Over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication

Abstract

The invention discloses an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication. The over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication is used for reducing power consumption of a power amplifier, the power amplifier outputs a signal to an antenna, and the over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication comprises a temperature sensing element, a processor and a communication front-end circuit. The temperature sensing element is used for sensing a sensing temperature of the power amplifier; the processor is connected with the temperature sensing element and is used for confirming whether the sensed temperature is higher than a temperature threshold value or not so as to generate a control signal; the communication front-end circuit is connected between the power amplifier and the antenna and is connected with the processor, the communication front-end circuit is provided with impedance and receives the control signal from the processor, and the impedance is changed according to the control signal. Therefore, the power consumption of the power amplifier is reduced to achieve an over-temperature protection effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protection circuit, and in particular to an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communications. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the main method for over-temperature protection of communication modules is to measure the operating temperature of the multi-mode multi-band power amplifier (MMPA) used in the 4G LTE communication system or the power amplifier module in duplexer (PAMiD) used in the 5G NR communication system, and feed it back to the power management integrated circuit (PMIC). When the operating temperature reaches the system threshold, the over-temperature protection mechanism is triggered to reduce the LTE / NR power to improve the temperature of the communication module itself.

[0003] However, reducing the power of LTE / NR will significantly reduce the signal coverage of the communication module. Therefore, it can be seen that there is currently a lack of an over-temperature protection circuit for communication that can improve the temperature of the communication module and achieve over-temperature protection without reducing the power of LTE / NR. Therefore, relevant industries are all looking for solutions.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communications to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication, which can improve the problem of overtemperature of the communication module without changing the power of the communication module, so as to solve the problem in the known technology that the signal coverage range of the communication module is greatly reduced due to reducing the power.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an over-temperature protection circuit for communication is provided to reduce the power consumption of a power amplifier, the power amplifier outputs a signal to an antenna, and the over-temperature protection circuit for communication includes a temperature sensing element, a processor, and a communication front-end circuit. The temperature sensing element is used to sense a sensed temperature of the power amplifier. The processor is connected to the temperature sensing element and determines whether the sensed temperature is higher than a temperature threshold to generate a control signal. The communication front-end circuit is connected between the power amplifier and the antenna, and is connected to the processor. The communication front-end circuit has an impedance and receives a control signal from the processor. The impedance changes according to the control signal to reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier.

[0007] Thus, the over-temperature protection circuit applied to communication of the present invention can reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier by changing the impedance of the communication front-end circuit, and can improve the problem of excessive temperature of the power amplifier and achieve the effect of over-temperature protection when the power of the communication module remains unchanged. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 A circuit diagram showing an over-temperature protection circuit for communication according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0009] Figure 2 Draw Figure 1 A circuit diagram of an impedance adjustment circuit;

[0010] Figure 3 Draw Figure 1 A signal path transmission schematic diagram of an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communications;

[0011] Figure 4 A circuit diagram illustrating an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communications according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0012] Figure 5 Draw Figure 4 Schematic diagram of signal path transmission of an over-temperature protection circuit applied to communications.

[0013] Main component symbols:

[0014] 1 Power Amplifier

[0015] 2 Transceiver

[0016] 3 Antenna

[0017] 4 Power Management Integrated Circuit

[0018] 100, 100a Over-temperature protection circuit for communication

[0019] 200 Temperature sensing element

[0020] 300 processors

[0021] 400 Communication front-end circuit

[0022] 410 front end module

[0023] 411 Interface

[0024] 411a First interface

[0025] 411b Second interface

[0026] 420 Impedance Adjustment Circuit

[0027] 421 Switch

[0028] 422 Resonance Circuit

[0029] 430 Duplexer

[0030] C1 First capacitor

[0031] C2 Second capacitor

[0032] C3, C4, C5 capacitors

[0033] I1, I2 input terminals

[0034] L1, L2 inductors

[0035] O1, O2 output terminals

[0036] P11, P21 First Path

[0037] P12, P22 Second Path

[0038] S control signal

[0039] TX signal

[0040] V1, V2 signal input terminal DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1The circuit diagram of the over-temperature protection circuit 100 applied to communication according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The over-temperature protection circuit 100 applied to communication is used to reduce the power consumption of a power amplifier 1. A transceiver 2 outputs a signal TX to an antenna 3 via the power amplifier 1. The over-temperature protection circuit 100 applied to communication includes a temperature sensing element 200, a processor 300 and a communication front-end circuit 400. The processor 300 is electrically connected to the transceiver 2 and connected to the temperature sensing element 200 via a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 4. The communication front-end circuit 400 is connected between the power amplifier 1 and the antenna 3 and connected to the processor 300. The temperature sensing element 200 is used to sense a sensed temperature of the power amplifier 1. The processor 300 determines whether the sensed temperature is higher than a temperature threshold and generates a control signal S. The communication front-end circuit 400 has an impedance and receives the control signal S from the processor 300. The impedance changes according to the control signal S to reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier 1. Among them, the signal transmission between the processor 300 and the communication front-end circuit 400 is transmitted via the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI). In the first embodiment, the processor 300 may be a digital signal processor (DSP), a microprocessor (MPU), a central processing unit (CPU) or other electronic processors. The temperature sensing element 200 may be an NTC thermistor, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, the power amplifier 1 may be an MMPA of a 4G LTE communication system, and in other embodiments, it may be a PAMiD of a 5G NR communication system, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0042] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, the communication front-end circuit 400 includes a front-end module 410, an impedance adjustment circuit 420 and a duplexer 430. One end of the duplexer 430 is connected to the power amplifier 1, and the other end thereof is connected to the front-end module 410, and the front-end module 410 is connected to the impedance adjustment circuit 420 and the antenna 3. In other embodiments, the impedance adjustment circuit 420 may also be connected between the power amplifier 1 and the duplexer 430, and the present invention is not limited to the connection position of the impedance adjustment circuit 420.

[0043] exist Figure 1In the embodiment, the front-end module 410 includes at least one interface 411, wherein the number of the at least one interface 411 is two, namely a first interface 411a and a second interface 411b. The communication front-end circuit 400 further includes a first capacitor C1, the first interface 411a is electrically connected to the antenna 3 via the first capacitor C1, and the second interface 411b is electrically connected to the impedance adjustment circuit 420. The front-end module 410 determines that the signal TX is transmitted to the antenna 3 via one of the first interface 411a and the second interface 411b according to the control signal S.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 2 Draw Figure 1 The impedance adjustment circuit 420 is a circuit diagram of an impedance adjustment circuit 420. The impedance adjustment circuit 420 includes a switch 421, a resonant circuit 422 and a second capacitor C2. The switch 421 is electrically connected to the second interface 411b of the front-end module 410 and the antenna 3. The resonant circuit 422 is electrically connected to the switch 421 and is used to change the impedance of the communication front-end circuit 400. The switch 421 determines whether the signal TX passes through the resonant circuit 422 according to the control signal S. The switch 421 includes two input terminals I1 and I2, two output terminals O1 and O2, and two signal input terminals V1 and V2. The input terminal I1 is electrically connected to the second interface 411b, the input terminal I2 is electrically connected to the resonant circuit 422, the output terminal O1 is electrically connected to the resonant circuit 422, and the output terminal O2 is electrically connected to the antenna 3 via the second capacitor C2. In the first embodiment, the switch 421 is a double-pole double-throw (DPDT) switch, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The resonant circuit 422 is an inductor-capacitor network circuit, which is correspondingly planned and adjusted according to the load-pull of different types of power amplifiers 1. In the first embodiment, the equivalent circuit of the resonant circuit 422 includes two inductors L1 and L2 and three capacitors C3, C4 and C5, wherein the inductor L1 is connected to the capacitor C3, the inductor L2 is connected to the capacitor C5, and the capacitor C4 is connected between the capacitors C3 and C5, but the present invention is not limited thereto. When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the processor 300 generates a control signal S to transmit the signal TX to the antenna 3 via the first interface 411a, and the second capacitor C2 causes the switch 421 to be disconnected from the antenna 3; when the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the processor 300 generates a control signal S to transmit the signal TX to the antenna 3 via the second interface 411b and the resonant circuit 422, and the first capacitor C1 causes the first interface 411a to be disconnected from the antenna 3.

[0045] For details, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 3 Draw Figure 1Schematic diagram of the signal TX path transmission of the over-temperature protection circuit 100 applied to communication. When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the control signal S causes the front-end module 410 to output the signal TX to the antenna 3 along a first path P11, wherein the first path P11 is formed between the first interface 411a and the antenna 3. Further explanation, the control signal S is output to the antenna 3 along the first path P11 in sequence via the first interface 411a and the first capacitor C1. Conversely, when the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the control signal S causes the front-end module 410 and the switch 421 to output the signal TX to the antenna 3 along a second path P12, wherein the second path P12 is formed between the second interface 411b, the switch 421, the resonant circuit 422 and the antenna 3. Further, the signal TX is transmitted to the input terminal I1 of the switch 421 via the second interface 411b along the second path P12, and is transmitted to the input terminal I2 of the switch 421 via the output terminal O1 of the switch 421 through the impedance adjustment circuit 420, and is finally output to the antenna 3 via the output terminal O2 of the switch 421 and the second capacitor C2. Thus, the present invention changes the transmission path of the signal TX according to the control signal S, which can reduce the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) and meet the third generation partnership project (3rd Generation Partnership Project; 3GPP) specification test requirements, so that the impedance of the communication front-end circuit 400 is changed, and the current of the power amplifier 1 is changed, so as to achieve the effect of reducing the power consumption of the power amplifier 1, and when the temperature of the power amplifier 1 is too high, the power amplifier 1 is cooled down, thereby achieving the effect of over-temperature protection.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 A circuit diagram of an over-temperature protection circuit 100a for communication according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The over-temperature protection circuit 100a for communication is used to reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier 1. The transceiver 2 outputs a signal TX to the antenna 3 via the power amplifier 1. The over-temperature protection circuit 100a for communication includes a temperature sensing element 200, a processor 300, and a communication front-end circuit 400. In the second embodiment, the temperature sensing element 200, the processor 300, the power amplifier 1, the transceiver 2, the antenna 3, and the power management integrated circuit 4 are the same as those in the first embodiment, so they are not described in detail.

[0047] exist Figure 4In the second embodiment, the communication front-end circuit 400 includes a front-end module 410, an impedance adjustment circuit 420 and a duplexer 430. In the second embodiment, one end of the front-end module 410 is connected to the duplexer 430, and the other end thereof is connected to the impedance adjustment circuit 420. The impedance adjustment circuit 420 and the duplexer 430 are the same as the impedance adjustment circuit 420 and the duplexer 430 of the first embodiment, so they are not described in detail. The front-end module 410 includes at least one interface 411, and the difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the number of the at least one interface 411 is one, and the interface 411 is electrically connected to the input terminal I1 (shown in FIG. 1 ) of the switch 421 of the impedance adjustment circuit 420. Figure 5 ).

[0048] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 Draw Figure 4 Schematic diagram of signal path transmission of over-temperature protection circuit 100a applied to communication. When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the control signal S causes the front-end module 410 to output the signal TX to the antenna 3 along a first path P21, wherein the first path P21 is formed between the interface 411, the switch 421 and the antenna 3. To further illustrate, the signal TX is transmitted to the input terminal I1 of the switch 421 via the interface 411 along the first path P21, and is output to the antenna 3 via the output terminal O2 of the switch 421 and the second capacitor C2. Conversely, when the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the control signal S causes the front-end module 410 to output the signal TX to the antenna 3 along a second path P22, wherein the second path P22 is formed between the interface 411, the switch 421, the resonant circuit 422 and the antenna 3. To further illustrate, the signal TX is transmitted to the input terminal I1 of the switch 421 via the interface 411 along the second path P22, and is transmitted to the input terminal I2 of the switch 421 via the output terminal O1 of the switch 421 through the impedance adjustment circuit 420, and is finally output to the antenna 3 via the output terminal O2 of the switch 421 and the second capacitor C2. Thus, the present invention changes the transmission path of the signal TX according to the control signal S, so that the impedance of the communication front-end circuit 400 can be changed, and the current of the power amplifier 1 can be changed, so as to achieve the effect of reducing the power consumption of the power amplifier 1, and when the temperature of the power amplifier 1 is too high, the power amplifier 1 can be cooled down, thereby achieving the effect of over-temperature protection.

[0049] It can be seen from the above embodiments that the present invention has the following advantages: First, by selecting a signal transmission path, the power amplifier power consumption can be reduced to cool the power amplifier, and the problem of excessive temperature of the communication module can be improved without changing the power of the communication module, thereby achieving the effect of over-temperature protection. Second, by reducing the power consumption of the power amplifier to provide over-temperature protection, it is suitable for 4G, 5G communication systems, and subsequent generations of communication systems.

[0050] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of an implementation method as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician in this field should be able to make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention should be based on the scope defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. An over-temperature protection circuit for communication, the over-temperature protection circuit for communication is used to reduce the power consumption of a power amplifier, the power amplifier outputs a signal to an antenna, the over-temperature protection circuit for communication comprises: a temperature sensing element, the temperature sensing element is used to sense a sensed temperature of the power amplifier; a processor connected to the temperature sensing element and determining whether the sensed temperature is higher than a temperature threshold to generate a control signal; as well as A communication front-end circuit is connected between the power amplifier and the antenna and is connected to the processor. The communication front-end circuit has an impedance and receives the control signal from the processor. The impedance changes according to the control signal to reduce the power consumption of the power amplifier.

2. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication front-end circuit comprises: A front-end module, the front-end module comprising at least one interface; as well as An impedance adjustment circuit, the impedance adjustment circuit is connected to the front-end module, and the impedance adjustment circuit includes: a switch electrically connecting the front-end module and the antenna; and A resonant circuit is electrically connected to the switch and is used to change the impedance of the communication front-end circuit.

3. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one interface comprises: a first interface electrically connected to the antenna; as well as a second interface electrically connected to the switch of the impedance adjustment circuit; The front-end module determines that the signal is transmitted to the antenna through one of the first interface and the second interface according to the control signal.

4. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication according to claim 3, wherein: When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the control signal enables the front-end module to output the signal to the antenna along a first path; When the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the control signal causes the front-end module to output the signal to the antenna along a second path; The first path is formed between the first interface and the antenna, and the second path is formed between the second interface, the switch, the resonant circuit and the antenna.

5. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication according to claim 4, wherein: The communication front-end circuit further includes a first capacitor, and when the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the first capacitor causes a circuit to be disconnected between the first interface and the antenna; and The impedance adjustment circuit further includes a second capacitor. When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the second capacitor causes the switch and the antenna to be disconnected.

6. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 3, wherein the switch is a double-pole double-throw switch, and comprises: two input terminals, the two input terminals being electrically connected to the second interface and the resonant circuit respectively; as well as Two output ends are electrically connected to the resonant circuit and the antenna respectively. 7 . The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the number of the at least one interface is one, and the at least one interface is electrically connected to the switch of the impedance adjustment circuit.

8. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication according to claim 7, wherein: When the sensed temperature is lower than or equal to the temperature threshold, the control signal enables the front-end module to output the signal to the antenna along a first path; When the sensed temperature is higher than the temperature threshold, the control signal causes the front-end module to output the signal to the antenna along a second path; The first path is formed between the at least one interface, the switch and the antenna, and the second path is formed between the at least one interface, the switch, the resonant circuit and the antenna.

9. The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 7, wherein the switch is a double-pole double-throw switch, and comprises: two input ends, the two input ends are electrically connected to the at least one interface and the resonant circuit respectively; as well as Two output ends are electrically connected to the resonant circuit and the antenna respectively. 10 . The over-temperature protection circuit for communication as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the switch determines whether the signal passes through the resonant circuit according to the control signal.

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