Power protecting apparatus and method for power amplifier

• US 20060214734A1
• Filed: 03/23/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Kyoo-Chul, Kim, Kun-Wook
• Granted Patent: US 7,482,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/298
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/52 Circuit arrangements for protecting such amplifiers monitoring arrangements G01R31/28; increasing reliability in communication systems, e.g. using redundancy H04B1/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/217 Class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages

Abstract

A power protecting apparatus and method of a power amplifier for removing backward voltages and preventing a hard damage within a circuit by connecting an output terminal of a DC-DC converter with an input terminal of a filter using diodes when an excessive backward voltage is generated due to physical characteristics of an inductor within the circuit at the time of applying high power level and low power level to the power amplifier using switching devices within a power circuit in order to optimize power consumption.

Claims

1. A power protecting apparatus comprising:

a power amplifier for performing two stages of linear amplification by receiving the first power and the second power;

a switch for maintaining an on-state of the power amplifier to allow the first power to be transferred to the power amplifier while the power amplifier performs the first stage of the linear amplification;

a converter for supplying the second power to the power amplifier while the power amplifier performs the second stage of the linear amplification; and

a power protecting unit for removing a backward voltage generated when the second power is supplied to the power amplifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power unit includes:

a first power source terminal for supplying a first power which is equal to or more than a particular voltage;

a second power source terminal for supplying a second power which is less than a particular voltage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter is a Direct Current-Direct Current (DC-DC) converter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter includes:

a switching unit equipped with two Filed Effect Transistors (FETs) which are complementarily operated; and

a switching control unit for controlling an on/off state of the switching unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch is a first FET with its source connected to the first power terminal and its drain connected to the power amplifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the switching unit includes:

a second FET with its source connected to the second power source terminal; and

a third FET with its drain connected to the drain of the second FET, and its source connected to a ground.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the switching control unit applies on and off signals to gate terminals of the second and third FETs.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter connected to an output terminal of the converter for filtering noise contained in an output signal of the converter.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the filter includes:

an inductor for charging and discharging an output power of the converter; and

a condenser for filtering noise of the power outputted from the inductor.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the power protecting unit includes:

a first diode for removing a positive backward voltage generated between the filter and the output terminal of the converter; and

a second diode for removing a negative backward voltage generated between the filter and the output terminal of the converter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first diode with its anode connected to the output terminal of the converter and its cathode connected to the second power source terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first diode bypasses the positive backward voltage toward the second power source terminal when the positive backward voltage is greater than a maximum reference value.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second diode has its anode connected to the output terminal of the converter and its cathode connected to the ground of the converter.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second diode bypasses the negative backward voltage toward the ground of the converter when the negative backward voltage is smaller than a minimum reference value.

15. A mobile communications terminal comprising:

a power amplifier for performing a amplification for power levels by receiving a first power and a second power;

a controller for controlling the gain of the power amplifier according to a received control signal; and

a power protecting apparatus for removing backward voltages generated when changing the gain.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the power protecting apparatus comprises:

a first power source terminal for supplying a first power which is equal to or more than a particular voltage;

a second power source terminal for supplying a second power which is less than a particular voltage;

a switch for maintaining an on-state of the power amplifier to allow the first power to be transferred to the power amplifier during the high gain mode of the power amplifier;

a converter for supplying the second power to the power amplifier during the low gain mode of the power amplifier;

a filter for filtering noise element contained in an output of the converter; and

a power protecting unit for removing backward voltages generated when the second power is supplied to the power amplifier.

17. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the power protecting unit includes:

a first diode for removing a positive backward voltage generated between the filter and the output terminal of the converter; and

a second diode for removing a negative backward voltage generated between the filter and the output terminal of the converter.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the first diode bypasses the positive backward voltage toward the second power source terminal when the positive backward voltage is greater than a maximum reference value.

19. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the first diode has its anode connected to an output terminal of the converter and its cathode connected to the second power source terminal.

20. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the second diode has its anode connected to the output terminal of the converter and its cathode connected to a ground of the converter.

21. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the second diode bypasses the negative backward voltage toward a ground of the converter when the negative backward voltage is smaller than a minimum reference value.