Envelope tracking power converter circuitry

• US 9,912,297 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• 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): Choe, Henry
• Application Number:
  US15/195,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20170005619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 330295, 330297, 330124 R
• 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 2200/105 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 3/19 with semiconductor devices only
• 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

Abstract

Envelope tracking power converter circuitry is configured to receive a supply voltage and simultaneously provide two envelope tracking power supply signals, an envelope tracking power supply signal and an average power tracking power supply signal, or a single envelope tracking power supply signal with improved efficiency. When providing a single envelope tracking power supply signal, an envelope tracking power supply signal is provided to a parallel amplifier in the envelope tracking power converter circuitry to provide multiple levels of envelope tracking which improves efficiency.

Claims

1. Envelope tracking power converter circuitry comprising:

a first envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a second envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a main switching power converter configured to provide a boost voltage based on a supply voltage;

a voltage regulator configured to provide a regulated supply voltage based on the supply voltage;

a first parallel amplifier configured to provide a first output voltage and a first output current based on a first parallel amplifier supply voltage, a first envelope power converter control signal, and a first feedback signal from the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a second parallel amplifier configured to provide a second output voltage and a second output current based on a second parallel amplifier supply voltage, a second envelope power converter control signal, and a second feedback signal from the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a first auxiliary switching power converter configured to provide a portion of a first envelope tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and a first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current; and

a second auxiliary switching power converter configured to;

in a first mode of operation, provide a portion of a second envelope tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and a second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current; and

in a second mode of operation, provide the first parallel amplifier supply voltage based on the boost voltage and the second auxiliary control signal, wherein the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is envelope modulated.

2. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the first auxiliary switching power converter is configured to provide the portion of the first envelope tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node in a first mode of operation; and

in a second mode of operation, the first auxiliary switching power converter is configured to provide the second parallel amplifier supply voltage based on the boost voltage and the first output current such that the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is envelope modulated.

3. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 2 wherein:

the first auxiliary switching converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a first average power tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and the first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current; and

the second auxiliary power converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a second average power tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and the second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current from the second parallel amplifier.

4. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 3 wherein:

in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage; and

in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage.

5. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 4 wherein the voltage regulator is a low dropout regulator.

6. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 3 wherein:

the main switching power converter is a boost converter;

the first auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter; and

the second auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter.

7. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 2 wherein:

in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage; and

in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage.

8. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 7 wherein the voltage regulator is a low dropout regulator.

9. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 2 wherein:

the main switching power converter is a boost converter;

the first auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter; and

the second auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter.

10. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage; and

in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage.

11. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 10 wherein the voltage regulator is a low dropout regulator.

12. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:

the main switching power converter is a boost converter;

the first auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter; and

the second auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter.

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

a first set of power amplifiers configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a first set of operating bands;

a second set of power amplifiers configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a second set of operating bands; and

envelope tracking power converter circuitry comprising;

a first envelope tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the first set of power amplifiers;

a second envelope tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the second set of power amplifiers;

a main switching power converter configured to provide a boost voltage based on a supply voltage;

a voltage regulator configured to provide a regulated supply voltage based on the supply voltage;

a first parallel amplifier configured to provide a first output voltage and a first output current based on a first parallel amplifier supply voltage, a first envelope power converter control signal, and a first feedback signal from the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a second parallel amplifier configured to provide a second output voltage and a second output current based on a second parallel amplifier supply voltage, a second envelope power converter control signal, and a second feedback signal from the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node;

a first auxiliary switching power converter configured to provide a portion of a first envelope tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and a first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current; and

a second auxiliary switching power converter configured to;

in a first mode of operation, provide a portion of a second envelope tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and a second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current; and

in a second mode of operation, provide the first parallel amplifier supply voltage based on the boost voltage and the second auxiliary control signal, wherein the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is envelope modulated.

14. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 13 wherein:

the first auxiliary switching power converter is configured to provide the portion of the first envelope tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node in a first mode of operation; and

in a second mode of operation, the first auxiliary switching power converter is configured to provide the second parallel amplifier supply voltage based on the boost voltage and the first output current such that the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is envelope modulated.

15. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 14 wherein:

the first auxiliary switching converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a first average power tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and the first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current; and

the second auxiliary power converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a second average power tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the boost voltage and the second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current from the second parallel amplifier.

16. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 15 wherein:

in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage; and

in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage.

17. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 16 wherein the voltage regulator is a low dropout regulator.

18. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 15 wherein:

the main switching power converter is a boost converter;

the first auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter; and

the second auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter.

19. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 13 wherein:

the first set of power amplifiers are configured to amplify the RF input signals within the first set of operating bands based on the first envelope tracking power supply signal; and

the second set of power amplifiers are configured to amplify the RF input signals within the second set of operating bands based on the second envelope tracking power supply signal.

20. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 13 wherein the first envelope tracking power supply signal and the second envelope tracking power supply signal are provided asynchronously.