High-voltage tolerant voltage regulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9588529-B2
Application number	US-201113225124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2011
Priority date	Sep 3, 2010
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

Circuits and methodologies related to high-voltage tolerant regulators are disclosed. In some implementations, a voltage regulator can be configured to be capable of being in a regulating state and a bypass state. In the regulating state, an input voltage greater than a selected value can be regulated so as to yield a desired output voltage such as a substantially constant voltage. In the bypass state, an input voltage at or less than the selected value can be regulated so as to yield an output voltage that substantially tracks the input voltage. Such a capability of switching between two modes can provide advantageous features such as reducing the likelihood of damage in a powered circuit due to high input voltage, and extending the operating duration of a power source such as a rechargeable battery. Also disclosed are examples of how the foregoing features can be implemented in different products and methods of operation and fabrication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless device, comprising:
at least one antenna configured to facilitate transmission and receiving of radio-frequency signals;
a transceiver interconnected to the antenna and configured to generate a radio frequency signal for transmission through the antenna and to process a radio frequency signal received from the antenna; and
a voltage regulator interconnected to the transceiver and configured to provide a desired voltage to the transceiver at an output node, the voltage regulator further configured to be capable of operating in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage, the voltage regulator further configured to be capable of operating in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage, the voltage regulator including a switch coupled to an input node and the output node and including a pass transistor configured to be controlled by a control signal, the voltage regulator further including a voltage generator and a differential amplifier, the voltage generator configured to receive an input voltage from the input node and to provide a reference voltage and one or more bias voltages to the differential amplifier, the differential amplifier configured to generate the control signal for the pass transistor, the voltage generator including a first stack of field effect transistors configured to generate the one or more bias voltages and including at least one field effect transistor that operates in a sub-threshold mode when the voltage regulator operates in the bypass mode, the voltage generator further including a second stack of field effect transistors and a plurality of diodes, the second stack of field effect transistors configured to generate a mirrored current by mirroring a current flowing through the first stack of field effect transistors, and to generate the reference voltage based on providing the mirrored current to the plurality of diodes.

2. The wireless device of claim 1 further comprising a receptacle configured to receive a battery and to provide electrical connection between the battery and the voltage regulator such that the input voltage of the voltage regulator is approximately proportional to the battery's voltage.

3. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein the first stack of field effect transistors is electrically connected in series between the input node and a ground node.

4. The wireless device of claim 1 further comprising a voltage divider coupled to the output node and configured to generate a divided voltage corresponding to a fraction of a voltage of the output node, the differential amplifier further including a first input configured to receive the divided voltage.

5. The wireless device of claim 4 wherein the differential amplifier further includes a second input configured to receive the reference voltage from the voltage generator.

6. The wireless device of claim 4 wherein the voltage divider includes a plurality of field effect transistors electrically connected in series between the output node and a ground node.

7. The wireless device of claim 4 further comprising a stabilization network electrically connected between the first input and the output node.

8. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein the voltage regulator operates in the regulation mode when the input voltage is greater than a selected voltage.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 wherein the voltage regulator operates in the bypass mode when the input voltage is less than or equal to the selected voltage.

10. The wireless device of claim 1 wherein the pass transistor is a p-channel field effect transistor.

11. A method of voltage regulation in a wireless device, the method comprising:
using a transceiver to control transmission and reception of radio frequency signals via at least one antenna;
providing a desired voltage to the transceiver at an output node of a voltage regulator that includes a voltage generator, a differential amplifier, and a switch, the voltage regulator operable in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage and further operable in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage;
generating a control signal for a pass transistor of the switch using the differential amplifier, the switch coupled between an input node and the output node;
providing an input voltage from the input node to the voltage generator; and
generating one or more bias voltages and a reference voltage for the differential amplifier using the voltage generator, including generating the one or more bias voltages using a first stack of field effect transistors of the voltage generator, operating at least one field effect transistor of the first stack of field effect transistors in a sub-threshold mode when the voltage regulator operates in the bypass mode, using a second stack of field effect transistors of the voltage generator to generate a mirrored current by mirroring a current flowing through the first stack of field effect transistors, and generating the reference voltage based on providing the mirrored current to a plurality of diodes of the voltage generator.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating the input voltage using a battery.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating a divided voltage corresponding to a fraction of a voltage of the output node using a voltage divider, and providing the divided voltage to a first input of the differential amplifier.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing the reference voltage to a second input of the differential amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising stabilizing the differential amplifier using a stabilization network that is electrically connected between the first input and the output node.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising operating the voltage regulator in the regulation mode when the input voltage is greater than a selected voltage.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising operating the voltage regulator in the bypass mode when the input voltage is less than or equal to the selected voltage.

18. A module for a wireless device, comprising:
a transceiver configured to control transmission and reception of radio frequency signals; and
a voltage regulator interconnected to the transceiver and configured to provide a desired voltage to the transceiver at an output node, the voltage regulator further configured to be capable of operating in a regulation mode in which the desired voltage includes a regulated voltage, the voltage regulator further configured to be capable of operating in a bypass mode in which the desired voltage includes a bypass voltage, the voltage regulator including a switch coupled to an input node and the output node and including a pass transistor configured to be controlled by a control signal, the voltage regulator further including a voltage generator and a differential amplifier, the voltage generator configured to receive an input voltage from the input node and to provide a reference voltage and one or more bias voltages to the differential amplifier, the differential amplifier configured to generate the control signal for the pass transistor, the voltage generator including a first stack of field effect transistors configured to generate the one or more bias voltages and including at least one field effect transistor that operates in a sub-threshold mode when the voltage regulator operates in the bypass mode, the voltage generator further including a second stack of fi

Assignees

• Balteanu Florinel G
• Pingot Jakub F
• Popplewell Peter Harris Robert
• Skyworks Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Balteanu Florinel G
• Pingot Jakub F
• Popplewell Peter Harris Robert

Classifications

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• G05F3/262

  using field-effect transistors only · CPC title

• H03F3/20

  Power amplifiers, e.g. Class B amplifiers, Class C amplifiers (H03F3/26 - H03F3/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05F3/242 Primary

  with compensation for device parameters, e.g. channel width modulation, threshold voltage, processing, or external variations, e.g. temperature, loading, supply voltage · CPC title

• G05F1/56 Primary

  using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices (G05F1/461 takes precedence) · CPC title