Dual-mode envelope tracking power converter circuitry

• US 9,843,294 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US15/142,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20170006543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/14 Arrangements for reducing ripples from dc input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/02 Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0233 by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/105 A non-specified detector of the power of a signal being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/48 the output of the amplifier being coupled out by a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21181 the supply current of a power amplifier being continuously controlled, e.g. by controlling current sources or resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/195 in integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Envelope tracking power converter circuitry is configured to receive a supply voltage, an envelope control signal, and an average power tracking control signal and simultaneously provide an envelope tracking power supply signal for amplifying a first radio frequency (RF) input signal based on the envelope control signal and an average power tracking power supply signal for amplifying a second RF input signal based on the average power tracking control signal.

Claims

1. Envelope tracking power converter circuitry comprising:

an envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

an average power tracking power supply signal output node;

a main switching power converter configured to receive a supply voltage and provide a first portion of an envelope tracking power supply signal at the envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on a main switching power converter control signal;

a parallel amplifier configured to provide an output voltage and an output current based on a parallel amplifier supply voltage, an envelope control signal, and a feedback signal from an envelope power supply output node, wherein the output voltage provides a second portion of the envelope tracking power supply signal and the output current is used to generate the main switching power converter control signal; and

parallel amplifier power converter circuitry configured to receive the supply voltage and provide the parallel amplifier supply voltage to the parallel amplifier and an average power tracking power supply signal to the average power tracking power supply signal output node.

2. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 further comprising main switching power converter control circuitry configured to receive the output current from the parallel amplifier and provide a main switching power converter control signal to the main switching power converter.

3. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry is configured to provide the average power tracking power supply signal based on an average power tracking control signal.

4. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry comprises:

a supply voltage input node;

a parallel amplifier power supply output node;

an average power tracking power supply output node;

a first switching element coupled between the supply voltage input node and a first intermediate node;

a second switching element coupled between the first intermediate node and ground;

an inductor coupled between the first intermediate node and a second intermediate node;

a third switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and ground;

a fourth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and the parallel amplifier power supply output node;

a capacitor coupled between the parallel amplifier power supply output node and ground; and

a fifth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and the average power tracking power supply output node.

5. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 4 wherein the main switching power converter is a buck/boost converter.

6. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 5 further comprising main switching power converter control circuitry configured to receive the output current from the parallel amplifier and provide a main switching power converter control signal to the main switching power converter.

7. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 6 wherein control signals for each switching element in the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry are generated based on an average power tracking control signal.

8. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 7 further comprising parallel amplifier power converter control circuitry configured to receive the average power tracking control signal and provide switching control signals to the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, the fourth switching element, and the fifth switching element in order to provide the parallel amplifier supply voltage and the average power tracking power supply signal.

9. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter section comprising:

a first power amplifier configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a first operating band;

a second power amplifier configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a second operating band; and

envelope tracking power converter circuitry and comprising;

an envelope tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the first power amplifier;

an average power tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the second power amplifier;

a main switching power converter configured to receive the supply voltage and provide a first portion of an envelope tracking power supply signal at the envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on a main switching power converter control signal;

a parallel amplifier configured to provide an output voltage and an output current based on a parallel amplifier supply voltage, an envelope control signal, and a feedback signal from an envelope power supply output node, wherein the output voltage provides a second portion of the envelope tracking power supply signal and the output current is used to generate the main switching power converter control signal; and

parallel amplifier power converter circuitry configured to receive the supply voltage and provide the parallel amplifier supply voltage to the parallel amplifier and an average power tracking power supply signal to the average power tracking power supply signal output node.

10. The RF transmitter section of claim 9 further comprising main switching power converter control circuitry configured to receive the output current from the parallel amplifier and provide the main switching power converter control signal to the main switching power converter.

11. The RF transmitter section of claim 9 wherein the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry is configured to provide the average power tracking power supply signal based on an average power tracking control signal.

12. The RF transmitter section of claim 9 wherein the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry comprises:

a supply voltage input node;

a parallel amplifier supply voltage output node;

an average power tracking power supply output node;

a first switching element coupled between the supply voltage input node and a first intermediate node;

a second switching element coupled between the first intermediate node and ground;

an inductor coupled between the first intermediate node and a second intermediate node;

a third switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and ground;

a fourth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and the parallel amplifier supply voltage output node;

a capacitor coupled between the parallel amplifier supply voltage output node and ground; and

a fifth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and the average power tracking power supply output node.

13. The RF transmitter section of claim 12 wherein the main switching power converter is a buck/boost converter.

14. The RF transmitter section of claim 13 further comprising main switching power converter control circuitry configured to receive the output current from the parallel amplifier and provide the main switching power converter control signal to the main switching power converter.

15. The RF transmitter section of claim 14 wherein control signals for each switching element in the parallel amplifier power converter circuitry are generated based on the average power tracking control signal.

16. The RF transmitter section of claim 15 further comprising parallel amplifier power converter control circuitry configured to receive the average power tracking control signal and provide switching control signals to the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, the fourth switching element, and the fifth switching element in order to provide the parallel amplifier supply voltage and the average power tracking power supply signal.

17. Envelope tracking power converter circuitry configured to receive a supply voltage, an envelope control signal, and an average power tracking control signal and simultaneously provide an envelope tracking power supply signal for amplifying a first radio frequency (RF) input signal based on the envelope control signal and an average power tracking power supply signal for amplifying a second RF input signal based on the average power tracking control signal.

18. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 17 wherein a frequency of the first RF input signal is within a first operating band and a frequency of the second RF input signal is within a second operating band that is different from the first operating band.

19. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 18 wherein the envelope tracking power converter circuitry is an integrated circuit.

20. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 19 wherein the envelope tracking power supply signal and the average power tracking power supply signal are provided asynchronously.