Patent ID: 8212599

Claim:
A signal generator comprising: an oscillator circuit responsive to a feedback signal to control a frequency of an oscillating output signal, wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to generate multiple phase oscillating output signals; a plurality of frequency-to-current conversion circuits in electrical communication with a respective one of the multiple phase oscillating output signals of the oscillator circuit, wherein each frequency-to-current conversion circuit is configured to generate a frequency dependent current signal, where the frequency dependent current signal corresponds to the frequency of the respective one of the multiple phase oscillating output signals; and a feedback conversion circuit in electrical communication with the frequency-to-current conversion circuits, wherein the feedback conversion circuit is configured to compare output signals of the frequency-to-current conversion circuits with a reference signal to generate the feedback signal to the oscillator circuit; wherein each frequency-to-current conversion circuit comprises: a non-overlap clock circuit disposed to receive the oscillating output signal, wherein the non-overlap clock circuit generates non-overlapping clock signals corresponding to the frequency of the oscillating output signal of the oscillator circuit; and a frequency-to-current converter responsive to the non-overlapping clock signals to generate the output signal of the frequency-to-current conversion circuit.