Power supply

• US 9,225,362 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantance, Inc. (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Quantance, Inc. (Skyworks Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Drogi, Serge Francois, Mertsching, Marcus Charles, Panseri, Luigi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/208,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.1, 330/297
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0025 Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter
• 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: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/008 Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/411 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/516 Some amplifier stages of an amplifier use supply voltages of different value
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers
• 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 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46

Abstract

A power supply for a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal and a method of operation in the power supply. The power supply comprises a first power converter to convert an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. The power supply comprises a second power converter to receive the input voltage and the first supply voltage and to selectively convert either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier.

Claims

1. A power supply for a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal, the power supply comprising:

a first power converter to convert an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier; and

a second power converter to receive the input voltage and the first supply voltage and to selectively convert either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier.

2. The power supply of claim 1 further comprising a control circuit to generate a supply control signal for the second power converter based on an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude of the RF input signal, the second power converter controlling a level of the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier based on the supply control signal.

3. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second power converter selects either the input voltage or the first supply voltage for conversion based on a level of the input voltage to the power supply.

4. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second power converter selectively converts either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into a first output voltage and the power supply further comprises:

a third power converter to receive the input voltage and to convert the input voltage into a second output voltage; and

a power combiner circuit to combine the first output voltage and the second output voltage into the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier.

5. The power supply of claim 4 wherein the power supply disables the third power converter responsive to an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below a threshold.

6. The power supply of claim 5 further comprising a switch coupled between the first supply voltage to the RF power amplifier and the second supply voltage to the RF power amplifier, the power supply disabling the second power converter and closing the switch to connect the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold.

7. The power supply of claim 5 wherein the power supply keeps the second power converter enabled while disabling the third power converter responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold.

8. The power supply of claim 4 wherein the third power converter operates at a higher frequency than the first power converter and the second power converter.

9. The power supply of claim 4 wherein the first power converter is a first switching power converter, the second power converter is a second switching power converter, and the third power converter is a linear power converter.

10. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the first supply voltage provides power to a first stage of the RF power amplifier and the second supply voltage provides power to a second stage of the RF power amplifier that follows the first stage.

11. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second supply voltage provides power to a first stage of the RF power amplifier and the first supply voltage provides power to a second stage of the RF power amplifier that follows the first stage.

12. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the input voltage is a battery voltage.

13. The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second supply voltage to the RF power amplifier tracks an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier.

14. A method of operation in a power supply providing power to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal, the method comprising:

converting, by a first power converter, an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier; and

selectively converting, by a second power converter, either the input voltage to the power supply or the first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating a supply control signal for the second power converter based on an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude of the RF input signal and controlling, by the second power converter, a level of the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier based on the supply control signal.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein selectively converting, by the second power converter, includes selecting either the input voltage or the first supply voltage for conversion based on a level of the input voltage.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier is a first output voltage and the method further comprises:

converting, by a third power converter, the input voltage into a second output voltage; and

combining the first output voltage and the second output voltage into the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising disabling the third power converter responsive to an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below a threshold.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising disabling the second power converter and connecting the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising keeping the second power converter enabled while the third power converter is disabled responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold.