Voltage controlled oscillator, frequency synthesizer and communication apparatus

• US 20050059375A1
• Filed: 07/15/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ookubo, Takeshi, Kozu, Tooru, Fujimoto, Ryuichi, Yoshida, Hiroshi, Itaya, Kazuhiko, Abe, Kazuhide, Kawakubo, Takashi, Sasaki, Tadahiro, Ohara, Ryoichi, Sano, Kenya, Yasumoto, Takaaki, Yamaguchi, Keiichi, Yanase, Naoko, Itoh, Nobuyuki, Morizuka, Mayumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/264
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2200/0012 Pierce oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/0208 the means being an element with a variable capacitance, e.g. capacitance diode
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 2201/025 the means being an electronic switch for switching in or out oscillator elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03B 5/326 the resonator being an acoustic wave device, e.g. SAW or BAW device
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 2207/06 Phase locked loops with a controlled oscillator having at least two frequency control terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/0891 the up-down pulses controlling source and sink current generators, e.g. a charge pump
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/099 concerning mainly the controlled oscillator of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/10 for assuring initial synchronisation or for broadening the capture range
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/113 using frequency discriminator
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/18 using a frequency divider or counter in the loop H03L7/20, H03L7/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/199 with reset of the frequency divider or the counter, e.g. for assuring initial synchronisation

Abstract

A voltage controlled oscillator includes a resonator configured to resonate with an initial oscillation frequency during starting period of oscillation and a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation. The resonator includes a film bulk acoustic resonator having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency. A negative resistance circuit configured to drive the resonator, has a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

Claims

1. A voltage controlled oscillator, comprising:

a resonator configured to oscillate with an initial oscillation frequency during a starting period of oscillation and with a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation, the resonator including a film bulk acoustic resonator having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency; and

a negative resistance circuit connected to the resonator, configured to drive the resonator, the negative resistance circuit having a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

2. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 1, wherein the resonator comprises:

a phase adjuster connected to the film bulk acoustic resonator; and

a reactance controller connected to the film bulk acoustic resonator or the phase adjuster, the reactance controller having a reactance controlled by a control voltage.

3. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 1, wherein the initial oscillation frequency is in a range higher than the series resonance frequency and lower than a parallel resonance frequency of the film bulk acoustic resonator.

4. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 1, wherein, at the series resonance frequency, a ratio of a maximum reactance difference of a reactance controller in a variable range of a control voltage to reactance of the reactance controller at a center value of the control voltage is in a range larger than 0.5, and a ratio of reactance of the reactance controller at the center value of the control voltage to reactance attributable to an electrostatic capacity of the film bulk acoustic resonator is in a range not less than 0.30 and not more than 1.50.

5. The voltage controlled oscillator of claim 4, wherein a ratio of the maximum reactance difference to a difference between a maximum reactance value and a minimum reactance value of the film bulk acoustic resonator is in a range not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.30.

6. A voltage controlled oscillator, comprising:

a resonator driven by a negative resistance circuit, configured to oscillate with an initial oscillation frequency during a starting period of oscillation and with a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation, the resonator including a film bulk acoustic resonator having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency, wherein

the negative resistance circuit has a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

7. A frequency synthesizer, comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator including a plurality of film bulk acoustic resonators having different resonance frequencies, configured to generate an oscillation signal;

a first frequency divider configured to divide the oscillation signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and to generate a divided oscillation signal;

a second frequency divider configured to divide a reference signal and to generate a divided reference signal;

a phase comparator configured to compare phases of the divided oscillation signal and the divided reference signal and to generate a phase error signal;

a control voltage generator configured to generate a control voltage for the voltage controlled oscillator based on the phase error signal; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal based on the control voltage so as to select the film bulk acoustic resonators, and to control an oscillation frequency of the oscillation signal.

8. The frequency synthesizer of claim 7, wherein the voltage controlled oscillator comprises:

a resonator configured to resonate with an initial oscillation frequency during a starting period of oscillation and with a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation, the resonator including one of the film bulk acoustic resonators having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency; and

a negative resistance circuit connected to each of the film bulk acoustic resonators, configured to drive the resonator, the negative resistance circuit having a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

9. The frequency synthesizer of claim 8, wherein the resonator comprises:

a phase adjuster connected to the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators; and

a reactance controller connected to the film bulk acoustic resonator or the phase adjuster, the reactance controller having reactance controlled by the control voltage.

10. The frequency synthesizer of claim 8, wherein the initial oscillation frequency is in a range higher than the series resonance frequency and lower than a parallel resonance frequency of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators.

11. The frequency synthesizer of claim 8, wherein, at the series resonance frequency, a ratio of a maximum reactance difference of a reactance controller in a variable range of the control voltage to reactance of the reactance controller at a center value of the control voltage is in a range larger than 0.5, and a ratio of reactance of the reactance controller at the center value of the control voltage to reactance attributable to an electrostatic capacity of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators is in a range not less than 0.30 and not more than 1.50.

12. The frequency synthesizer of claim 11, wherein a ratio of the maximum reactance difference to a difference between a maximum reactance value and a minimum reactance value of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators is in a range not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.30.

13. A frequency synthesizer, comprising:

a voltage controlled oscillator including a plurality of film bulk acoustic resonators having different resonance frequencies, configured to generate an oscillation signal controlled by a control circuit by dividing the oscillation signal from the voltage controlled oscillator to generate a divided oscillation signal, by dividing a reference signal to generate a divided reference signal, by comparing phases of the divided oscillation signal and the divided reference signal to generate a phase error signal, and by generating a control voltage for the voltage controlled oscillator based on the phase error signal, wherein

the control circuit generates a control signal based on the control voltage so as to select the film bulk acoustic resonators, and controls an oscillation frequency of the oscillation signal.

14. A communication apparatus, comprising:

a frequency synthesizer configured to provide an oscillation signal, including;

a voltage controlled oscillator including a plurality of film bulk acoustic resonators having different resonance frequencies, configured to generate the oscillation signal;

a first frequency divider configured to divide the oscillation signal from the voltage controlled oscillator and to generate a divided oscillation signal;

a second frequency divider configured to divide a reference signal and to generate a divided reference signal;

a phase comparator configured to compare phases of the divided oscillation signal and the divided reference signal and to generate a phase error signal;

a control voltage generator configured to generate a control voltage for the voltage controlled oscillator based on the phase error signal; and

a control circuit configured to generate a control signal based on the control voltage so as to select the film bulk acoustic resonators, and to control an oscillation frequency of the oscillation signal;

a receiver configured to convert a high frequency receiving signal into an intermediate frequency receiving signal by use of the oscillation signal;

a baseband processor configured to demodulate the intermediate frequency receiving signal and to modulate a transmitting signal; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a radio frequency transmitting signal provided by converting the modulated transmitting signal by use of the oscillation signal.

15. The communication apparatus of claim 14, wherein the voltage controlled oscillator comprises:

a resonator configured to resonate with an initial oscillation frequency during a starting period of oscillation and with a steady oscillation frequency during a steady state oscillation, the resonator including one of the film bulk acoustic resonators having a series resonance frequency higher than the steady oscillation frequency; and

a negative resistance circuit connected to each of the film bulk acoustic resonators, configured to drive the resonator, the negative resistance circuit having a positive increment for reactance in the steady state oscillation compared with reactance in the starting period.

16. The communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the resonator comprises:

a phase adjuster connected to the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators; and

a reactance controller connected to the film bulk acoustic resonator or the phase adjuster, the reactance controller having reactance controlled by the control voltage.

17. The communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein the initial oscillation frequency is in a range higher than the series resonance frequency and lower than a parallel resonance frequency of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators.

18. The communication apparatus of claim 15, wherein, at the series resonance frequency, a ratio of a maximum reactance difference of a reactance controller in a variable range of the control voltage to reactance of the reactance controller at a center value of the control voltage is in a range larger than 0.5, and a ratio of reactance of the reactance controller at the center value of the control voltage to reactance attributable to an electrostatic capacity of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators is in a range not less than 0.30 and not more than 1.50.

19. The communication apparatus of claim 18, wherein a ratio of the maximum reactance difference to a difference between a maximum reactance value and a minimum reactance value of the one of the film bulk acoustic resonators is in a range not less than 0.05 and not more than 0.30.