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:
Dec. 01, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1996
Paul McAllister, Chandler, AZ (US);
Timothy Beatty, Mesa, AZ (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An oscillator that has a substantially-constant voltage source configured such that it does not require the voltage source to be tuned to a particular voltage to oscillate a particular frequency. The oscillator has greater precision and reliability since the inputs of the comparator are periodically switched to reduce the effects of comparator bias and to equalize the voltage stresses on the inputs of the comparator. Greater precision is also achieved through the use of a discrete resistor and a discrete capacitor to define the frequency of the oscillator. The present invention provides an oscillator and method to generate a periodic signal that is tamperproof because the circuitry that defines the period is either integrated onto the integrated circuit or contained within the package containing the integrated circuit. The oscillator may be used as a frequency reference in a speed governor circuit and that speed governor may be included in an integrated circuit such that the speed governor disables a functional block of the integrated circuit when the clock frequency exceeds a frequency limit.