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:
Aug. 26, 2014
Filed:
Oct. 24, 2013
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Huan-Neng Chen, Taichung, TW;
Kuang-Kai Yen, Kaohsiung, TW;
Feng-Wei Kuo, Hsinchu County, TW;
Hsien-Yuan Liao, Changhua County, TW;
Tsung-Hsiung Lee, New Taipei, TW;
Chewn-Pu Jou, Hsinchu County, TW;
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
A phase-locked loop circuit, a phase converter module thereof and a phase-locked controlling method are disclosed herein. The phase converter module is suitable for a phase-locked loop circuit including a digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) for generating an oscillator output signal and a divider for converting the oscillator output signal into N-phased oscillator output signals. The phase converter module includes a phase finder and a time-to-digital converter. The phase finder is configured for sampling the oscillator output signal with the N-phased oscillator output signals to calculate an estimated value of a fractional phase part. One oscillation period of the digitally-controlled oscillator is divided into N sub-periods. The time-to-digital converter is configured for sampling one of the N-phased oscillator output signals with a reference-frequency signal to calculate a precise value of the fractional phase part within one sub-period.