Dual-output asynchronous power converter circuitry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948240-B2
Application number	US-201615142859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Dual-output power converter circuitry includes an input node, a first output node, a second output node, a number of capacitive elements, and a number of switching elements. The switching elements are coupled between the input node, the first output node, the second output node, and the capacitive elements. In operation, the switching elements charge and discharge the capacitive elements such that a power supply output voltage is provided asynchronously to the first output node and the second output node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Envelope tracking power converter circuitry comprising:
a first envelope tracking power supply signal output node;
a second envelope tracking power supply signal output node;
dual-output power converter circuitry configured to asynchronously provide a first power converter output voltage and a second power converter output voltage based on a supply voltage;
a voltage regulator configured to provide a regulated supply voltage based on the supply voltage;
a first parallel amplifier configured to provide a first output voltage and a first output current based on a first parallel amplifier supply voltage, an envelope power converter control signal, and a first feedback signal from the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node;
a second parallel amplifier configured to provide a second output voltage and a second output current based on a second parallel amplifier supply voltage, an envelope power converter control signal, and a second feedback signal from the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node;
a first auxiliary switching power converter configured to:
in a first mode of operation, provide a portion of a first envelope tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the first power converter output voltage and a first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current from the first parallel amplifier; and
in a second mode of operation, provide the second parallel amplifier supply voltage to the second parallel amplifier based on the first power converter output voltage; and

a second auxiliary switching power converter configured to:
in a first mode of operation, provide a portion of a second envelope tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the second power converter output voltage and a second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current from the second parallel amplifier; and
in a second mode of operation, provide the first parallel amplifier supply voltage to the first parallel amplifier based on the second power converter output voltage.

2. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:
in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage provided by the voltage regulator; and
in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage provided by the voltage regulator.

3. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 2 wherein the voltage regulator is a low dropout regulator.

4. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein the dual-output power converter circuitry comprises:
an input node;
a first output node;
a second output node;
a plurality of capacitive elements; and
a plurality of switching elements, wherein the dual-output power converter circuitry is configured to receive the supply voltage at the input node and selectively charge and discharge the plurality of capacitive elements from the supply voltage using the plurality of switching elements such that a power converter output voltage is asynchronously provided to the first output node and the second output node.

5. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 4 wherein:
the plurality of switching elements comprises:
a first switching element coupled between the input node and a first intermediate node;
a second switching element coupled between the input node and a second intermediate node;
a third switching element coupled between the input node and a third intermediate node;
a fourth switching element coupled between the input node and a fourth intermediate node;
a fifth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and the third intermediate node;
a sixth switching element coupled between the first intermediate node and the first output node;
a seventh switching element coupled between the first intermediate node and the second output node;
an eighth switching element coupled between the second intermediate node and ground;
a ninth switching element coupled between the third intermediate node and the second output node;
a tenth switching element coupled between the third intermediate node and the first output node; and
an eleventh switching element coupled between the fourth intermediate node and ground; and

the plurality of capacitive elements comprises:
a first capacitive element coupled between the first intermediate node and the second intermediate node; and
a second capacitive element coupled between the third intermediate node and the fourth intermediate node.

6. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 1 wherein:
the first auxiliary switching power converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a first average power tracking power supply signal to the first envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the first power converter output voltage and the first auxiliary control signal, wherein the first auxiliary control signal is based on the first output current from the first parallel amplifier; and
the second auxiliary power converter is further configured to, in a third mode of operation, provide a second average power tracking power supply signal to the second envelope tracking power supply signal output node based on the second power converter output voltage and the second auxiliary control signal, wherein the second auxiliary control signal is based on the second output current form the second parallel amplifier.

7. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 6 wherein:
in the first mode of operation and the third mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier is inactive; and
in the first mode of operation and the third mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier is inactive.

8. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 7 wherein:
in the first mode of operation of the first auxiliary switching power converter, the second parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage provided by the voltage regulator; and
in the first mode of operation of the second auxiliary switching power converter, the first parallel amplifier supply voltage is the regulated supply voltage provided by the voltage regulator.

9. The envelope tracking power converter circuitry of claim 7 wherein:
the dual-output power converter circuitry is a boost converter;
the first auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter; and
the second auxiliary switching power converter is a buck converter.

10. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter section comprising:
a first set of power amplifiers configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a first set of operating bands;
a second set of power amplifiers configured to receive and amplify RF input signals within a second set of operating bands;
envelope tracking power converter circuitry comprising:
a first envelope tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the first set of power amplifiers;
a second envelope tracking power supply signal output node coupled to the second set of power amplifiers;
dual-output power converter circuitry configured to asynchronously provide a first power converter output voltage and a second power converter output voltage based on a

Assignees

• Rf Micro Devices Inc
• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Khlat Nadim
• Kay Michael R

Classifications

• H03F2200/48

  the output of the amplifier being coupled out by a capacitor · CPC title

• H02M1/14

  Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title

• H03F1/0227 Primary

  using supply converters · CPC title

• H03F3/68

  Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics {(power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602)} · CPC title