input coupled to an output of the second AGC circuit.

Oscillation circuit with improved failure detection

An apparatus is disclosed for providing frequency stabilization. The apparatus includes a first supply voltage node, a second supply voltage node, an oscillator circuit coupled to the first supply voltage node, at least one clock buffer coupled to the second supply voltage node and an output of the oscillator circuit, and at least one load circuit. The at least one clock buffer is configured to selectively be in a disabled state or an enabled state to pass the clock signal to at least one client of multiple clients. The at least one load circuit includes an input coupled to the output of the oscillator circuit. The at least one load circuit also includes an output configured to be coupled to a ground. The at least one load circuit is configured to be connected to the first supply voltage node for at least a portion of time.

Frequency stabilization

An apparatus is disclosed for implementing multi-mode oscillation circuitry with stepping control. In an example aspect, the multi-mode oscillation circuitry comprises a resonator coupled to a first oscillator and a second oscillator. The multi-mode oscillation circuitry is configured to selectively be in a first configuration with the first oscillator in an active state and the second oscillator in an inactive state or a second configuration with the first oscillator in the inactive state and the second oscillator in the active state. The apparatus also includes a step-control circuit coupled to the multi-mode oscillation circuitry. The step-control circuit is configured to cause the first oscillator to switch from the inactive state to the active state and incrementally increase a first gain of the first oscillator based on the first oscillator being in the active state to enable the multi-mode oscillation circuitry to transition from the second configuration to the first configuration.

Multi-mode oscillation circuitry with stepping control

Techniques and apparatus for selecting a maximum input supply voltage from multiple input power supplies. An example maximum input supply selection circuit includes a parallel array of comparators and selection logic to select the maximum input supply voltage, supply present detectors, comparator settling logic including a warm-up delay timer to provide for comparator settling, and comparator enable logic for disabling all comparators and entering an ultra-low power mode.

Low power high speed maximum input supply selector

An apparatus is disclosed for hybrid-controlled clock generation. In an example aspect, the apparatus includes an analog control circuit, a digital control circuit, a transistor array, an oscillator circuit, and a selection circuit. The oscillator circuit is coupled to the transistor array. The selection circuit includes a first input that is coupled to the analog control circuit, a second input that is coupled to the digital control circuit, and an output that is coupled to the transistor array. The selection circuit is configured to obtain a selection signal that is indicative of the first input coupled to the analog control circuit or the second input coupled to the digital control circuit. The selection circuit is also configured to connect, based on the selection signal, the analog control circuit or the digital control circuit to the transistor array.

Hybrid-controlled clock generation

Various embodiments of methods and systems for closed loop multimode sleep clock frequency compensation in a portable computing device are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment leverages a modem to determine a frequency shift on a sleep clock signal when a reference clock has transitioned into a power saving mode. Using the frequency shift calculation, a compensation capacitor may be adjusted to deliver a more optimum dummy load on the crystal oscillator when the reference clock is taken offline. The method may iterate through until the actual frequency shift of the sleep clock is within an acceptable tolerance relative to zero and, further, may also set a status bit to indicate that the sleep clock frequency is stable.

System and method for closed loop multimode radio system sleep clock frequency compensation

A power management apparatus and method for maintaining a substantially constant duty cycle of a reference clock signal in a multi-power oscillator, includes a first output power transistor in electrical parallel with a series arrangement of a second output power transistor and a switch, and a crystal oscillator capacitively coupled to a common gate of the first and second output power transistors, wherein a level of the reference clock signal power output is a normal power level when the switch is open and the level of the reference clock signal power output is a higher power level when the switch is closed to operate the second output power transistor in parallel with the first output power transistor.

Multi-power mode reference clock with constant duty cycle

Variable gain commutating amplifier apparatus and methods for use in a polar modulator are described. The apparatus may include two or more commutating amplifier stages configured to be switched to an output load based on a desired amplitude and/or transmit power level. The amplifier stages may include cross-coupled differential pairs to cancel RF carrier feedthrough. An additional R-2R ladder circuit may be provided to further extend the dynamic range by reducing the output power at the lowest output stages.

Commutating amplifier with wide dynamic range

Apparatus and methods for improving the performance of a modulator, typically in an I/Q modulation system, are described. Input I and Q current modulation signals may be processed to generate a sign signal and a magnitude signal, with the magnitude signal selectively applied to the inputs of a mixer based on the sign signal so as to generate respective I and Q modulation signal components. These may then be combined to generate a composite modulation signal.

Low power I/Q modulator

Systems and methods for nulling offsets in differential signaling systems are described. A first circuit may be configured to sense the difference between a first differential current and a second differential current and provide a sense signal to an adjustment circuit. The adjustment circuit may be configured to generate a correction signal based on the sense signal, where the correction signal is combined with the first differential current to reduce the offset between the first differential current and the second differential current. Alternately, the correction signal may be combined with the first and second differential currents to reduce the offset. The process may be repeated until the corrected first differential current and the second differential current are within a desired tolerance.

Offset nulling for decreasing offset between currents in a differential signaling system

Direct down-conversion mixer. A direct down-conversion mixer is provided. The mixer comprises an LO switching pair coupled to receive an RF input signal and produce a down converted output signal. The mixer also comprises an integrator coupled to receive the output signal and produce an integrator output signal. The mixer also comprises a control circuit coupled to receive an input voltage and the integrator output signal to produce a control signal that is coupled to the LO switching pair.

Direct down-conversion mixer architecture

Continuous variable-gain low-noise amplifier. The amplifier continuously adjusts its gain between well-defined high and low values by using a cascode current-steering circuit to partition signal current between two different nodes of an output loading network. A shunt feedback network connected from an intermediate node of the loading network to the input provides negative feedback that linearizes the amplifier as its gain is decreased. The circuit degrades the noise figure at lower gains by varying the gain without directly dumping the signal current to the power supply. The circuit produces only small changes in input and output impedances and preserves an improved reverse-isolation cascode characteristic as the gain is controlled.

Continuous variable-gain low-noise amplifier

A translinear variable-gain amplifier. The translinear variable gain amplifier receives a differential input voltage and produces a differential output current having a selected gain. The amplifier comprises a buffer amplifier that receives the differential input voltage and produces a differential input current. The amplifier further comprises a translinear gain cell coupled to receive the differential input current and produce the differential output current. The gain cell includes a first adjustable bias source that operates to set a linear input range of the gain cell, and a second adjustable bias source that operates to set a gain value of the gain cell.

Translinear variable gain amplifier

Continuous variable-gain low-noise amplifier. The amplifier continuously adjusts its gain between well-defined high and low values by using a cascode current-steering circuit to partition signal current between two different nodes of an output loading network. A shunt feedback network connected from an intermediate node of the loading network to the input provides negative feedback that linearizes the amplifier as its gain is decreased. The circuit degrades the noise figure at lower gains considerably less than conventional circuits by varying the gain without directly dumping the signal current to the power supply. The circuit produces only small changes in input and output impedances and preserves an improved reverse-isolation cascode characteristic as the gain is controlled.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Michael Naone Farias