POWER SUPPLY CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH VARIABLE POST-REGULATION

• US 20100244951A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Graham Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,872,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/127
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/004 Control by varying the supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A circuit, system and method determine the control voltage for a DC-DC converter. A control module determines a raw battery voltage and an operating temperature. It references a look up table to determine a voltage regulator control voltage based on the battery voltage and the operating temperature during normal operation. In some cases, the control module also uses a level of interference to determine the control voltage.

Claims

1. User equipment comprising:

a switching regulator having a regulator control voltage input, wherein the switching regulator is configured to receive an input voltage and to produce an output voltage dependent on a first signal applied to the regulator control voltage input;

a linear regulator coupled to the switching regulator and configured to receive the output voltage and produce a time-varying operating voltage;

a power amplifier coupled to the linear regulator and configured to produce a RF output signal having an RF output power controlled the time-varying operating voltage;

a temperature sensing device configured to determine an indication of an operating temperature;

an analog to digital converter configured to receive the input voltage and to determine a digital representation of the input voltage;

a look up table storing a set of adjustment values according to the input voltage and the operating temperature; and

a control module configured to receive the digital representation of the input voltage and the indication of the operating temperature and configured to determine the first signal based on the input voltage, the operating temperature and a set of adjustment values stored in the look up table.

2. The user equipment of claim 1 further comprising a battery configured to produce the input voltage.

3. The user equipment of claim 1 wherein the look up table is a multi-dimensional array.

4. The user equipment of claim 1 wherein the look up table comprises at least two single entry arrays, a first single entry array indexed according to a set of ranges of the operating temperature and a second single entry array indexed according to a set of ranges of the input voltage.

5. A method of power supply management comprising:

determining a battery voltage;

determining an operating temperature;

referencing a look up table to determine a voltage regulator control setting based on the battery voltage and the operating temperature during normal operation;

providing the voltage regulator control setting to a non-linear power supply, wherein the voltage regulator control setting adjusts an output voltage of the non-linear power supply; and

providing the output voltage to a variable post regulator.

6. The method of power supply management of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an indication of an updated desired RF output power; and

referencing the look up table to determine an updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the updated desired RF output power.

7. The method of power supply management of claim 5 further comprising adjusting an output of the variable post regulator based on a desired RF output power of a power amplifier.

8. The method of power supply management of claim 5 further comprising:

measuring a size of an unwanted intermodulation product; and

determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the size.

9. The method of power supply management of claim 5 further comprising:

measuring a power level of received interference; and

determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the power level.

10. The method of power supply management of claim 5 further comprising:

monitoring a state of a second circuit; and

determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the state.

11. A device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry comprising:

means for determining a battery voltage;

means for determining an operating temperature;

means for referencing a look up table to determine a voltage regulator control setting based on the battery voltage and the operating temperature during normal operation;

means for providing the voltage regulator control setting to a non-linear power supply, wherein the voltage regulator control setting adjusts an output voltage of the non-linear power supply; and

means for providing the output voltage to a variable post regulator.

12. The device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry of claim 11 comprising:

means for receiving an indication of an updated desired RF output power; and

means for referencing the look up table to determine an updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the updated desired RF output power.

13. The device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry of claim 11 comprising means for adjusting an output of the variable post regulator based on a desired RF output power of a power amplifier.

14. The device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry of claim 11 comprising:

means for measuring a size of an unwanted intermodulation product; and

means for determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the size.

15. The device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry of claim 11 comprising:

measuring a power level of received interference; and

determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the power level.

16. The device that controls the efficiency and performance of a set of electronic circuitry claim 11 further comprising:

means for monitoring a state of a second circuit; and

means for determining a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the state.

17. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that when executed in a wireless communication device cause the device to provide control of the efficiency and performance of the device, wherein upon execution the instructions cause the device to:

determine a battery voltage;

determine an operating temperature;

reference a look up table to determine a voltage regulator control setting based on the battery voltage and the operating temperature during normal operation;

provide the voltage regulator control setting to a non-linear power supply, wherein the voltage regulator control setting adjusts an output voltage of the non-linear power supply; and

provide the output voltage to a variable post regulator.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution the instructions further cause the device to:

receive an indication of an updated desired RF output power; and

reference the look up table to determine an updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the updated desired RF output power.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution the instructions further cause the device to adjust an output of the variable post regulator based on a desired RF output power of a power amplifier.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution the instructions further cause the device to:

measure a size of an unwanted intermodulation product; and

determine a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the size.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution the instructions further cause the device to:

measure a power level of received interference; and

determine a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the power level.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein execution the instructions further cause the device to:

to monitor a state of a second circuit; and

to determine a second updated voltage regulator control setting based upon the state.