Power management system for multi-carriers transmitter

• US 8,588,713 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US13/343,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 4551271-1274, 330/297
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/72 Gated amplifiers, i.e. amplifiers which are rendered operative or inoperative by means of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3047 for intermittent signals, e.g. burst signals

Abstract

A power management system for a multi-carriers transmitter is disclosed. The power management system includes a first switcher having a control input and a power output, and a second switcher having a control input and a power output. Also included is a mode switch having a mode control input, wherein the mode switch is adapted to selectively couple the power output of the first switcher to the power output of the second switcher in response to a mode control signal received by the mode control input. Further included is a control system adapted to generate the mode control signal. The control system is coupled to the mode control input of the mode switch.

Claims

1. A power management system for a multi-carriers transmitter comprising:

a first switcher having a control input and a power output;

a second switcher having a control input and a power output;

a mode switch having a mode control input, wherein the mode switch is adapted to selectively couple the power output of the first switcher to the power output of the second switcher in response to a mode control signal received by the mode control input; and

a control system coupled to the mode control input of the mode switch, wherein the control system is adapted to generate the mode control signal.

2. The power management system of claim 1 wherein a first mode, a first power amplifier (PA) is enabled to receive power output from the first switcher and a second PA is enabled to receive power output from the second switcher in which the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

3. The power management system of claim 1 wherein a second mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power output from both the first switcher and the second switcher as a second PA is disabled while the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system.

4. The power management system of claim 1 wherein a third mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power from the first switcher while a second PA is disabled and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

5. The power management system of claim 1 wherein a fourth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from both the first switcher and the second switcher and the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system.

6. The power management system of claim 1 wherein a fifth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from the second switcher only and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

7. The power management system of claim 1 further comprising:

an analog multiplexer having a control input coupled to the control system, a first analog input, a second analog input, a first analog output, and a second analog output;

a first operational amplifier (OPAMP) having a first input for receiving a first analog control signal, a second input communicatively coupled to the power output of the first switcher, and an output coupled to the first analog input to provide feedback to the control input of the first switcher and/or to provide feedback to the control input of the second switcher through the analog multiplexer in response to the mode control signal generated by the control system, the feedback corresponding to an output voltage provided at the power output of the first switcher; and

a second OPAMP having a first input for receiving a second analog control signal, a second input communicatively coupled to the power output of the second switcher, and an output coupled to the second analog input to provide feedback to the control input of the first switcher and/or to provide feedback to the control input of the second switcher through the analog multiplexer in response to the mode control signal generated by the control system, the feedback corresponding to an output voltage provided at the power output of the second switcher.

8. The power management system of claim 7 wherein a first mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power output from the first switcher and a second PA is enabled to receive power output from the second switcher in which the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded to route feedback from the first OPAMP to the first switcher while also being commanded to route feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

9. The power management system of claim 7 wherein a second mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power output from both the first switcher and the second switcher as a second PA is disabled while the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route feedback from the first OPAMP to both the first switcher and the second switcher.

10. The power management system of claim 7 wherein a third mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power from the first switcher while a second PA is disabled and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded to route the feedback from the first OPAMP to the first switcher.

11. The power management system of claim 10 wherein the second switcher is off.

12. The power management system of claim 7 wherein a fourth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from both the first switcher and the second switcher and the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route the feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

13. The power management system of claim 7 wherein a fifth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from the second switcher only and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

14. The power management system of claim 13 wherein the first switcher is off.

15. A method for operating a power management system for a multi-carriers transmitter, the power management system including a first switcher and a second switcher, and a mode switch adapted to selectively couple and decouple a power output of the first switcher to a power output of the second switcher via a mode control signal, comprising:

generating a mode control signal for a dual transmitter mode that opens the mode control switch so that power output from the first switcher powers a first PA and power output from the second switcher powers a second PA; and

generating a mode control signal for a single transmitter mode that closes the mode control switch so that power output from the first switcher and power output from the second switcher powers only an enabled one of the first PA or the second PA.

16. The method of claim 15 further including in the dual transmitter mode driving the first switcher with a feedback of output power from the first switcher and driving the second switcher with a feedback of output power from the second switcher.

17. The method of claim 15 further including in the single transmitter mode driving the first switcher and the second switcher with a feedback of a combined output power of the first switcher and the second switcher.

18. A mobile terminal comprising:

a first PA for amplifying a first transmitter signal;

a second PA for amplifying a second transmitter signal;

a power management system for a multi-carriers transmitter comprising;

a first switcher having a control input and a power output for powering the first PA and/or second PA;

a second switcher having a control input and a power output for powering the first PA and/or second PA;

a mode switch having a mode control input, wherein the mode switch is adapted to selectively couple the power output of the first switcher to the power output of the second switcher in response to a mode control signal received by the mode control input; and

a control system coupled to the mode control input of the mode switch, wherein the control system is adapted to generate the mode control signal.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 18 wherein a first mode, a PA is enabled to receive power output from the first switcher and a second PA is enabled to receive power output from the second switcher in which the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 18 wherein a second mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power output from both the first switcher and the second switcher as a second PA is disabled while the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 18 wherein a third mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power from the first switcher while a second PA is disabled and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 18 wherein a fourth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from both the first switcher and the second switcher and the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 18 wherein a fifth mode, a first PA is disabled and a second PA is enabled to receive power from the second switcher only and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 18 further comprising:

an analog multiplexer having a control input coupled to the control system, a first analog input, a second analog input, a first analog output, and a second analog output;

a first operational amplifier (OPAMP) having a first input for receiving a first analog control signal, a second input communicatively coupled to the power output of the first switcher, and an output coupled to the first analog input to provide feedback to the control input of the first switcher and/or to provide feedback to the control input of the second switcher through the analog multiplexer in response to the mode control signal generated by the control system, the feedback corresponding to an output voltage provided at the power output of the first switcher; and

a second OPAMP having a first input for receiving a second analog control signal, a second input communicatively coupled to the power output of the second switcher, and an output coupled to the second analog input to provide feedback to the control input of the first switcher and/or to provide feedback to the control input of the second switcher through the analog multiplexer in response to the mode control signal generated by the control system, the feedback corresponding to an output voltage provided at the power output of the second switcher.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 24 wherein a first mode, the first PA is enabled to receive power output from the first switcher and the second PA is enabled to receive power output from the second switcher in which the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded to route feedback from the first OPAMP to the first switcher while also being commanded to route feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 24 wherein a second mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power output from both the first switcher and the second switcher as the second PA is disabled while the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route feedback from the first OPAMP to both the first switcher and the second switcher.

27. The mobile terminal of claim 24 wherein a third mode, a first PA is enabled to receive power from the first switcher while a second PA is disabled and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded to route the feedback from the first OPAMP to the first switcher.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27 wherein the second switcher is off.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 24 wherein a fourth mode, the first PA is disabled and the second PA is enabled to receive power from both the first switcher and the second switcher and the mode switch is commanded closed by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route the feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 24 wherein a fifth mode, the first PA is disabled and the second PA is enabled to receive power from the second switcher only and the mode switch is commanded open by the control system and the analog multiplexer is commanded by the control system to route feedback from the second OPAMP to the second switcher.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 30 wherein the first switcher is off.