Method and System for Minimizing Power Consumption in a Communication System

• US 20080081572A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/02 Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/045 with means for improving efficiency

Abstract

A method and system for minimizing power consumption in a communication system is provided. The method may include adjusting the supply voltage of pre-driver for a power amplifier, which may be used for amplifying a RF signal, in proportion to the envelope of the baseband of the RF signal. The signals may correspond to a variety of communication protocols. For example, WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUDPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WiMAX, OFDM, UWB, ZigBee, and BlueTooth. The signal may be delayed by a number of samples before being input into the pre-driver. The envelope may be measured by evaluating a plurality of I and Q samples from the signal. The number of samples may be calculated by measuring the intermodulation distortion at the output of the amplifier. The supply voltage may be generated by a switching regulator. The method may also include adjusting a supply voltage and bias voltage for a power amplifier in proportion to said envelope of said signal.

Claims

1. A method for processing signals in a communication system, the method comprising:

adjusting a supply voltage of an amplifier pre-driver in proportion to an envelope of a baseband signal so that said amplifier pre-driver amplifies a delayed version of said baseband signal, wherein said delayed version of said baseband signal is delayed by a number of samples of said baseband signal.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising, adjusting a supply voltage for a power amplifier in proportion to said envelope.

3. The method according to claim 2 comprising, adjusting a bias voltage of said power amplifier in proportion to said envelope.

4. The method according to claim 2 comprising, calculating said number of samples by minimizing an amount of intermodulation distortion at an output of said power amplifier.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising, measuring said envelope by evaluating a plurality of I and Q samples of said baseband signal.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising, generating said supply voltage for said amplifier pre-driver via a switching regulator.

7. The method according to claim 2 comprising, generating said supply voltage for said power amplifier via a switching regulator.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pre-driver amplifier comprises at least one driver.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said pre-driver amplifier comprises at least one mixer.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said at least one driver comprise at least one linear amplifier.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said at least one mixer comprise at least one linear amplifier.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal conforms to at least one of a:

WCDMA protocol, HSDPA protocol, HSUDPA protocol, GSM protocol, GPRS protocol, EDGE protocol, WiMAX protocol, OFDM protocol, UWB protocol, ZigBee protocol, and a BlueTooth Protocol.

13. A system for processing signals in a communication system, the system comprising:

one or more circuits that enables adjusting a supply voltage of an amplifier pre-driver in proportion to an envelope of a baseband signal so that said amplifier pre-driver amplifies a delayed version of said baseband signal, wherein said delayed version of said baseband signal is delayed by a number of samples of said baseband signal.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables adjusting a supply voltage for a power amplifier in proportion to said envelope.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enables adjusting a bias voltage of said power amplifier in proportion to said envelope.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enables calculating said number of samples by minimizing an amount of intermodulation distortion at an output of said power amplifier.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein said one or more circuits enables measuring said envelope by evaluating a plurality of I and Q samples of said baseband signal.

18. The method according to claim 13 comprising, generating said supply voltage for said amplifier pre-driver via a switching regulator.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein said one or more circuits enables generating said supply voltage for said power amplifier via a switching regulator.

20. The system according to claim 13, wherein said pre-driver amplifier comprises at least one driver.

21. The system according to claim 13, wherein said pre-driver amplifier comprises at least one mixer.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said at least one driver comprise at least one linear amplifier.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said at least one mixer comprise at least one linear amplifier.

24. The system according to claim 13, wherein said signal conforms to at least one of a:

WCDMA protocol, HSDPA protocol, HSUDPA protocol, GSM protocol, GPRS protocol, EDGE protocol, WiMAX protocol, OFDM protocol, UWB protocol, ZigBee protocol, and a BlueTooth Protocol.