Voltage supply system with boost converter and charge pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016239040-A1
Application number	US-201514867186-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 15, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Voltage supply system with boost converter and charge pump. A voltage supply system can include a boost converter controllable to receive an input voltage at an input node and generate an output voltage when the output voltage is greater than or equal to the input voltage. The voltage supply system can include a charge pump controllable to receive the input voltage at the input node and generate the output voltage when the output voltage is less than the input voltage. The voltage supply system can further include a controller configured to receive a control signal and control the boost converter or the charge pump to generate the output voltage at an output node based on the control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A voltage supply system comprising:
a boost converter controllable to receive an input voltage at an input node and generate an output voltage when the output voltage is greater than or equal to the input voltage; a charge pump controllable to receive the input voltage at the input node and generate the output voltage when the output voltage is less than the input voltage; and a controller configured to receive a control signal and control the boost converter or the charge pump to generate the output voltage at an output node based on the control signal.

2 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating a first mode, the controller is configured to control the charge pump to generate the output voltage less than the input voltage.

3 . The voltage supply system of claim 2 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating the first mode, the controller is configured to control the charge pump to generate the output voltage of approximately half the input voltage.

4 . The voltage supply system of claim 2 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating the first mode, the controller is configured to control a charge pump bypass circuit to pass the output voltage to the output node.

5 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating a second mode, the controller is configured to control the boost converter to generate the output voltage equal to the input voltage.

6 . The voltage supply system of claim 5 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating the second mode, the controller is configured to operate one or more switches of the boost converter to pass the input voltage as the output voltage to the output node.

7 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating a third mode, the controller is configured to control the boost converter to generate the output voltage greater than the input voltage.

8 . The voltage supply system of claim 7 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating the third mode, the controller is configured to periodically operate one or more switches of the boost converter to boost the input voltage to generate the output voltage at the output node.

9 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein the boost converter includes an inductor and one or more switches.

10 . The voltage supply system of claim 9 wherein the one or more switches includes a first switch coupled between the inductor and a ground voltage and a second switch coupled between the inductor and the output node.

11 . The voltage supply system of claim 9 wherein the boost converter does not include a switch coupled between the inductor and the input node.

12 . The voltage supply system of claim 10 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating a second mode, the controller is configured to open the first switch and close the second switch to pass the input voltage as the output voltage to the output node.

13 . The voltage supply system of claim 10 wherein, in response to the control signal indicating a third mode, the controller is configured to periodically open and close the first switch and second switch to boost the input voltage to generate the output voltage at the output node.

14 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein the charge pump includes one or more capacitors.

15 . The voltage supply system of claim 14 wherein the charge pump does not include an inductor.

16 . The voltage supply system of claim 1 wherein the input voltage is substantially equal to a battery voltage.

17 . A radio-frequency (RF) module comprising:
a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components; and a voltage supply system implemented on the packaging substrate, the voltage supply system including a boost converter controllable to receive an input voltage at an input node and generate an output voltage when the output voltage is greater than or equal to the input voltage, a charge pump controllable to receive the input voltage at the input node and generate the output voltage when the output voltage is less than the input voltage, and a controller configured to control the boost converter or the charge pump to generate the output voltage at an output node based on a received control signal.

18 . The RF module of claim 17 wherein the RF module is a front-end module (FEM).

19 . The RF module of claim 17 wherein the voltage supply system includes a supply device and one or more passive devices external to and electrically connected to the supply device.

20 . A wireless device comprising:
a transceiver configured to generate a radio-frequency (RF) signal; a front-end module (FEM) in communication with the transceiver, the FEM including a packaging substrate configured to receive a plurality of components and a power amplification system implemented on the packaging substrate and configured to amplify the RF signal, the power amplification system including a voltage supply system, the voltage supply system including a boost converter controllable to receive an input voltage at an input node and generate an output voltage when the output voltage is greater than or equal to the input voltage, a charge pump controllable to receive the input voltage at the input node and generate the output voltage when the output voltage is less than the input voltage, and a controller configured to control the boost converter or the charge pump to generate the output voltage at an output node based on a received control signal; and an antenna in communication with the FEM, the antenna configured to transmit the amplified RF signal.

Assignees

• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Ripley David Steven

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H02M3/07

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title

• G05F5/00 Primary

  Systems for regulating electric variables by detecting deviations in the electric input to the system and thereby controlling a device within the system to obtain a regulated output · CPC title

• H02M3/155

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title