DC-DC converter for envelope tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9337734-B2
Application number	US-201414475645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments provide a DC-DC converter (DC-DC=direct current to direct current) for envelope tracking. The DC-DC converter includes a digital control stage and a driving stage. The digital control stage is configured to provide a digital control signal based on digital information describing an amplitude of a digital baseband transmit signal. The driving stage is configured to provide a supply voltage for an RF amplifier (RF=radio frequency) based on the digital control signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for envelope tracking, comprising:
a digital control circuit configured to generate a digital control signal in response to receiving information describing an amplitude of a baseband transmit signal, wherein the digital control circuit comprises a look UP table for the amplitude information; and
a modulator circuit configured to provide a first power supply voltage to an RF power amplifier based on the digital control signal and a second power supply voltage,
wherein the second power supply voltage includes a battery voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulator circuit includes a pulse width modulator.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second power supply voltage further includes a DC supply voltage.

4. A system for envelope tracking comprising:
an antenna port configured to couple to an antenna;
an RF power amplifier coupled to the antenna port;
a baseband processor configured to generate a digital control signal in response to receiving information describing an amplitude of a transmit signal, wherein the baseband processor comprises a look up table for the amplitude information; and
a modulator circuit configured to provide a first power supply voltage to the RF power amplifier based on the digital control signal and a second power supply voltage,
wherein the second power supply voltage comprises a battery voltage.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the modulator circuit includes a pulse width modulator, wherein a pulse width of an output signal of the pulse width modulator is a function of the digital control signal or the information describing the amplitude of the transmit signal.

6. A modulator circuit comprising:
an input configured to receive a digital control signal generated based on information describing an amplitude of a baseband transmit signal, wherein the amplitude information is generated from a look up table;
an input configured to receive a first power supply voltage, wherein the first power supply voltage comprises a battery voltage; and
an output configured to supply a second power supply voltage to an RF power amplifier based on the digital control signal and the first power supply voltage.

7. The modulator circuit of claim 6 , wherein the first power supply voltage comprises a DC voltage.

8. The modulator circuit of claim 6 , wherein the modulator circuit comprises a pulse width modulator.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pulse width modulator outputs a pulse width modulation signal that is a function of the battery voltage.

10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the modulator circuit includes a pulse width modulator, wherein a pulse width of an output signal of the pulse width modulator is a function of the battery voltage.

11. The modulator circuit of claim 8 , wherein the pulse width modulator outputs a pulse width modulation signal that is a function of the battery voltage.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information describing an amplitude of a baseband transmit signal is digital amplitude information.

13. The modulator circuit of claim 6 , wherein the information describing an amplitude of the transmit signal is digital amplitude information.

Assignees

• Intel Mobile Comm Gmbh
• Intel Deutschland Gmbh

Inventors

• Kuttner Franz

Classifications

• H03F1/025

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

• H02M3/157 Primary

  with digital control · CPC title

• H03F1/0227

  using supply converters · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title