Fast transition envelope tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9516693-B2
Application number	US-201514838515-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Envelope power supply circuitry is operated in one of an off-state, a standby-state, and a transmit-state. In the standby-state, select components in envelope power converter circuitry in the envelope power supply circuitry are turned on in order to charge one or more inductive and/or capacitive elements therein to a maximum value necessary for supporting transmission of signals about a maximum output power. Accordingly, the envelope power supply circuitry is able to prepare to support transmission about any output power without knowing the output power ahead of time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Envelope power converter circuitry configured to receive a supply voltage and an envelope power converter control signal and provide an envelope power supply signal to an amplifier, the envelope power converter circuitry comprising:
switching power converter circuitry configured to provide at least a portion of the envelope power supply signal based on a control output current;
a control amplifier configured to receive the envelope power converter control signal, a converted supply voltage, and the portion of the envelope power supply signal provided by the switching power converter circuitry and provide the control output current; and
supply voltage converter circuitry coupled to the control amplifier and configured to receive the supply voltage and provide the converted supply voltage, wherein:
in a standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry are powered off, and the supply voltage converter circuitry provides the converted supply voltage according to a maximum power demand of the control amplifier; and
in a transmit-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry are powered on, and the supply voltage converter circuitry provides the converted supply voltage according to a known power demand of the control amplifier.

2. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 1 further comprising switching control circuitry coupled between the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry and configured to generate a switching control signal for the switching power converter circuitry based on the control output current.

3. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein in an off-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier, the supply voltage converter circuitry, and the switching power converter circuitry are powered off.

4. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 1 further comprising:
a supply converter holding inductor coupled between the supply voltage converter circuitry and the control amplifier; and
a supply converter smoothing capacitor coupled between the supply converter holding inductor and ground.

5. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 4 wherein in the standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the supply converter holding inductor and the supply converter smoothing capacitor are charged by the supply voltage converter circuitry.

6. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 1 further comprising voltage regulator circuitry configured to receive the supply voltage and provide a driver-stage power supply signal for an additional amplifier.

7. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 6 wherein:
in the standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the voltage regulator circuitry provides the driver-stage power supply signal according to a maximum power demand of the additional amplifier; and
in the transmit-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the voltage regulator circuitry provides the driver-stage power supply signal according to a known power demand of the additional amplifier.

8. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 7 further comprising:
a supply converter holding inductor coupled between the supply voltage converter circuitry and the control amplifier;
a supply converter smoothing capacitor coupled between the supply converter holding inductor and ground; and
a driver-stage power supply smoothing capacitor coupled between an output of the voltage regulator circuitry and ground.

9. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 8 further comprising a switch coupled between the output of the voltage regulator circuitry and the supply converter holding inductor.

10. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 9 wherein:
in the standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the switch is closed such that the voltage regulator circuitry is configured to assist the supply voltage converter circuitry in charging the supply converter holding inductor and the supply converter smoothing capacitor; and
in the transmit-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the switch is open.

11. The envelope power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:
the standby-state is entered between about 5-8 μs before transmission of a wireless local area network (WLAN) signal from the amplifier; and
the transmit-state is entered between about 2-4 μs before transmission of a WLAN signal from the amplifier.

12. Radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuitry comprising:
a final-stage amplifier configured to receive an input signal and an envelope power supply signal and provide an RF output signal;
envelope power converter circuitry configured to receive a supply voltage and an envelope power converter control signal and provide the envelope power supply signal, the envelope power converter circuitry comprising:
switching power converter circuitry configured to provide at least a portion of the envelope power supply signal based on a control output current;
a control amplifier configured to receive the envelope power converter control signal, a converted supply voltage, and the portion of the envelope power supply signal from the switching power converter circuitry and provide the control output current; and
supply voltage converter circuitry coupled to the control amplifier and configured to receive the supply voltage and provide the converted supply voltage, wherein:
in a standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry are powered off, and the supply voltage converter circuitry provides the converted supply voltage according to a maximum power demand of the control amplifier; and
in a transmit-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry are powered on, and the supply voltage converter circuitry provides the converted supply voltage according to a known power demand of the control amplifier.

13. The RF transmitter circuitry of claim 12 wherein the envelope power converter circuitry further comprises switching control circuitry coupled between the control amplifier and the switching power converter circuitry and configured to generate a switching control signal for the switching power converter circuitry based on the control output current.

14. The RF transmitter circuitry of claim 12 wherein in an off-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the control amplifier, the supply voltage converter circuitry, and the switching power converter circuitry are powered off.

15. The RF transmitter circuitry of claim 12 wherein the envelope power converter circuitry further comprises:
a supply converter holding inductor coupled between the supply voltage converter circuitry and the control amplifier; and
a supply converter smoothing capacitor coupled between the supply converter holding inductor and ground.

16. The RF transmitter circuitry of claim 15 wherein in the standby-state of the envelope power converter circuitry, the supply converter holding inductor and the supply converter smoothing capacitor are charged by the supply voltage converter circuitry.

17. The RF transmitter circuitry of claim 12 wherein:
the RF transmitter circuitry further comprises a driver-stage amplifier coupled to the final-stage amplifier and configured to receive an RF input signal and a driver-stage power supply signal and

Assignees

• Rf Micro Devices Inc
• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Khlat Nadim
• Kay Michael R

Classifications

• H04W76/046 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W52/028

  switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks · CPC title

• H03F3/24

  of transmitter output stages · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title