Appeal No. 1997-3156
Application No. 08/372,423
Representative independent claim 24 is reproduced as follows:
24. A system comprising:
an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit using a clock signal to
generate an output signal on an output pin of the integrated circuit; and,
a monitoring circuit which monitors core temperature of the integrated
circuit, the monitoring circuit comprising
a phase delay detection circuit coupled to the output pin
of the integrated circuit and to the clock signal, the phase
delay detection circuit including
digital signal generating means, coupled to the output
pin of the integrated circuit, for generating a digital signal, wherein
changes in phase delay between the output signal on the output pin of
the integrated circuit and the clock signal result in changes in a duty
cycle of the digital signal generated by the digital signal generating
means, and
integrating means, coupled to the digital signal
generating means, for integrating the digital signal to produce an
integrated signal, a voltage level of the integrated signal indicating
relative phase delay between the output signal on the output pin of the
integrated circuit and the clock signal, and
control means coupled to the integrating means, for
changing an operating frequency of the integrated circuit when the
voltage level of the integrated signal indicates that the phase delay
between the output signal and the clock signal is longer than a
predetermined value.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Swapp 4,858,208 Aug. 15, 1989
2
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007