Communications based adjustments of a parallel amplifier power supply

• US 9,300,252 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim, Kay, Michael R., Nag, Manbir Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, PABLO N
• Application Number:
  US14/163,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.2, 455/127.3, 455/127.1, 455/127.4, 455/102, 455/108, 455/126, 330/127, 330/75
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0266 by using a signal derived from the input signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/375 Circuitry to compensate the offset being present in an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/432 Two or more amplifiers of different type are coupled in parallel at the input or output, e.g. a class D and a linear amplifier, a class B and a class A amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/471 the voltage being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/555 A voltage generating circuit being realised for biasing different circuit elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages

Abstract

A parallel amplifier and a parallel amplifier power supply are disclosed. The parallel amplifier power supply provides a parallel amplifier power supply signal, which is adjustable on a communications slot-to-communications slot basis. During envelope tracking, the parallel amplifier regulates an envelope power supply voltage based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal.

Claims

1. An envelope tracking power supply having an envelope tracking power supply output and comprising:

a parallel amplifier power supply configured to provide a parallel amplifier power supply signal, which is configured to be adjustable on a communications slot-to-communications slot basis;

a parallel amplifier having a parallel amplifier output, which during envelope tracking, is configured to regulate an envelope power supply voltage based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal; and

switching circuitry having a switching circuitry output, wherein;

an offset capacitive element is directly coupled between the parallel amplifier output and the envelope tracking power supply output; and

a first inductive element is coupled between the switching circuitry output and the envelope tracking power supply output.

2. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 wherein the first inductive element is directly coupled between the switching circuitry output and the envelope tracking power supply output.

3. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 further comprising an offset capacitance voltage control loop, wherein the offset capacitive element has an offset capacitive voltage, which is configured to be adjusted using the offset capacitance voltage control loop.

4. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 wherein during at least one communications slot an average DC current through the offset capacitive element is equal to about zero.

5. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 wherein the envelope tracking power supply is configured to provide the envelope power supply voltage to a radio frequency power amplifier via the envelope tracking power supply output, such that during envelope tracking, the envelope power supply voltage at least partially envelope tracks a radio frequency transmit signal from the radio frequency power amplifier.

6. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 5 wherein for at least one communications slot, the parallel amplifier power supply signal is based on an expected maximum and an expected minimum of the envelope power supply voltage.

7. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 6 wherein the offset capacitive element has an offset capacitive voltage, such that during the at least one communications slot, the offset capacitive voltage is based on the expected minimum of the envelope power supply voltage.

8. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 7 wherein the parallel amplifier output has a sink headroom voltage, such that the offset capacitive voltage is less than or equal to a difference between the expected minimum of the envelope power supply voltage and the sink headroom voltage.

9. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 8 wherein the sink headroom voltage is equal to about 0.2 volts.

10. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 7 wherein the parallel amplifier power supply signal has a parallel amplifier power supply voltage, such that during the at least one communications slot, the parallel amplifier power supply voltage is based on a difference between the expected maximum of the envelope power supply voltage and the expected minimum of the envelope power supply voltage.

11. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 10 wherein the parallel amplifier output has a source headroom voltage, such that during the at least one communications slot, the parallel amplifier power supply voltage is greater than or equal to a sum of the source headroom voltage and a difference between the expected maximum of the envelope power supply voltage and the offset capacitive voltage.

12. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 11 wherein the expected maximum of the envelope power supply voltage is low enough to clip the radio frequency transmit signal from the radio frequency power amplifier.

13. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 5 wherein the parallel amplifier power supply is further configured to receive a DC source signal from a DC power source and provide the parallel amplifier power supply signal based on the DC source signal.

14. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 13 wherein the DC power source is a battery.

15. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 13 wherein the parallel amplifier power supply comprises a two flying capacitor-based charge pump.

16. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 13 wherein the parallel amplifier power supply comprises an inductor-based charge pump.

17. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 13 wherein:

the envelope tracking power supply is further configured to operate in one of an envelope tracking mode and an average power tracking mode;

during the envelope tracking mode, the envelope tracking power supply is further configured to provide the envelope power supply voltage to the radio frequency power amplifier via the envelope tracking power supply output, such that the envelope power supply voltage at least partially envelope tracks the radio frequency transmit signal from the radio frequency power amplifier; and

during the average power tracking mode, the envelope tracking power supply is further configured to provide the envelope power supply voltage to the radio frequency power amplifier via the envelope tracking power supply output, such that during a communications slot the envelope power supply voltage is about constant.

18. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 17 wherein during the envelope tracking mode:

the parallel amplifier is enabled;

the switching circuitry is enabled; and

the parallel amplifier power supply is enabled.

19. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 18 wherein the radio frequency power amplifier is configured to receive a power amplifier bias signal, which is based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal.

20. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 17 wherein during the average power tracking mode and when the envelope power supply voltage is above a voltage threshold:

the parallel amplifier is disabled;

the switching circuitry is enabled; and

the parallel amplifier power supply is enabled, such that the radio frequency power amplifier is configured to receive a power amplifier bias signal, which is based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal.

21. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 17 wherein during the average power tracking mode and when the envelope power supply voltage is above a voltage threshold:

the parallel amplifier is disabled;

the switching circuitry is enabled; and

the parallel amplifier power supply is disabled.

22. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 17 wherein during the average power tracking mode and when the envelope power supply voltage is below a voltage threshold:

the parallel amplifier is disabled;

the switching circuitry is disabled; and

the parallel amplifier power supply is enabled, such that the envelope power supply voltage is based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal.

23. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 22 wherein the radio frequency power amplifier is configured to receive a power amplifier bias signal, which is based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal.

24. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 5 wherein:

the parallel amplifier further has a feedback input;

the first inductive element is directly coupled between the switching circuitry output and the feedback input; and

a second inductive element is directly coupled between the feedback input and the envelope tracking power supply output.

25. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 24 wherein the first inductive element has a first inductance and the second inductive element has a second inductance, such that a ratio of the first inductance divided by the second inductance is greater than ten.

26. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 5 wherein a first filter capacitive element is coupled between the envelope tracking power supply output and a ground.

27. A method for providing and operating an envelope tracking power supply having an envelope tracking power supply output comprising:

providing a parallel amplifier power supply;

using the parallel amplifier power supply to provide a parallel amplifier power supply signal, which is configured to be adjustable on a communications slot-to-communications slot basis;

regulating an envelope power supply voltage based on the parallel amplifier power supply signal;

providing a parallel amplifier having a parallel amplifier output; and

providing switching circuitry having a switching circuitry output, wherein;

an offset capacitive element is directly coupled between the parallel amplifier output and the envelope tracking power supply output; and

a first inductive element is coupled between the switching circuitry output and the envelope tracking power supply output.