Dynamic power management control

• US 9,480,017 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Hardik M, Sutton, Todd R, Bossu, Frederic, Rosolowski, Chris M, O'Shea, Helena Deirdre
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US13/764,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/69
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are related to enhancing power efficiency of an electronic device. A device may include a power management module and a radio-frequency (RF) module coupled to the power management module. The device may further include a digital module coupled to each of the power management module and the RF module and configured to dynamically adjust at least one setting of the power management module based on one or more RF conditions.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a power management module;

a radio frequency (RF) module coupled to the power management module; and

a digital module coupled to each of the power management module and the RF module and configured to dynamically adjust a headroom voltage of the power management module based on one or more RF conditions, wherein the digital module is configured to adjust the headroom voltage at a first rate while the one or more RF conditions are improving relative to a previous RF condition and a second, faster rate while the one or more RF conditions are worsening relative to the previous RF condition,

wherein the power management module is configured to receive the adjusted headroom voltage and to convey to the RF module an adjusted supply voltage based at least in part on the adjusted headroom voltage.

2. The device of claim 1, the power management module comprising a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), the RF module comprising a radio-frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and the digital module comprising a digital integrated circuit.

3. The device of claim 1, the one or more RF conditions comprising one or more of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), an error vector magnitude (EVM), and a bit error rate (BER).

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital module is configured to incrementally adjust the headroom voltage.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital module is configured to dynamically adjust the headroom voltage in 12.5 millivolt increments.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital module is configured to dynamically adjust the headroom voltage at one of a plurality of adjustment rates.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the digital module is configured to dynamically adjust the headroom voltage substantially continuously during operation based on the one or more RF conditions.

8. The device of claim 1,

wherein the power management module comprises a power supply.

9. The device of claim 8,

wherein the digital module is configured to provide the adjusted headroom voltage to the power supply.

10. The device of claim 9,

wherein the power management module comprises at least one low dropout (LDO) regulator configured to suppress power supply noise.

11. The device of claim 10,

wherein the power supply is configured to:

receive a supply voltage from a power source, and

convey an output voltage to the at least one LDO regulator, the output voltage being based on the supply voltage and the adjusted headroom voltage.

12. The device of claim 10,

wherein the LDO regulator is coupled to the power supply and the RF module and is configured to provide the adjusted supply voltage to the RF module.

13. The device of claim 12,

wherein the RF module further comprises a phase-locked loop (PLL), the PLL being configured to receive the adjusted supply voltage from the at least one LDO regulator.

14. The device of claim 8,

wherein the power supply comprises a switched mode power supply (SMPS).

15. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more radio-frequency (RF) conditions;

dynamically adjusting a headroom voltage based on the one or more RF conditions; and

conveying an adjusted supply voltage based at least in part on the adjusted headroom voltage,

wherein the headroom voltage is adjusted at a first rate while the one or more RF conditions are improving relative to a previous RF condition and a second, faster rate while the one or more RF conditions are worsening relative to the previous RF condition.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the one or more RF conditions comprises receiving the one or more RF conditions from a modem of a digital integrated circuit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein dynamically adjusting the headroom voltage comprises conveying a control signal from a digital integrated circuit to a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) to dynamically adjust the headroom voltage of the PMIC based on the one or more RF conditions.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving one or more RF conditions comprises receiving at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), an error vector magnitude (EVM), and a bit error rate (BER).

19. The method of claim 15, wherein dynamically adjusting the headroom voltage further comprises dynamically adjusting at least one of the headroom voltage of a power management module, a switching frequency of the power management module, and a control circuit configuration of the power management module.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein

the adjusted supply voltage is conveyed by a low dropout (LDO) regulator, the LDO regulator receiving a voltage based on a supply voltage and the headroom voltage, and

dynamically adjusting the headroom voltage comprises incrementally adjusting the headroom voltage.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein dynamically adjusting the headroom voltage further comprises adjusting an output voltage of a switched-mode power supply.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform instructions, the instructions comprising:

receiving one or more radio-frequency (RF) conditions; and

dynamically adjusting a headroom voltage provided based on the one or more RF conditions; and

conveying an adjusted supply voltage based at least in part on the adjusted headroom voltage,

wherein the headroom voltage is adjusted at a first rate while the one or more RF conditions are improving relative to a previous RF condition and a second, faster rate while the one or more RF conditions are worsening relative to the previous RF condition.

23. A device, comprising:

means for receiving one or more radio-frequency (RF) conditions; and

means for dynamically adjusting a headroom voltage based on the one or more RF conditions; and

power management means for receiving the adjusted headroom voltage from the means for dynamically adjusting and conveying, to the means for receiving, an adjusted supply voltage based at least in part on the adjusted headroom voltage,

wherein the headroom voltage is adjusted at a first rate while the one or more RF conditions are improving relative to a previous RF condition and a second, faster rate while the one or more RF conditions are worsening relative to the previous RF condition.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for receiving at least one of a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), an error vector magnitude (EVM), and a bit error rate (BER).

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for dynamically adjusting comprises means for dynamically adjusting a headroom voltage of a power management module.