Patent ID: 7439816

Claim:
A method, comprising: detecting a phase and a frequency of a first signal and a phase and a frequency of a second signal in a phase-locked loop circuit; adjusting the frequency of the second signal in a first control element until the frequency of the second signal is within a predetermined range of the frequency of the first signal; and tuning the phase and the frequency of the second signal in a second control element until the phase and the frequency of the second signal is synchronized with the phase and the frequency of the first signal, wherein adjusting further comprises: signaling a charge pump in the first control element in response to a determination that the frequency of the second signal is outside of a predetermined range of the frequency of the first signal, wherein signal further comprises signaling the charge pump to perform one of increasing a voltage at a capacitor node and a control node of a voltage controlled oscillator in response to a determination that the frequency of the first signal is higher than the frequency of the second signal and decreasing the voltage at the capacitor node and the control node of the voltage controlled oscillator in response to a determination that the frequency of the first signal is lower frequency than the frequency of the second signal, wherein the charge pump is signaled in response to a determination that the frequency of the second signal is outside of a predetermined range of the frequency of the first signal.