High efficiency variable voltage supply

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9979353-B2
Application number	US-201715467921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 25, 2004
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to a power supply for generating an output supply voltage. The power supply generally includes a variable voltage supply configured to generate an intermediate supply voltage based on a reference signal, a correction circuit configured to generate an error signal based on the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage, and a combiner configured to combine the intermediate supply voltage and the error signal to provide the output supply voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power supply for generating an output supply voltage, comprising:
a variable voltage supply configured to generate an intermediate supply voltage based on a reference signal;
a correction circuit configured to generate an error signal based on the reference signal and the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage; and
a combiner configured to generate the output supply voltage by combining the intermediate supply voltage and the error signal.

2. The power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking control circuit configured to detect an envelope of the reference signal, wherein the variable voltage supply is configured to generate the intermediate supply voltage based on the envelope of the reference signal.

3. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the reference signal comprises a waveform to be amplified by a radio frequency (RF) amplifier, and wherein the output supply voltage provides power to the RF amplifier.

4. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal represents an error between a desired voltage level of the output supply voltage and an actual voltage level of the output supply voltage.

5. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated based on a difference between a voltage level of the reference signal and the output supply voltage.

6. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated based on a prediction of the output supply voltage.

7. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the correction circuit comprises a voltage supply having a lower efficiency than the variable voltage supply.

8. The power supply of claim 1 , further comprising a feedback connection from an output of the combiner to the correction circuit.

9. The power supply of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tracking control circuit configured to provide an input to the variable voltage supply and the correction circuit; and
a feedback connection from an output of the combiner to the tracking control circuit.

10. The power supply of claim 9 , wherein the tracking control circuit receives the reference signal, wherein the tracking control circuit is configured to provide the input to the variable voltage supply and the correction circuit based on the reference signal.

11. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein inputs to the variable voltage supply and the correction circuit are representative of the reference signal.

12. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal is generated based on a difference between a voltage level of the reference signal and the intermediate supply voltage.

13. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the variable voltage supply is configured to generate the intermediate supply voltage by switching a voltage level to be applied to the combiner from a plurality of discrete voltage levels.

14. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the variable voltage supply and the correction circuit receive the same input signal.

15. The power supply of claim 1 , wherein the error signal represents an error between the intermediate supply voltage and a desired voltage level of the output supply voltage.

16. A method of generating an output supply voltage, comprising:
generating an intermediate supply voltage based on a reference signal;
generating an error signal based on the reference signal and the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage; and
combining the error signal and the intermediate supply voltage to generate the output supply voltage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising detecting an envelope of the reference signal, wherein generating the intermediate supply voltage is based on the envelope of the reference signal.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the error signal represents an error between a desired voltage level of the output supply voltage and an actual voltage level of the output supply voltage.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the error signal is generated based on a difference between a voltage level of the reference signal and the intermediate supply voltage.

20. An apparatus for generating an output supply voltage, comprising:
means for generating an intermediate supply voltage based on a reference signal;
means for generating an error signal based on the reference signal and the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage; and
means for combining the error signal and the intermediate supply voltage to generate the output supply voltage.

Assignees

• Snaptrack Inc

Inventors

• Wilson Martin Paul
• Flint Shane

Classifications

• H02M5/02

  without intermediate conversion into DC · CPC title

• G05F5/00

  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

• H03F1/0233 Primary

  by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply · CPC title

• H03F2200/204

  A hybrid coupler being used at the output of an amplifier circuit · CPC title

• H03F2200/102

  A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit · CPC title