Multi-mode power management circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097145-B1
Application number	US-201715837496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2017
Priority date	Dec 11, 2017
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A multi-mode power management circuit is provided. The multi-mode power management circuit includes a second generation (2G) amplifier circuit(s) configured to amplify a 2G radio frequency (RF) signal for transmission in a 2G RF band(s). The multi-mode power management circuit includes a pair of tracker circuitries coupled to the 2G amplifier circuit. Each tracker circuitry includes a charge pump circuitry configured to generate a voltage and a current. When the 2G amplifier circuit amplifies the 2G RF signal for transmission in the 2G RF band(s), both charge pump circuitries are controlled to provide two currents to the 2G amplifier circuit. As a result, the 2G amplifier circuit is able to amplify the 2G RF signal to a higher power corresponding to a sum of the two currents for transmission in the 2G RF band(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-mode power management circuit comprising:
a second-generation (2G) amplifier circuit configured to amplify a 2G radio frequency (RF) signal encoded based on a 2G communication protocol for transmission in a 2G RF band;
switching circuitry comprising a 2G output port coupled to the 2G amplifier circuit;
first tracker circuitry having a first tracker output coupled to the switching circuitry and comprising first charge pump circuitry configured to generate a first voltage and a first current;
second tracker circuitry having a second tracker output coupled to the switching circuitry and comprising second charge pump circuitry configured to generate a second voltage and a second current; and
control circuitry configured to control the switching circuitry to couple the first charge pump circuitry and the second charge pump circuitry to the 2G output port to provide the first current and the second current to the 2G amplifier circuit in a 2G-high-power (2GHP) mode;
wherein the 2G amplifier circuit is further configured to amplify the 2G RF signal to a defined power corresponding to a sum of the first current and the second current.

2. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the switching circuitry to couple the first charge pump circuitry and the second charge pump circuitry to the 2G output port to provide the first current and the second current to the 2G amplifier circuit in a 2G-low-power (2GLP) mode, wherein the first current and the second current provided in the 2GLP mode are each at a reduced amount relative to the first current and the second current provided in the 2GHP mode.

3. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to control the switching circuitry to couple the first charge pump circuitry or the second charge pump circuitry to the 2G output port to provide the first current or the second current to the 2G amplifier circuit in a 2G-low-power (2GLP) mode.

4. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the first current substantially equals the second current.

5. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the 2G RF signal is encoded based on the 2G communication protocol selected from the group consisting of: a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol; a general packet radio service (GPRS) protocol; an enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) protocol; and a code-division multiple-access (CDMA) protocol.

6. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the 2G RF signal is transmitted in a 2G RF band selected from the group consisting of: a global system for mobile communications (GSM) 850 MHz band; a GSM 900 MHz band; a GSM 1800 MHz band; and a GSM 1900 MHz band.

7. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein:
the first charge pump circuitry comprises:
a first power inductor coupled to the first tracker output;
a first input node coupled to a battery;
a first output node coupled to the first power inductor; and
a first boost charge pump coupled between the first input node and the first output node; and

the second charge pump circuitry comprises:
a second power inductor coupled to the second tracker output;
a second input node coupled to the battery;
a second output node coupled to the second power inductor; and
a second boost charge pump coupled between the second input node and the second output node.

8. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 7 wherein each of the first boost charge pump and the second boost charge pump comprises:
a first switch and a second switch provided in series between the first input node and the first output node;
a third switch and a fourth switch provided in series between the first input node and a ground and in parallel to the first switch and the second switch;
a fifth switch provided between the first input node and the first output node in parallel to the first switch and the second switch;
a sixth switch provided between the first output node and the ground; and
a first capacitor having a first end coupled between the first switch and the second switch and a second end coupled between the third switch and the fourth switch.

9. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 8 wherein:
the control circuitry is further configured to control the first charge pump circuitry to provide the first voltage to the 2G amplifier circuit; and
the 2G amplifier circuit is further configured to amplify the 2G RF signal to the defined power corresponding to the first voltage multiplied by the sum of the first current and the second current.

10. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 9 wherein the first voltage is provided as an average power tracking (APT) voltage.

11. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
close the first switch, the second switch, the fourth switch, and the fifth switch; and
open the third switch and the sixth switch.

12. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 8 wherein:
the control circuitry is further configured to control the second charge pump circuitry to provide the second voltage to the 2G amplifier circuit; and
the 2G amplifier circuit is further configured to amplify the 2G RF signal to the defined power corresponding to the second voltage multiplied by the sum of the first current and the second current.

13. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 12 wherein the second voltage is provided as an average power tracking (APT) voltage.

14. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
close the first switch, the second switch, the fourth switch, and the fifth switch; and
open the third switch and the sixth switch.

15. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 1 wherein the switching circuitry further comprises:
an auxiliary output port;
a first input port coupled to the first tracker output;
a second input port coupled to the second tracker output;
a third input port coupled to the first tracker output;
a fourth input port coupled to a ground;
a first input switch and a second input switch provided in series between the first input port and the second input port, wherein the first input switch is coupled to the second input switch at a first coupling node and the first coupling node is coupled to the 2G output port;
a first output switch and a second output switch provided in series between the third input port and the fourth input port, wherein the first output switch is coupled to the second output switch at a second coupling node and the second coupling node is coupled to the auxiliary output port; and
a decoupling capacitor having a first end coupled to the 2G output port and a second end coupled to the auxiliary output port.

16. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 15 wherein the 2G amplifier circuit is coupled to the first end of the decoupling capacitor.

17. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 16 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to close the second output switch to couple the auxiliary output port to the ground in the 2GHP mode.

18. The multi-mode power management circuit of claim 15 further comprising:
a first non-2G amplifier circuit coupled to the auxiliary output port and configured to amplify a non-2G RF signal for transmission in at least one first non-2G RF band; a

Assignees

• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Khlat Nadim
• Potts Jeffrey D
• Kay Michael R
• Murphy Michael J

Classifications

• H03F3/24

  of transmitter output stages · CPC title

• H04B1/04

  Circuits · CPC title

• H03F1/0211

  with control of the supply voltage or current · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H03G3/3042

  in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers · CPC title