US 11,736,065 B2
Method and apparatus for conveying clock-related information from a timing device
Peter Meyer, Ottawa (CA); and Kamran Rahbar, Kanata (CA)
Assigned to Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed by Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed on Aug. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/884,889.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/253,478, filed on Oct. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0113151 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. H03B 5/36 (2006.01); H03K 19/173 (2006.01); H03K 3/017 (2006.01); H03B 5/04 (2006.01)
CPC H03B 5/36 (2013.01) [H03B 5/04 (2013.01); H03K 3/017 (2013.01); H03K 19/1737 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A timing device comprising:
an oven having a chamber, the oven having a heating element to heat the chamber;
a crystal oscillator disposed in the chamber, the crystal oscillator to generate a clock signal;
one or more sensors to generate one or more operational characteristic signals, respective ones of the one or more operational characteristic signals indicative of respective operational characteristics of the crystal oscillator or the oven;
a plurality of input and output (I/O) connections; and
an integrated circuit (IC) device coupled to the I/O connections, the crystal oscillator and the one or more sensors, the IC device including:
a processing logic coupled to the one or more sensor to receive the one or more operational characteristic signals and generate information that indicates how the generated clock signal is to be modified; and
a modulator coupled to the processing logic to receive the information and coupled to the crystal oscillator to receive the generated clock signal, the modulator to modulate the generated clock signal in relation to the information to generate a modulated clock signal indicative of the one or more operational characteristics of the crystal oscillator or the oven, the modulator coupled to one or more of the I/O connections to output the modulated clock signal over a single one of the plurality of I/O connections.