Shared integrated DC-DC supply regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554294-B2
Application number	US-201816204712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

The systems and processes described herein can reduce the footprint of the internal devices of a wireless device by combining the DC-DC supply regulator with a FEM. Further, the device footprint can be further reduced by sharing the integrated DC-DC supply regulator among multiple FEMs reducing or eliminating the use of a separate DC-DC supply regulator for each FEM of a wireless device. Moreover, in certain embodiments, by integrating the DC-DC supply regulator into a 2G FEM, power efficiency can be improved for some wireless devices. For example, the DC-DC supply regulator may be used to supply power to a PA used for high-band 2G transmission functions. Using the DC-DC supply regulator can improve power efficiency compared to systems that supply the power for the high-band 2G PA directly from the power supply (e.g., the battery).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front-end module for use in a wireless device, the front-end module comprising:
a first power amplifier on an integrated circuit die of the front-end module; and
an integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit at least partially within the front-end module and located on the integrated circuit die, the integrated direct current to direct current converter including a capacitor and an inductor external to the front-end module and connected to a regulated supply output pin of the integrated circuit die, the integrated direct current to direct current converter configured to regulate a first supply voltage provided to the first power amplifier and to regulate a second supply voltage provided to a second power amplifier via the regulated supply output pin, the second power amplifier located on a second integrated circuit die of a separate second front-end module not having a direct current to direct current supply regulator integrated on the second integrated circuit die.

2. The front-end module of claim 1 wherein the second front-end module is configured for non-second generation cellular communication.

3. The front-end module of claim 1 wherein the front-end module is configured for second generation cellular communication.

4. The front-end module of claim 1 further comprising a switch configured to supply a signal from the first power amplifier to an antenna.

5. The front-end module of claim 1 further comprising a bias circuit on the integrated circuit die combined with the direct current to direct current converter circuit, the bias circuit configured to supply a bias current to the first power amplifier.

6. The front-end module of claim 1 wherein the capacitor and inductor form part of a bias circuit of the direct current to direct current converter circuit that regulates the second supply voltage supplied to the second power amplifier.

7. The front-end module of claim 1 further comprising a third power amplifier configured to provide low band second generation cellular communication and to receive power from a source and not the direct current to direct current converter circuit.

8. The front-end module of claim 1 wherein the integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit regulates voltage based on a voltage received from a power source.

9. The front-end module of claim 1 further comprising one or more impedance matching networks configured to match an impedance value of the first power amplifier to an impedance value of an antenna.

10. A method of regulating power supplied to a first power amplifier and second power amplifier from an integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit, the method comprising:
regulating a first power supply voltage by an integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit, the first power supply voltage provided to a first power amplifier on an integrated circuit die of a front-end module, the integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit having at least a portion within the front-end module located on the integrated circuit die, and the direct current to direct current converter circuit having a capacitor and an inductor positioned external to the front-end module and connected to a regulated supply output pin; and
regulating a second power supply voltage by the integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit, the second power supply voltage provided to a second power amplifier located on a second integrated circuit die separate from the integrated circuit die and not having a direct current to direct current supply regulator configured on the second integrated circuit die, the second power supply voltage provided to the second power amplifier via the regulated supply output pin of the integrated circuit die.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the front-end module is configured for second generation cellular communication and the second front-end module is configured for non-second generation cellular communication.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising supplying a signal from one of the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier to an antenna using a switch.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising supplying a bias current to the first power amplifier from a bias circuit within the front-end module and combined with the direct current to direct current converter circuit located on the integrated circuit die.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the capacitor and inductor although external to the front-end module form part of the bias circuit of the direct current to direct current converter circuit.

15. The method of claim 10 further providing power to a third power amplifier configured to provide low band second generation cellular communication, the power provided to the third power amplifier provided from a power source that is not regulated by the direct current to direct current converter circuit.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit regulates voltage based on a voltage received from a power source.

17. A multi-chip module comprising:
a first front-end module implemented on a first integrated circuit die having a regulated supply output pin, the first front-end module including a first power amplifier and at least a portion of an integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit configured to regulate a first supply voltage, the regulated first supply voltage provided to the first power amplifier, and the direct current to direct current converter circuit including a capacitor and an inductor external to the front-end module and connected to the regulated supply output pin; and
a second front-end module implemented on a second integrated circuit die that is separate from the first integrated circuit die and includes a second power amplifier, the second power amplifier configured to receive a second regulated supply voltage provided by the direct current to direct current converter circuit via the regulated supply output pin.

18. The multi-chip module of claim 17 wherein the second front-end module does not include a direct current to direct current converter circuit integrated on the second integrated circuit die.

19. The multi-chip module of claim 17 wherein the first front-end module includes a bias circuit within the front-end module and combined with the direct current to direct current converter circuit, the bias circuit configured to supply a bias current to the first power amplifier.

20. The multi-chip module of claim 17 wherein the first front-end module includes a third power amplifier that receives a supply voltage from a source other than the integrated direct current to direct current converter circuit, the first power amplifier configured to provide high band second generation cellular communication and the third power amplifier configured to provide low band second generation cellular communication.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Ripley David Steven

Classifications

• H04B2001/0416

  having gain or transmission power control · CPC title

• H04B1/0475

  with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion (H04B1/0483 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B1/1607

  Supply circuits (converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46) · CPC title

• H04B7/26 Primary

  at least one of which is mobile · CPC title

• Y02D70/144

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic