Real-time and adaptive radio-frequency power protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11722103-B2
Application number	US-202217886543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2022
Priority date	May 17, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus includes an amplifier circuit and a protection circuit. The amplifier circuit may be configured to generate an output signal by amplifying an input signal received at an input port. The input signal may be a radio-frequency signal. The protection circuit may be configured to (i) generate a detection signal by detecting when a level of the input signal exceeds a corresponding threshold, where the level is a power level, a voltage level or both, (ii) route the input signal away from the input port of the amplifier circuit and disable the amplifier circuit both in response to the detection signal being continuously active at least a first time duration and (iii) route the input signal to the input port of the amplifier circuit and enable the amplifier circuit both in response to the detection signal being continuously inactive at least a second time duration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
an amplifier circuit configured to generate an output signal by amplifying an input signal received at an input port, the input signal being a radio-frequency signal;
a protection circuit configured to:
control a first switch and a second switch, the first switch being configured to pass the input signal to the amplifier circuit, and the second switch being configured to pass the input signal to a transmit channel; and
monitor a level of the input signal, the input signal being at least one of a power level and a voltage level; and
generate a detection signal when the level of the input signal exceeds a threshold value,

wherein when detection is continuously active at a first time duration, the protection circuit is configured to control the first switch to be an open state, and control the second switch to be a closed state.

2. The semiconductor device according to the claim 1 ,
wherein when detection is continuously inactive at a second time duration, the protection circuit is configured to control the first switch to be the closed state, and control the second switch to be the open state.

3. The semiconductor device according to the claim 2 ,
wherein a time of the first duration and a time of the second time duration are programmable separately.

4. The semiconductor device according to the claim 2 ,
wherein the protection circuit is configured to monitor a level of the input signal at a node connected between the input port and the first switch.

Assignees

• Renesas Electronics America Inc

Inventors

• Korol Victor
• Joo Roberto Aparicio

Classifications

• H03F1/54 Primary

  with tubes only {(testing of vacuum tubes G01R31/25)} · CPC title

• H03F1/04

  in discharge-tube amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F3/189

  High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H03F1/52 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for protecting such amplifiers {(monitoring arrangements G01R31/28; increasing reliability in communication systems, e.g. using redundancy H04B1/74)} · CPC title