Energy source sharing

• US 8,896,374 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Roy Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khanh V
• Application Number:
  US13/558,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20140028390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 330/124.R, 330/127, 330/295, 330/297, 455/127.1, 455/127.3, 455/127.5, 455/572
• US Class Current: 330/127
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to devices and methods for sharing an energy storage element within an electronic device. A device may include a plurality of transmit paths. The device may further include a voltage supply including an energy storage element coupled to each transmit path of the plurality of transmit paths.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a plurality of transmit paths; and

a voltage source including a power converter and an energy storage element coupled to and shared by each transmit path of the plurality of transmit paths, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the plurality of transmit paths and the energy storage element configured to supply peak current required by the plurality of transmit paths.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power converter is a boost converter.

3. The device of claim 1, each transmit path of the plurality of transmit paths including a buck converter configured as a buck envelope following converter coupled to a power amplifier.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an audio amplifier and electronic flash coupled to the voltage source.

5. The device of claim 1, the energy storage element comprising an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC).

6. A device, comprising:

a first power amplifier;

at least a second power amplifier; and

a voltage supply including a power converter and an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) and configured for simultaneously supplying a voltage to each of the first power amplifier and the at least a second power amplifier, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the power amplifiers.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the power converter is a boost converter for coupling to a power source.

8. The device of claim 6, the first power amplifier coupled to buck converter configured as a first buck envelope following converter and the at least a second power amplifier coupled to a second buck envelope following converter.

9. The device of claim 6, further comprising an electronic flash and an audio amplifier coupled to the voltage supply.

10. The device of claim 6, further comprising a battery coupled to the voltage supply.

11. A device, comprising:

a voltage supply including a power converter coupled to an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC); and

a plurality of components configured to receive a voltage from the voltage supply, at least two of the plurality of components comprising a power amplifier, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the power amplifiers.

12. The device of claim 11, the plurality of components comprising at least one of an electronic flash and an audio amplifier.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a voltage from a power converter;

supplying the voltage from an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a first power amplifier; and

supplying the voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a second power amplifier, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the power amplifiers.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising supplying a voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to at least one of an electronic flash and an audio amplifier.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging the electric double-layer capacitor with a voltage from a battery.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising boosting the voltage from the battery to charge the electric double-layer capacitor.

17. A method, comprising:

charging an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) from a power converter; and

simultaneously supplying a plurality of power amplifiers with a voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), the power converter configured to supply average current required by the plurality of power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the plurality of power amplifiers.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising supplying at least one of an electronic flash and an audio amplifier with a voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC).

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising boosting a battery voltage to charge the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC).

20. The method of claim 17, the supplying the plurality of power amplifiers with a voltage comprising:

supplying the voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a first buck converter coupled to an input of a first power amplifier of the plurality of power amplifiers; and

supplying the voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a second buck converter coupled to an input of a second power amplifier of the plurality of power amplifiers.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a supply voltage from a power converter;

conveying the supply voltage from an electric double-layer capacitor to a first power amplifier, the supply voltage following an envelope of a radio-frequency (RF) signal conveyed to the first power amplifier; and

conveying the supply voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor to a second power amplifier, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the power amplifiers and the electric double-layer capacitor configured to supply peak current required by the power amplifiers.

22. A device, comprising:

means for receiving a voltage from a power converter;

means for supplying the voltage from an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a first power amplifier; and

means for supplying the voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to a second power amplifier, the power converter configured to supply average current required by the power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the power amplifiers.

23. The device of claim 22, further comprising means for supplying a voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) to at least one of an electronic flash and an audio amplifier.

24. A device, comprising:

means for charging an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) from a power converter; and

means for simultaneously supplying a plurality of power amplifiers with a voltage from the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), the power converter configured to supply average current required by the plurality of power amplifiers and the EDLC configured to supply peak current required by the plurality of power amplifiers.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising means for boosting a battery voltage to charge the electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC).