WIRELESS COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND POWER-SUPPLY APPARATUS

• US 20100120475A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Kazuhiko, Kato, Akihito, Kimura, Tetsuo, TANIUCHI, Hirotada, Kusunoki, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps

Abstract

A wireless communication apparatus includes a power-supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply; and a control unit configured to control the power-supply apparatus, wherein the power-supply apparatus includes a capacitor; a switching unit capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor, and wherein the control unit controls the switching unit so that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, and thereby supplies the voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor in a non-idle period.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a power-supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply; and

control means for controlling the power-supply apparatus,

wherein the power-supply apparatus includes

a capacitor;

switching means capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor, and

wherein the control means controls the switching means so that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, and thereby supplies the voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor in a non-idle period.

2. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching means includes

first and second switches that are connected between an output end of the battery and a ground and that are turned on/off in a complementary manner, and

a third switch that selectively connects the output end of the battery to one end of the capacitor, and

wherein the other end of the capacitor is connected to a connection point of the first and second switches.

3. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load that is intermittently operated is a power amplifier for use in a communication device employing a time-division multiplexing method.

4. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means includes

a controller configured to selectively enable the power amplifier and generate a first control signal for controlling the first and second switches, and

a capacitor voltage monitoring unit configured to monitor an output voltage of the capacitor and generate a second control signal for controlling the third switch on the basis of the monitoring result.

5. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a battery voltage monitoring unit configured to monitor a battery voltage,

wherein the control means constantly turns off the first switch, turns on the second switch, and turns on the third switch when the battery voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined voltage so as to apply battery output to the power amplifier regardless of whether or not the load is in an idle period.

6. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means further includes a function of adjusting a charged voltage of the capacitor in accordance with a variation in the battery voltage by controlling the battery voltage monitoring unit and the capacitor voltage monitoring unit so that the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor becomes substantially constant.

7. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in response to power control of the power amplifier, the control means constantly turns off the first switch, turns on the second switch, and turns on the third switch in the range of an output power level at which operation is possible with only the battery voltage, thereby applying battery output to the power amplifier regardless of whether or not the load is in an idle period.

8. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a power-supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply; and

control means for controlling the power-supply apparatus,

wherein the power-supply apparatus includes

a capacitor;

a step-down DC-DC converter configured to step down a battery voltage and charge the capacitor; and

switching means capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor via the step-down DC-DC converter, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor, and

wherein the control means controls the switching means so that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, and thereby supplies the voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor during a non-idle period.

9. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the load that is intermittently operated is a power amplifier for use in a communication device employing a time-division multiplexing method.

10. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the switching means includes first and second switches that are connected between the output end of the battery and a ground and that are turned on/off in a complementary manner, and

wherein the capacitor is connected between the step-down DC-DC converter and the connection point of the first and second switches.

11. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a third switch that is connected in parallel to the step-down DC-DC converter; and

a battery voltage monitoring unit configured to monitor a battery voltage,

wherein when the battery voltage is higher than or equal to a predetermined voltage, the control means constantly turns off the first switch, turns on the second switch, and turns on the third switch, thereby applying battery output to the power amplifier regardless of whether or not the load is in an idle period.

12. The wireless communication apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, in response to power control of the power amplifier, the control means constantly turns off the first switch, turns on the second switch, and turns on the third switch in the range of an output power level at which operation is possible with only the battery voltage, thereby applying the battery output to the power amplifier regardless of whether or not the load is in an idle period, and the control means applies the output of the step-down DC-DC converter to the power amplifier in the range of an output power level at which operation is possible at a voltage lower than the battery voltage.

13. A power-supply apparatus for supplying electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply, the power-supply apparatus comprising:

a capacitor; and

switching means capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor,

wherein the switching means is controlled in such a manner that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, thereby supplying a voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor to the load during a non-idle period.

15. A power-supply apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the load that is intermittently operated is a power amplifier for use in a communication device employing a time-division multiplexing method.

14. A power-supply apparatus for supplying electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply, the power-supply apparatus comprising:

a capacitor;

a step-down DC-DC converter configured to step down a battery voltage and charge the capacitor; and

switching means capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor via the step-down DC-DC converter, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor,

wherein the switching means is controlled in such a manner that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, thereby supplying a voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor to the load during a non-idle period.

20. A power supply apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the load that is intermittently operated is a power amplifier for use in a communication device employing a time-division multiplexing method.

16. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a power-supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply; and

a control unit configured to control the power-supply apparatus,

wherein the power-supply apparatus includes

a capacitor;

a switching unit capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery to the capacitor and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor, and

wherein the control unit controls the switching unit so that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, and thereby supplies the voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor in a non-idle period.

17. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a power-supply apparatus configured to supply electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply; and

a control unit configured to control the power-supply apparatus,

wherein the power-supply apparatus includes

a capacitor;

a step-down DC-DC converter configured to step down a battery voltage and charge the capacitor; and

a switching unit capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery in the capacitor via the step-down DC-DC converter, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor, and

wherein the control unit controls the switching unit so that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, and thereby supplies the voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor during a non-idle period.

18. A power-supply apparatus for supplying electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply, the power-supply apparatus comprising:

a capacitor; and

a switching unit capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery in the capacitor, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor,

wherein the switching unit is controlled in such a manner that the first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and the second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, thereby supplying a voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor to the load during a non-idle period.

19. A power-supply apparatus for supplying electric power to a load that is intermittently operated by using a battery as a power supply, the power-supply apparatus comprising:

a capacitor;

a step-down DC-DC converter configured to step down a battery voltage and charge the capacitor; and

a switching unit capable of selectively forming a first path through which charging is performed from the battery in the capacitor via the step-down DC-DC converter, and a second path through which the battery is connected in series with the capacitor,

wherein the switching unit is controlled in such a manner that a first path is formed during a period in which the load is idle and a second path is formed during a period in which the load is not idle, thereby supplying a voltage of the sum of the battery voltage and the charged voltage of the capacitor to the load during a non-idle period.