Reconfigurable bias and supply drivers for radio frequency power amplifiers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016181995-A1
Application number	US-201414581890-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some example embodiments, there is provided an apparatus. The apparatus may include a direct current voltage source and/or an alternating current voltage source to track a power envelope of a radio frequency signal. The apparatus may further include first and second power amplifiers with bias voltage inputs and a supply voltage inputs, and a switch matrix. The first input may be coupled to the direct current voltage source, the second input may be coupled to the alternating current voltage source. The outputs may be coupled to the bias and supply inputs to the power amplifiers. The switch matrix may enable activation of the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, both the first and second power amplifiers, or neither power amplifier.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a direct current voltage source; an alternating current voltage source to track a power envelope of a first radio frequency signal or a second radio frequency signal; a first power amplifier to amplify the first radio frequency signal, wherein the first power amplifier has a first bias voltage input and a first supply voltage input; a second power amplifier to amplify the second radio frequency signal, wherein the second power amplifier has a second bias voltage input and a second supply voltage input; and a switch matrix including a first input, a second input, a first output, a second output, a third output, and a fourth output, wherein the first input is coupled to the direct current voltage source, the second input is coupled to the alternating current voltage source, the first output is coupled to the first bias voltage input, the second output is coupled to the second bias voltage input, the third output is coupled to the first supply voltage input, and the fourth output is coupled to the second supply voltage input, wherein a configuration of the switch matrix enables activation of the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, both the first and second power amplifiers, or neither power amplifier.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced when the switch matrix is configured to connect the alternating current voltage source to the first supply voltage input of the first power amplifier, and wherein the alternating current voltage source tracks the power envelope of the first radio frequency signal amplified by the first power amplifier.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced when the switch matrix is configured to not connect one or more of the bias voltage input and the supply voltage input of the second power amplifier to either the alternating current voltage source or the direct current voltage source.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the switch matrix is configured to connect the bias voltage input of the first power amplifier and the bias voltage input of the second power amplifier to the direct current voltage source.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the switch matrix is configured to connect the bias voltage input of the first power amplifier to the alternating current voltage source.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first supply voltage input or the second supply voltage input control a power supply for the first power amplifier or the second power amplifier, wherein the power supply includes at least one of an envelope tracking modulator, a switched mode direct current to direct current converter, or a low-dropout linear voltage regulator.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the switch matrix is configured based on at least one of:
a bandwidth; a contiguous or a non-contiguous multicarrier configuration; a transmit power; an operating mode; a modulation and coding configuration; or a signal reflection coefficient of a transmission antenna.

8 . A method comprising:
amplifying, by a first power amplifier, a first radio frequency signal, wherein the first power amplifier has a first bias voltage input and a first supply voltage input; amplifying, by a second power amplifier, a second radio frequency signal, wherein the second power amplifier has a second bias voltage input and a second supply voltage input; and configuring a switch matrix including a first input, a second input, a first output, a second output, a third output, and a fourth output, wherein the first input is coupled to a direct current voltage source, the second input is coupled to an alternating current voltage source to track a power envelope of the first or second radio frequency signal, the first output is coupled to the first bias voltage input, the second output is coupled to the second bias voltage input, the third output is coupled to the first supply voltage input, and the fourth output is coupled to the second supply voltage input, wherein the configuring enables activation of the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, both the first and second power amplifiers, or neither power amplifier.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced when the switch matrix is configured to connect the alternating current voltage source to the first supply voltage input of the first power amplifier, and wherein the alternating current voltage source tracks the power envelope of the first radio frequency signal amplified by the first power amplifier.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced when the switch matrix is configured to not connect one or more of the bias voltage input and the supply voltage input of the second power amplifier to either the alternating current voltage source or the direct current voltage source.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the switch matrix is configured to connect the bias voltage input of the first power amplifier and the bias voltage input of the second power amplifier to the direct current voltage source.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch matrix is configured to connect the bias voltage input of the first power amplifier to the alternating current voltage source.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first supply voltage input or the second supply voltage input control a power supply for the first power amplifier or the second power amplifier, wherein the power supply includes at least one of an envelope tracking modulator, a switched mode direct current to direct current converter, or a low-dropout linear voltage regulator.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch matrix is configured based on at least one of:
a bandwidth; a contiguous or a non-contiguous multicarrier configuration; a transmit power; an operating mode; a modulation and coding configuration; or a signal reflection coefficient of a transmission antenna.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause operations comprising:
amplifying, by a first power amplifier, a first radio frequency signal, wherein the first power amplifier has a first bias voltage input and a first supply voltage input; amplifying, by a second power amplifier, a second radio frequency signal, wherein the second power amplifier has a second bias voltage input and a second supply voltage input; and configuring a switch matrix including a first input, a second input, a first output, a second output, a third output, and a fourth output, wherein the first input is coupled to a direct current voltage source, the second input is coupled to an alternating current voltage source to track a power envelope of the first or second radio frequency signal, the first output is coupled to the first bias voltage input, the second output is coupled to the second bias voltage input, the third output is coupled to the first supply voltage input, and the fourth output is coupled to the second supply voltage input, wherein the configuring enables activation of the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, both the first and second power amplifiers, or neither power amplifier.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the power consumption of the apparatus is reduced when the switch matrix is configured to connect the alternating current voltage source to the first supply voltage input of the first power amplifier, and wherein the alternating curre

Assignees

• Nokia Corp

Inventors

• Nentwig Markus
• Kaltiokallio Mikko

Classifications

• H03F2200/111

  the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not · CPC title

• H03F3/195

  in integrated circuits · CPC title

• H03F1/0266

  by using a signal derived from the input signal · CPC title

• H03F1/0222 Primary

  by using a signal derived from the input signal · CPC title

• H03F2200/507

  A switch being used for switching on or off a supply or supplying circuit in an IC-block amplifier circuit · CPC title