The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 1994
Filed:
Nov. 18, 1992
Paul Gregory, Capitola, CA (US);
Oskar Leuthold, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Nigel Bleasdale, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
GEC Plessey Semiconductors, Inc., Scotts Valley, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing a lower frequency signal with reference to a higher frequency signal are disclosed. The apparatus of the invention comprises an oscillating signal generator, an integer logical divider, and a signal combiner. The signal generator receives an input voltage and, in response thereto, generates a first output oscillating signal and a second output oscillating signal, both having a first frequency. The two oscillating signals are separated by a ninety-degree phase shift. The integer logical divider receives the two oscillating signals and provides two output divided signals in response. The first divided signal is representative of the first oscillating signal except that its frequency is one-third the frequency of the first oscillating signal. Likewise, the second divided signal is representative of the second oscillating signal except that its frequency is one-third that of the second oscillating signal. The signal combiner receives these two divided signals and performs an XOR operation on them to produce an output signal having a second frequency which is equal to the first frequency divided by 1.5. Thus, the apparatus of the invention performs a logical divide-by 1.5 operation. By adjusting the phase difference between the two oscillating signals, and by properly modifying the other elements of the apparatus, other logical divide-by operations may be performed.