Method and device for sharing DC-to-DC converter between antenna modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12283744-B2
Application number	US-202318311599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2023
Priority date	Nov 4, 2020
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device may include a low drop output regulator (LDO); a first DC-to-DC converter; an antenna module including an antenna array IC and an antenna array; a second DC-to-DC converter disposed outside the antenna module and supplying power to the low drop output regulator; a power generation circuit for supplying power to the first DC-to-DC converter and the second DC-to-DC converter; and a processor operatively coupled to the antenna module, the second DC-to-DC converter, and the power generation circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
first antenna module including a first low-dropout regulator (LDO), a first DC-to-DC converter, first antenna array IC, and a first antenna array;
a second DC-to-DC converter disposed outside the first antenna module and configured to supply power to the first low-dropout regulator;
a power generation circuit configured to supply power to the first DC-to-DC converter and the second DC-to-DC converter; and
a processor operatively connected to the first antenna module, the second DC-to-DC converter, and the power generation circuit,
wherein the second DC-to-DC converter is configured to establish a first electrical path for receiving a first feedback signal from the first low-dropout regulator.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter is configured to:
receive the first feedback signal from the first low-dropout regulator through the first electrical path; and
control power supplied to the first low-dropout regulator based on a first current voltage of the first low-dropout regulator included in the first feedback signal.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter comprises:
a first comparator configured to compare the first current voltage with a target voltage; and
a pulse width modulation (PWM) generator configured to control a duty cycle of a PWM signal based on an output of the first comparator.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:
control the PWM generator to decrease the duty cycle of the PWM signal based on the first current voltage exceeding the target voltage; and
control the PWM generator to increase the duty cycle of the PWM signal based on the first current voltage being equal to or less than the target voltage.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power generation circuit is configured to further include a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) and an interface PMIC.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter is configured to be included inside the PMIC or to be disposed independently of the PMIC and the interface PMIC.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second antenna module including a second low-dropout regulator, a third DC-to-DC converter, a second antenna array IC, and a second antenna array.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter is configured to supply a first power to the first low-dropout regulator and supply a second power to the second low-dropout regulator.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter is configured to:
receive a second feedback signal from the second low-dropout regulator; and
control the second power supplied to the second low-dropout regulator based on a second current voltage included in the second feedback signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the second DC-to-DC converter comprises:
a first comparator configured to compare a first current voltage included in the first feedback signal received from the first low-dropout regulator with a target voltage;
a second comparator configured to compare the second current voltage included in the second feedback signal received from the second low-dropout regulator with the target voltage; and
a PWM generator configured to control a duty cycle of a PWM signal based on outputs of the first comparator and the second comparator.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to:
control the PWM generator to decrease the duty cycle of the PWM signal based on the first current voltage and the second current voltage exceeding the target voltage; and
control the PWM generator to increase the duty cycle of the PWM signal based on either the first current voltage or the second current voltage being equal to or less than the target voltage.

12. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the first electrical path between the second DC-to-DC converter and the first low-dropout regulator is configured to be different from a second electrical path between the second DC-to-DC converter and the second low-dropout regulator.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein a length of the first electrical path is configured to be different from a length of the second electrical path.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first DC-to-DC converter is configured to supply power to a power amplifier included in the first antenna array IC.

15. An electronic device comprising:
a first antenna module including a first low-dropout regulator, a first DC-to-DC converter, a first antenna array IC, and a first antenna array;
a second antenna module including a second low-dropout regulator, a second DC-to-DC converter, a second antenna array IC, and a second antenna array;
a third DC-to-DC converter disposed outside the first and the second antenna modules and configured to supply a first power to the first low-dropout regulator and supply a second power to the second low-dropout regulator;
a power generation circuit configured to supply power to the first DC-to-DC converter, the second DC-to-DC converter, and the third DC-to-DC converter; and
a processor operatively connected to the first antenna module, the second antenna module, the third DC-to-DC converter, and the power generation circuit,
wherein the third DC-to-DC converter is configured to establish a first electrical path for receiving a first feedback signal from the first low-dropout regulator and a second electrical path for receiving a second feedback signal from the second low-dropout regulator.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, when the first antenna module is activated, the processor is configured to control the third DC-to-DC converter to supply the first power to the first low-dropout regulator based on a first current voltage included in the first feedback signal received from the first low-dropout regulator.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, when the second antenna module is activated, the processor is configured to control the third DC-to-DC converter to supply the second power to the second low-dropout regulator based on a second current voltage included in the second feedback signal received from the second low-dropout regulator.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, when the first antenna module and the second antenna module are activated, the processor is configured to control the third DC-to-DC converter to supply the first power or the second power to the second low-dropout regulator based on a first current voltage included in the first feedback signal received from the first low-dropout regulator and a second current voltage included in the second feedback signal received from the second low-dropout regulator.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to control the third DC-to-DC converter to reduce a duty cycle of a PWM signal when the first current voltage and the second current voltage exceed a target voltage, and to control the third DC-to-DC converter to increase the duty cycle of the PWM signal when either the first current voltage or the second current voltage is equal to or less than the target voltage.

20. A method for operating an electronic device, the electronic device comprising one or more antenna modules, and a DC-to-DC converter disposed outside the one or more antenna modules and configured to supply power t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Jihee
• Son Junghwan
• Cho Namjun
• Na Hyoseok

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H01Q1/38

  formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface  H01Q15/142)} · CPC title

• G05F1/46 Primary

  wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is DC (G05F1/625 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/155

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02M1/0045

  Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode · CPC title