Patent ID: 6943601

Claim:
A method for controlling two phase delay elements connected in series, comprising the steps of: (a) providing first and second delay elements; (b) supplying an input signal to the input of the first delay element; (c) generating a first delay signal at the output of the first delay element; (d) generating a second delay signal at the output of the second delay element; (e) providing a first phase control signal as a function of the input signal and the first and second delay signals, said first phase control signal being an up signal which in an active switching state raises the phase delay of the first and second delay elements; (f) providing a second phase control signal as a function of the input signal and the first and second delay signals, said second phase control signal being a down signal which in an active second state decreases the phase delay of the first and second delay elements; said first and second phase control signals operating such that the first and second phase control signals adopt their active switching state in each period of the input signal for at least one-quarter of the period duration of said input signal.