Multi-mode multi-band power amplifier module

• US 8,971,830 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: See, Puay Hoe, Nejati, Babak, Klemens, Guy, Frederick, Norman L Jr., Sahota, Gurkanwal S, Cassia, Marco, Pletcher, Nathan M, Zhao, Yu, Myers, Thomas A, Hadjichristos, Aristotle
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNON, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/575,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20100291888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 455/102, 455/129, 4551271-1275, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/127.4
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• 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 3/24 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: H04B 1/0458 Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages matching circuits in general H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths

Abstract

A multi-mode multi-band power amplifier (PA) module is described. In an exemplary design, the PA module includes multiple power amplifiers, multiple matching circuits, and a set of switches. Each power amplifier provides power amplification for its input signal when selected. Each matching circuit provides impedance matching and filtering for its power amplifier and provides a respective output signal. The switches configure the power amplifiers to support multiple modes, with each mode being for a particular radio technology. Each power amplifier supports at least two modes. The PA module may further include a driver amplifier and an additional matching circuit. The driver amplifier amplifies an input signal and provides an amplified signal to the power amplifiers. The additional matching circuit combines the outputs of other matching circuits and provides an output signal with higher output power. The driver amplifier and the power amplifiers can support multiple output power levels.

Claims

1. An apparatus for signal processing, comprising:

a first power amplifier receiving a first input signal and providing power amplification for the first input signal when the first power amplifier is selected;

a first matching circuit coupled to the first power amplifier and providing a first output signal;

a second power amplifier receiving a second input signal and providing power amplification for the second input signal when the second power amplifier is selected;

a second matching circuit coupled to the second power amplifier and providing a second output signal; and

a plurality of switches coupled to the first and second power amplifiers and the first and second matching circuits, the plurality of switches configuring the first and second power amplifiers to support a plurality of modes, each mode being for a particular radio technology, and each power amplifier supporting at least two modes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the first and second input signals being a common input signal, and the plurality of switches selecting zero, one, or both of the first and second power amplifiers to perform power amplification for the common input signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the first matching circuit performing impedance matching for the first power amplifier, the second matching circuit performing impedance matching for the second power amplifier, and the first and second matching circuits further performing filtering to attenuate undesired signal components at harmonic frequencies.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third matching circuit coupled to the first and second matching circuits, the third matching circuit receiving the first and second output signals and providing a third output signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the first and second power amplifiers receiving a common input signal as the first and second input signals and providing power amplification for the common input signal when the third output signal is selected, and the third matching circuit combining outputs of the first and second power amplifiers to obtain higher output power and performing impedance matching for the first and second matching circuits when the third output signal is selected.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a first switch coupled between the first matching circuit and the third matching circuit; and

a second switch coupled between the second matching circuit and the third matching circuit, the first and second switches being closed when the third output signal is selected.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a driver amplifier coupled to at least one of the first and second power amplifiers, the driver amplifier receiving an input radio frequency (RF) signal and providing signal amplification for the input RF signal when the driver amplifier is selected.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one switch coupled to the driver amplifier and operated to select or bypass the driver amplifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, the driver amplifier supporting the plurality of modes and providing a common input signal as the first and second input signals for the first and second power amplifiers.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, the driver amplifier having a plurality of gain settings, and one of the plurality of gain settings being selected based on a target output power level.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, the first and second power amplifiers and the driver amplifier being selected for a first output power level.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, one of the first and second power amplifiers being selected and the driver amplifier being selected or unselected for a second output power level lower than the first output power level.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, the first and second power amplifiers being unselected and the driver amplifier being selected for a second output power level lower than the second output power level, and the first and second power amplifiers and the driver amplifier being unselected for a third output power level lower than the second output power level.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, the first power amplifier supporting a first mode and a second mode, and the second power amplifier supporting the second mode and a third mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, the first mode being for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 1X, the second mode being for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the third mode being for Wideband CDMA (WCDMA).

16. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a first switch coupling the first output signal to an antenna when the first output signal is selected;

a second switch coupling the second output signal to the antenna when the second output signal is selected; and

a third switch coupling the third output signal to the antenna when the third output signal is selected.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a third power amplifier receiving a third input signal and providing power amplification for the third input signal when the third power amplifier is selected;

a third matching circuit coupled to the third power amplifier and providing a third output signal;

a fourth power amplifier receiving a fourth input signal and providing power amplification for the fourth input signal when the fourth power amplifier is selected;

a fourth matching circuit coupled to the fourth power amplifier and providing a fourth output signal; and

a second plurality of switches coupled to the third and fourth power amplifiers and the third and fourth matching circuits, the second plurality of switches configuring the third and fourth power amplifiers to support the plurality of modes for high band, and the first and second power amplifiers supporting the plurality of modes for low band.

18. A wireless device comprising:

a power amplifier (PA) module comprising

a first power amplifier receiving a first input signal and providing power amplification for the first input signal when the first power amplifier is selected,

a first matching circuit coupled to the first power amplifier and providing a first output signal,

a second power amplifier receiving a second input signal and providing power amplification for the second input signal when the second power amplifier is selected,

a second matching circuit coupled to the second power amplifier and providing a second output signal, and

a plurality of switches coupled to the first and second power amplifiers and the first and second matching circuits, the plurality of switches configuring the first and second power amplifiers to support a plurality of configurations, each configuration covering at least one mode and at least one band, each mode being for a particular radio technology, and each power amplifier switchably supporting at least two modes; and

an antenna coupled to the PA module and transmitting the first output signal when a first configuration is selected and transmitting the second output signal when a second configuration is selected.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, the PA module further comprising a third matching circuit coupled to the first and second matching circuits, the third matching circuit receiving and combining the first and second output signals and providing a third output signal for transmission via the antenna when a third configuration is selected.

20. The wireless device of claim 18, the PA module further comprising a driver amplifier coupled to at least one of the first and second power amplifiers, the driver amplifier receiving an input radio frequency (RF) signal and providing signal amplification for the input RF signal when the driver amplifier is selected.

21. A method of performing signal processing, comprising:

amplifying a first input signal with a first power amplifier when the first power amplifier is selected;

performing impedance matching for the first power amplifier with a first matching circuit and obtaining a first output signal when the first power amplifier is selected;

amplifying a second input signal with a second power amplifier when the second power amplifier is selected;

performing impedance matching for the second power amplifier with a second matching circuit and obtaining a second output signal when the second power amplifier is selected; and

configuring the first and second power amplifiers via a plurality of switches to support a plurality of modes, each mode being for a particular radio technology, and each power amplifier supporting at least two modes.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating the first and second input signals for the first and second power amplifiers based on a common input signal; and

selecting zero, one, or both of the first and second power amplifiers to amplify the common input signal.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

combining outputs of the first and second power amplifiers when the first and second power amplifiers are selected; and

performing impedance matching for the first and second matching circuits with a third matching circuit and obtaining a third output signal having higher output power when the first and second power amplifiers are selected.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing filtering with the first, second, and third matching circuits to attenuate undesired signal components at harmonic frequencies.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

amplifying an input radio frequency (RF) signal with a driver amplifier to obtain a common input signal when the driver amplifier is selected; and

providing the common input signal as the first and second input signals for the first and second power amplifiers.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting or bypassing the driver amplifier based on a selected output power level in a plurality of output power levels.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

routing the first, second, or third output signal to an antenna via first, second, or third switch, respectively.

28. An apparatus for signal processing, comprising:

first means for amplifying a first input signal when the first means for amplifying is selected;

first means for performing impedance matching for the first means for amplifying and obtaining a first output signal when the first means for amplifying is selected;

second means for amplifying a second input signal when the second means for amplifying is selected;

second means for performing impedance matching for the second means for amplifying and obtaining a second output signal when the second means for amplifying is selected; and

means for switchably configuring the first and second means for amplifying to support a plurality of modes, each mode being for a particular radio technology, and each means for amplifying supporting at least two modes.