Phone energy management for low battery voltages

• US 20050281063A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sointula, Erkka
• Granted Patent: US 7,245,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/63
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• 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 3/005 using Cuk converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides a power supply arrangement with a DC-to-DC converter (10) for providing at least one supply voltage to a load (20, 30, 40) from an energy source (11). The converter comprises means for inputting (4) a battery voltage from the energy source to output a voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range and a transfer circuit (8) connected to said means for inputting, to convert the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage in such a way that the supply voltage will be opposite in polarity to the battery voltage and the absolute value of the supply voltage will be the same or close to the absolute value of the battery voltage. The arrangement also comprises means for controlling (2), connected to the means for inputting, to control the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage using a single converting mode for the supply voltage range. The advantage of the arrangement is to supply continuously and ripple-free to the load the supply voltage range independent from but opposite in polarity to the battery voltage.

Claims

1. A power supply arrangement for providing at least one supply voltage to at least one load from an energy source, wherein the power supply circuit comprises:

means for inputting a battery voltage from the energy source arranged to output voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range,

means for converting, connected to said means for inputting, arranged to convert the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage in such a way that the supply voltage is opposite in polarity to the battery voltage and the absolute value of the supply voltage is the same or close to the absolute value of the battery voltage, and

means for controlling, connected to the means for inputting, arranged to control the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage using a single converting mode for the supply voltage range.

2. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein means for inputting comprises at least one switch for changing a polarity of the energy source in accordance with a control signal received by means for controlling.

3. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the power supply arrangement is arranged to output continuously the supply voltage independent of a charge level of the energy source.

4. The power supply arrangement according to claim 2, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a first load and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a second load.

5. The power supply arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the first supply voltage is arranged to have a different value but the same polarity than the second supply voltage.

6. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein means for converting comprises a switched mode power supply (SMPS).

7. The power supply arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the switch of means for inputting is integrated into means for controlling.

8. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-down converting mode for the supply voltage range.

9. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-up converting mode for the supply voltage range.

10. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from the modulation portion.

11. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from an amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

12. The power supply arrangement according to claim 2, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage to a power amplifier in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage to a baseband portion and regulators in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

13. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage range is arranged to overlap the absolute value of the predetermined battery voltage range.

14. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is in the predetermined battery voltage range.

15. The power supply arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is outside of the predetermined battery voltage range.

16. A method for providing at least one supply voltage to a load from an energy source in a portable communication device comprising at least one load, wherein the method comprises steps of:

outputting voltage from the energy source in a predetermined battery voltage range as a battery voltage,

converting the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage,

converting the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage so that the absolute value of the supply voltage is the same or close to the absolute value of the battery voltage, and

controlling the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage using a single converting mode for the supply voltage range.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises a step of changing the polarity of the energy source in accordance with a control signal received.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises a step of outputting continuously the supply voltage independent of a charge level of the energy source.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the method comprises a step of converting a first supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a first load and a second supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a second load in accordance with the control signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first supply voltage has a different value but the same polarity than the second supply voltage.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein step of controlling the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage uses a step-down converting mode for the supply voltage range.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein step of controlling the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage uses a step-up converting mode for the supply voltage range.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein the control signal is a modulated radio frequency signal received from a transmitter.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the control signal is a modulated radio frequency signal received from an amplitude modulation chain in the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the control signal is a modulated radio frequency signal received from an amplitude modulation chain in the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter and the first load is a power amplifier and the second load is a baseband portion and regulators.

26. The method according to claim 16, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage range overlaps the absolute value of the predetermined battery voltage range.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is in the predetermined battery voltage range.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is outside of the predetermined battery voltage range.

29. A system for providing at least one supply voltage to a load from an energy source connected to the load in a portable communication device comprising at least one load, wherein the system comprises:

the energy source arranged to output voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range as a battery voltage,

means for inputting a battery voltage from the energy source arranged to output voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range,

means for converting, connected to said means for inputting, arranged to convert the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage in such a way that the supply voltage is opposite in polarity to the battery voltage and the absolute value of the supply voltage is the same or close to the absolute value of the battery voltage,

means for controlling, connected to the means for inputting, arranged to control the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage using a single converting mode for the supply voltage range, and

the load connected to the output of means for converting arranged to receive continuously the supply voltage.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein means for inputting comprises at least one switch for changing a polarity of the energy source in accordance with a control signal received by means for controlling.

31. The system according to claim 29, wherein the system is arranged to output continuously the supply voltage independent of a charge level of the energy source.

32. The system according to claim 30, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a first load and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a second load.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein the first supply voltage is arranged to have a different value but the same polarity than the second supply voltage.

34. The system according to claim 29, wherein means for converting comprises a switched mode power supply (SMPS).

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the switch of means for inputting is integrated into means for controlling.

36. The system according to claim 29, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-down converting mode for the supply voltage range.

37. The system according to claim 29, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-up converting mode for the supply voltage range.

38. The system according to claim 29, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from the modulation portion.

39. The system according to claim 29, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from an amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

40. The system according to claim 30, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage to a power amplifier in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage to a baseband portion and regulators in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

41. The system according to claim 29, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage range is arranged to overlap the absolute value of the predetermined battery voltage range.

42. The system according to claim 29, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is in the predetermined battery voltage range.

43. The system according to claim 29, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is outside of the predetermined battery voltage range.

44. The system according to claim 29, wherein the energy source is a lithium based battery.

45. The system according to claim 29, wherein the energy source is a fuel cell.

46. A mobile communication device comprising:

an energy source arranged to output voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range as a battery voltage,

means for inputting a battery voltage from the energy source arranged to output voltage in a predetermined battery voltage range,

means for converting, connected to said means for inputting, arranged to convert the battery voltage to at least one supply voltage in such a way that the supply voltage is opposite in polarity to the battery voltage and the absolute value of the supply voltage is the same or close to the absolute value of the battery voltage,

means for controlling, connected to the means for inputting, arranged to control the supply voltage independent from the battery voltage using a single converting mode for the supply voltage range, and

the load connected to the output of means for converting arranged to receive continuously the supply voltage.

47. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein means for inputting comprises at least one switch for changing a polarity of the energy source in accordance with a control signal received by means for controlling.

48. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the supply voltage is arranged to be output continuously independent of a charge level of the energy source.

49. The mobile communication device according to claim 47, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a first load and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage opposite in polarity to the battery voltage to a second load.

50. The mobile communication device according to claim 49, wherein the first supply voltage is arranged to have a different value but the same polarity than the second supply voltage.

51. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein means for converting comprises a switched mode power supply (SMPS).

52. The mobile communication device according to claim 51, wherein the switch of means for inputting is integrated into means for controlling.

53. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-down converting mode for the supply voltage range.

54. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein means for controlling is arranged to control the supply voltage using a step-up converting mode for the supply voltage range.

55. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from the modulation portion.

56. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein an input of means for controlling is connected to a modulation portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter arranged to receive a modulated radio frequency signal from an amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

57. The mobile communication device according to claim 47, wherein means for inputting comprises a first switch arranged to switch a first supply voltage to a power amplifier in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter and a second switch arranged to switch a second supply voltage to a baseband portion and regulators in accordance with the modulated radio frequency signal from the amplitude modulator of the modulator portion of the envelope elimination and restoration (EER) transmitter.

58. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage range is arranged to overlap the absolute value of the predetermined battery voltage range.

59. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is in the predetermined battery voltage range.

60. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the absolute value of the supply voltage is outside of the predetermined battery voltage range.

61. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the energy source is a lithium based battery.

62. The mobile communication device according to claim 61, wherein the energy source is a lithium based battery outputting within a predetermined battery voltage range of 1.2to 4.5 volts.

63. The mobile communication device according to claim 46, wherein the energy source is a fuel cell.