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:
Jul. 15, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2000
Clemenz Portmann, Cupertino, CA (US);
John B. Dillon, late of Palo Alto, CA (US);
Rambus Inc., Los Altos, CA (US);
Abstract
A synchronization circuit for gradually shifting the phase domain of a control signal to permit synchronization of a signal with a clock signal in a different phase domain in a system with a single frequency, but arbitrary phase relationship. The present invention allows a control signal in the phase domain of an internal clock to be synchronized with an external clock, when the phase domain of the external clock differs substantially from that of the internal clock. In synchronizing the control signal to the external clock, the present invention avoids the generation of runt pulses while providing a control signal synchronized to the external clock in the least amount of time feasible (i.e., with the lowest latency time). Because the present invention has no failure modes due to timing relationships, MTBF is infinite for failures caused by such relationships and therefore need not be a concern. This also implies that no risk is posed to the proper operation of the circuits driven thereby.