Multi-Band/Multi-Mode Power Amplifier with Signal Path Hardware Sharing

• US 20140015603A1
• Filed: 07/17/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo International Pte. Ltd. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amalfi Semiconductor, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Baker, Maxim, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/126
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0288 using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/07 Doherty-type amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/26 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce influence of noise generated by amplifying elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/301 in MOSFET amplifiers H03F1/303, H03F1/305, H03F1/308 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/222 A circuit being added at the input of an amplifier to adapt the input impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/294 the amplifier being a low noise amplifier [LNA]
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/405 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising more than three power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/429 Two or more amplifiers or one amplifier with filters for different frequency bands are coupled in parallel at the input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21131 the input bias voltage of a power amplifier being controlled, e.g. by a potentiometer or an emitter follower
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21139 An impedance adaptation circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7209 the gated amplifier being switched from a first band to a second band
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7215 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by a switch at the input of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7221 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by a switch at the output of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/7236 the gated amplifier being switched on or off by putting into parallel or not, by choosing between amplifiers by (a ) switch(es)
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 : Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 : Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602

Abstract

Existing multi-band/multi-mode (MB/MM) power amplifiers (PAs) use separate signal paths for the different covered frequency bands. This results in a large degree of hardware duplication and to a large die size and cost. Solutions that achieve hardware sharing between the different signal paths of MB/MM PAs are shown. Such sharing includes bias circuit and bypass capacitors sharing, as well as sharing front-end stages and the output stage of the PA. Signal multiplexing may be realized in the transmitter or at the PA front-end while the signal de-multiplexing can be realized either in the PA output stage or at the front-end of the output stage. Such circuits can be applied with saturated and linear MB/MM PAs with adjacent or non-adjacent bands.

Claims

1. A power amplifier (PA) comprising:

a wideband power amplification signal path; and

a demultiplexer coupled to an output of the wideband power amplification signal path and having a first output for a first frequency band and a second output for a second frequency band;

such that the wideband power amplification signal path is shared over at least the first frequency band and the second frequency band;

the PA being operative in at least one of;

multi-band and multi-mode.

2. The PA of claim 1, further comprising:

a multiplexer having multiplexer inputs coupled to a first frequency band input and a second frequency band input, and having a multiplexer output coupled to an input of the wideband power amplification signal path.

3. The PA of claim 2, further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to the multiplexer.

4. The PA of claim 3, wherein a function of the multiplexer is integral part of the transmitter.

5. The PA of claim 1, further comprising one of:

a transmitter having an integrated multiplexer, the transmitter being coupled to the wideband power amplification signal path; and

,

a single signal path multi-band transmitter coupled to the wideband power amplification signal path.

6. The PA of claim 1, further comprising:

a first match and harmonic filter coupled to the first output; and

a second match and harmonic filter coupled to the second output.

7. The PA of claim 6, further comprising:

an antenna switch coupled to the first match and harmonic filter and the second match and harmonic filter; and

an antenna coupled to the antenna switch.

8. The PA of claim 6, further comprising:

an interface to a plurality of antennas, one for each band of the PA.

9. The PA of claim 1, wherein the demultiplexer is an integral part of an output stage of the wideband power amplification signal path.

10. The PA of claim 1, wherein the demultiplexer is an integral part of an output stage comprising a passive output matching and a harmonic filter.

11. The PA of claim 1, wherein at least a bias circuit is shared with at least another PA.

12. The PA of claim 1, wherein at least a bypass capacitor is shared with at least another PA.

13. The PA of claim 1, wherein the PA is operative in a third signal band different from the first signal band and the second signal band and wherein the third signal band uses at least a power amplification signal path that is different from the wideband power amplification signal path.

14. A power amplifier (PA) comprising:

a first signal path for signals in a first frequency band, the first signal path comprising a plurality of amplification stages;

a second signal path for signals in a second frequency band, the second signal path comprising a plurality of amplification stages; and

at least one bias circuit coupled to bias at least an amplification stage of the first signal path and a corresponding amplification stage of the second signal path;

such that the at least one bias circuit is shared between the first signal path and the second signal path;

the PA being operative in at least one of;

multi-band and multi-mode.

15. The PA of claim 14, further comprising:

a band control circuit for controlling which of the first signal path or the second signal path is operative by causing a switch at the input of the plurality of amplification stages of one of the second signal path or the first signal path to short to ground.

16. The PA of claim 14, further comprising:

a bypass capacitor connected to the at least one bypass circuit and shared between the first signal path and the second signal path.