Power switching device and power amplification module

Abstract

A power supply switching device and a power amplifier module are provided to prevent a spike current at the time of power supply switching. A control circuit stops supplying a control voltage or a control current to a first control terminal to make a first power supply terminal and a first amplifier terminal non-conductive based on a control signal indicating switching between a first connection state and a second connection state, supplies the control voltage or the control current to a shunt control terminal to make a connection terminal and a ground terminal conductive in a case where a voltage or a current at the first control terminal decreases to a first threshold voltage or a first threshold current, stops supplying the control voltage or the control current to the shunt control terminal to make the connection terminal and the ground terminal non-conductive in a case where the voltage or the current at the shunt control terminal increases to a set voltage or a set current after that, and supplies the control voltage or the control current to a second control terminal to become the second connection state in a case where the voltage or the current at the shunt control terminal decreases to a second threshold voltage or a second threshold current.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a power switching device and a power amplifier module. Background Technology

[0002] A switching circuit is known for use in wireless communication devices that support multi-bandwidth communication (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-150510 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] The switching circuit described in Patent Document 1 is a circuit used to switch the path of a high-frequency signal.

[0008] Previously, wireless communication devices, such as ENDC (Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Radio Dual Connectivity), which switch between different voltage power supplies at high speeds (nS level), included switches capable of high-speed power switching. For example, see reference... Figure 7 The previous power amplifier module 200 will be described. Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a structural example of a conventional power amplifier module 200.

[0009] like Figure 7 As shown, the power amplifier module 200 includes a power amplifier 210 that amplifies the input signal RFin and outputs an output signal RFout, and a switch 220 for switching to either a power supply Vdd1 or Vdd2 with different voltages. In the power amplifier module 200, capacitors and parasitic capacitors exist in the power supply wiring between the power amplifier 210 and the power supplies Vdd1 and Vdd2. Charge accumulates in these capacitors.

[0010] In the power amplifier module 200, when the operation of switching the power supply Vdd1 connected to the power amplifier 210 to the power supply Vdd2 is performed, the charge accumulated in the capacitor flows to the power supply side in the form of a spike current. This causes the power supply to be damaged due to the spike current.

[0011] The switching circuit described in Patent Document 1 cannot be used as a switch for switching the power supply of a power amplifier circuit. Even if the structure of the switching circuit described in Patent Document 1 can be applied to switching the power supply of a power amplifier circuit, the power supply cannot be switched at high speed using the structure of the switching circuit described in Patent Document 1.

[0012] This is because, in order to apply the switching circuit described in Patent Document 1 in the power switching operation of the power amplifier module, it is necessary to input control signals from an external device one by one to switch each switch of the switching circuit at high speed. Therefore, it is difficult to input such control signals from the external device 3000 one by one at high speed in the design.

[0013] That is, the switching circuit described in Patent Document 1 cannot be used as a switching circuit for switching the power supply of the power amplifier module 200, and cannot properly prevent spike current when switching the switch in the power amplifier module 200.

[0014] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to prevent spike currents during power switching.

[0015] Solution for solving the problem

[0016] One aspect of the present invention relates to a power switching device comprising a switching circuit and a control circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises: a first switching transistor having a first power supply terminal electrically connected to a first power supply supplying a first voltage, a first amplifier terminal electrically connected to a power amplifier that amplifies and outputs a high-frequency signal, and a first control terminal for controlling the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal; a second switching transistor having a second power supply terminal electrically connected to a second power supply supplying a second voltage different from the first voltage, a second amplifier terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier, and a second control terminal for controlling the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal; and a shunt section comprising at least one shunt transistor, each of the at least one shunt transistor having a connection terminal, a ground terminal electrically connected to ground, and a shunt control terminal for controlling the conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, wherein the connection terminal is electrically connected to at least one of the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier and the second amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, and the control circuit controls the voltage or current of each of the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the shunt control terminal, and the control circuit performs the following processing: based on an indication of switching between a first connection state and a second connection state... The control signal stops supplying control voltage or control current to the first control terminal, so that the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal are in a non-conductive state. The first connection state is a connection state in which the first voltage can be supplied from the first power supply to the power amplifier through the first switching transistor, and the second connection state is a connection state in which the second voltage can be supplied from the second power supply to the power amplifier through the second switching transistor. When the voltage or current at the first control terminal decreases to a first threshold voltage or a first threshold current that makes the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal non-conductive, the control voltage or control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal, so that the connection terminal and the ground terminal are in a conductive state. When the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current after the connection terminal and the ground terminal are in a conductive state, the supply of control voltage or control current to the shunt control terminal is stopped, so that the connection terminal and the ground terminal are in a non-conductive state. And when the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal decreases to a second threshold voltage or a second threshold current, the control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal, so that the second connection state is achieved.

[0017] One aspect of the present invention relates to a power amplification module comprising the power switching device and the power amplifier described above.

[0018] The effects of the invention

[0019] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent spike currents during power switching. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing structural examples of various circuits related to a power amplifier module as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a power switching device.

[0022] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the operation of the switching transistor and shunt section in a power switching device.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a diagram illustrating the operation of the power switching device.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating a structural example of the power switching device involved in the modified example.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the switching transistor, shunt transistor, and adjusting transistor in the power switching device involved in the modified example.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a structural example of a conventional power amplifier module. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same circuit elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0028] ===Structure of Power Amplifier Module 100===

[0029] Reference Figure 1 A brief description of the structure of the power amplifier module 100 is provided. Figure 1 This is a diagram showing examples of the structure of various circuits related to the power amplifier module 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] The power amplifier module 100 is, for example, mounted in mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, and is used to amplify the power of radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted to base stations. The power amplifier module 100 amplifies the power of signals from communication standards such as 2G (second-generation mobile communication system), 3G (third-generation mobile communication system), 4G (fourth-generation mobile communication system), 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system), LTE (Long Term Evolution)-FDD (Frequency Division Duplex), LTE-TDD (Time Division Duplex), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, and 6G (sixth-generation mobile communication system). Furthermore, the frequency of the RF signal is, for example, around several hundred MHz to tens of GHz. Moreover, the communication standards of the signals amplified by the power amplifier module 100 are not limited to these.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the power amplifier module 100 includes, for example, a power switching device 1000 and a power amplifier 2000.

[0032] The power switching device 1000 is a switching device connected in series between the power supply and the power amplifier 2000. The power switching device 1000 switches the power supplied to the power amplifier 2000. The power switching device 1000 is connected to power supplies of different voltages. As an example, the power switching device 1000 is electrically connected to a first power supply Vdd1 that supplies a first voltage (e.g., 5V) and a second power supply Vdd2 that supplies a second voltage (e.g., 0.5V) different from the first voltage.

[0033] The power switching device 1000 includes a transistor. The transistor may be a field-effect transistor or a bipolar transistor, etc. Below, as an example, the power switching device 1000 is constructed using a field-effect transistor.

[0034] Furthermore, in the following description, when the transistor constituting the power switching device 1000 is a bipolar transistor, "voltage" is replaced with "current", "drain" is replaced with "collector", "source" is replaced with "emitter", and "gate" is replaced with "base".

[0035] The transistor constituting the power switching device 1000 has its gate voltage controlled according to the control voltage supplied to its gate from the control circuit 1200 (described later). As a result, the power switching device 1000 switches the connection states of the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2.

[0036] The first power supply Vdd1 supplies a specified voltage (e.g., 5V) to the power amplifier 2000, which amplifies and outputs high-frequency radio frequency signals. The second power supply Vdd2 supplies a voltage (e.g., 0.5V) different from that of the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000.

[0037] Furthermore, the state in which the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 is referred to as the "first connection state", and the state in which the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to the second power supply Vdd2 is referred to as the "second connection state".

[0038] The power switching device 1000 has a structure that prevents the generation of spike current when switching from a first connection state to a second connection state. This structure will be described later.

[0039] Therefore, the power amplifier module 100 can appropriately switch power supplies in a manner that does not generate spike current in wireless communication devices such as ENDC that require high-speed (nS level) switching between power supplies of different voltages.

[0040] Furthermore, as a method to prevent spike current, it is possible to prevent spike current by setting a capacitor on the power supply side with a capacitance that is about 100 times larger than the capacitance of the capacitor that causes the spike current. However, if the driving capability of the power supply of the power amplifier module is taken into account, it is not possible to set a capacitor with such a large capacitance on the power supply side.

[0041] The power amplifier 2000 is an amplifier that amplifies the input high-frequency radio frequency (RF) signal (hereinafter referred to as "input signal RFin") and outputs an amplified signal (hereinafter referred to as "output signal RFout"). The frequency of the input signal RFin is, for example, around several GHz. The power amplifier 2000 is not particularly limited and can be constructed from bipolar transistors such as heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) or field-effect transistors such as MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors).

[0042] ==Power Switching Device 1000==

[0043] <<Structure>>

[0044] Reference Figure 2 The structure of the power switching device 1000 will be described. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the power switching device 1000. (As shown...) Figure 2As shown, the power switching device 1000 includes a switching circuit 1100 and a control circuit 1200.

[0045] Switching circuit 1100 is used to switch between a first connection state and a second connection state. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The structure of the switching circuit 1100 is described. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the switching circuit 1100.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the switching circuit 1100 includes a switching section 1110 and a shunt section 1120.

[0047] The switching unit 1110 is a circuit capable of switching between a first power supply Vdd1 and a second power supply Vdd2. The switching unit 1110 has a terminal electrically connected to both the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2 in a manner capable of switching between them, and a terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000. The switching unit 1110 includes, for example, switching transistors 1111 and 1112.

[0048] The switching transistor 1111 includes a first power supply terminal, a first amplifier terminal, and a first control terminal. The first power supply terminal is the end electrically connected to a first power source, such as the source. The first amplifier terminal is the end electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, such as the drain. The first control terminal is the end supplied with a control voltage for controlling the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal, such as the gate. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the first power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source," the first amplifier terminal as the "drain," and the first control terminal as the "gate."

[0049] That is, for example, the source of the switching transistor 1111 is electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1, the drain of the switching transistor 1111 is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and the gate of the switching transistor 1111 is electrically connected to the control circuit 1200.

[0050] Furthermore, the connection point between the drain of the switching transistor 1111 (first amplifier terminal) and the power amplifier 2000 will be referred to as "connection point N1". The shunt section 1120, which will be described later, is electrically connected to connection point N1.

[0051] The switching transistor 1112 includes a second power supply terminal, a second amplifier terminal, and a second control terminal. The second power supply terminal is the end electrically connected to a second power source, such as the source. The second amplifier terminal is the end electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, such as the drain. The second control terminal is the end supplied with a control voltage to control the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal, such as the gate. For ease of explanation, the second power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source," the second amplifier terminal as the "drain," and the second control terminal as the "gate" in the following description.

[0052] That is, for example, the source of switching transistor 1112 is electrically connected to the second power supply Vdd2, the drain of switching transistor 1112 is electrically connected to power amplifier 2000, and the gate of switching transistor 1112 is electrically connected to control circuit 1200. In addition, the drain of switching transistor 1112 is electrically connected to power amplifier 2000 through connection point N1.

[0053] Shunt section 1120 is a circuit used to remove charge accumulated in the capacitors of power amplifier module 100. Shunt section 1120 includes at least one shunt transistor 1121.

[0054] The shunt transistor 1121 includes a connection terminal, a ground terminal, and a shunt control terminal. The connection terminal is the end electrically connected to the connection point N1, for example, the source. The ground terminal is the end connected to ground, for example, the drain. The shunt control terminal is the end electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is, for example, the gate, supplied with a control voltage for controlling the conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the connection terminal will be referred to as the "source," the ground terminal as the "drain," and the shunt control terminal as the "gate."

[0055] That is, for example, the source of the shunt transistor 1121 is electrically connected to the connection point N1, the drain of the shunt transistor 1121 is electrically connected to ground, and the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 is electrically connected to the control circuit 1200.

[0056] The control circuit 1200 is a circuit that controls the operation of the transistor by supplying or stopping the supply of a control voltage to the gate of the transistor constituting the power switching device 1000. The control circuit 1200 receives control signals from an external device 3000 (e.g., an interface supporting MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface)).

[0057] The control signal, for example, indicates switching the switching unit 1110 from a first connection state where voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the first power supply Vdd1 to a second connection state where voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the second power supply Vdd2. Alternatively, the control signal, for example, indicates switching the switching unit 1110 from a second connection state where voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the second power supply Vdd2 to a first connection state where voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the first power supply Vdd1.

[0058] Furthermore, the control circuit 1200 receives a setting signal from the external device 3000 to set a setting voltage Vset related to the timing of switching the shunt transistor 1121 of the shunt section 1120 from the on state to the off state. The control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 based on the setting signal. Therefore, the power switching device 1000 allows the user to arbitrarily set the operation of the shunt section 1120 according to the amount of charge accumulated in the capacitor of the power amplifier module 100, thus appropriately preventing current spikes.

[0059] Upon receiving a control signal, the control circuit 1200 automatically and sequentially controls the gate voltages of the switching transistors 1111, 1112, and the shunt transistor 1121 based on predetermined conditions. The control circuit 1200 includes, for example, a comparison circuit that compares the gate voltages of each of the switching transistors 1111, 1112, and the shunt transistor 1121 with a threshold voltage.

[0060] <<Action>>

[0061] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operation of the power switching device 1000 is explained.

[0062] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the operation of switching transistors 1111 and 1112, and shunt transistor 1121 in the power switching device 1000. Figure 3 In (a), the dashed arrow indicates the direction of the current flowing from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000. Figure 3 In (b), the dashed arrowheads represent the flow of accumulated charge. Figure 3 In (c), the direction of the current supplied from the second power supply Vdd2 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0063] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the operation of the power switching device 1000. Figure 4In the diagram, the vertical axis represents the gate voltages of switching transistors 1111 and 1112, and shunt transistor 1121, while the horizontal axis represents time (ns). Additionally, in... Figure 4 In the diagram, the gate voltage of switching transistor 1111 is represented by a solid line, the gate voltage of shunt transistor 1121 is represented by a dashed line, and the gate voltage of switching transistor 1112 is represented by a single-dot dashed line.

[0064] Furthermore, the state in which the drain and source of a transistor are conducting is referred to as the "conducting state," and the state in which the drain and source of a transistor are not conducting is referred to as the "non-conducting state."

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown in (a), the control circuit 1200 controls the supply and cessation of the control voltage to the gates of each transistor, so that switching transistor 1111 is turned on, switching transistor 1112 is turned off, and shunt transistor 1121 is turned off. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in a first connected state. When the gate voltage of switching transistor 1111 represents a voltage higher than the threshold voltage Vth (e.g., 0.7V), switching transistor 1111 is turned on.

[0066] exist Figure 4 At time Ti1, a control signal is input from external device 3000 to control circuit 1200. Control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of switching transistor 1111 to switch switching transistor 1111 to a non-conducting state. Specifically, control circuit 1200 performs an action to stop the supply of control voltage to the gate of switching transistor 1111, so that the gate voltage of switching transistor 1111 is at a value between the input and output of the control voltage and the output of the control voltage. Figure 4 The time interval from time Ti1 to time Ti2 is reduced.

[0067] exist Figure 4 At time Ti2, control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of switching transistor 1111 has dropped to the threshold voltage Vth. That is, control circuit 1200 determines that switching transistor 1111 has become non-conducting. At this time, control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of shunt transistor 1121 to switch shunt transistor 1121 into the conducting state. Specifically, control circuit 1200 supplies a control voltage to the gate of shunt transistor 1121 so that the gate voltage of shunt transistor 1121 drops from the threshold voltage Vth. Figure 4 The time period from Ti2 to Ti4 increases.

[0068] exist Figure 4 When the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 exceeds the threshold voltage Vth at time Ti3, as shown, Figure 3As shown in (b), the shunt transistor 1121 is in the on state.

[0069] Next, in Figure 4 At time Ti4, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 has risen to a set voltage Vset. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 to make the shunt transistor 1121 non-conducting. Specifically, the control circuit 1200 performs an action to stop the supply of control voltage to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121, so that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121... Figure 4 The time Ti4 begins to decrease.

[0070] Next, in Figure 4 At time Ti5, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 has dropped to the threshold voltage Vth. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the switching transistor 1112 to switch the switching transistor 1112 into the on state. Specifically, the control circuit 1200 supplies a control voltage to the gate of the switching transistor 1112 so that the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112 drops from the threshold voltage Vth. Figure 4 The time period from Ti5 to Ti7 increases.

[0071] That is, during the period from time Ti3 to time Ti5, the power switching device 1000, while the power amplifier 2000 is not electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2, becomes a state where the power amplifier 2000 is connected to ground through the shunt transistor 1121. Thus, the power switching device 1000 can remove the charge accumulated in the capacitors that causes peak currents.

[0072] Furthermore, during the period from time Ti3 to time Ti5, the power switching device 1000 is set with a set voltage Vset based on a set signal, thereby adjusting the time for properly removing the charge accumulated in the capacitors of the power amplifier module 100. In other words, the power switching device 1000 can easily adjust the time for removing charge based on the setting operation of the external device 3000 according to the size of the capacitance component included in the user's power amplifier module 100.

[0073] Additionally, during the periods from time Ti2 to time Ti3 and from time Ti5 to time Ti6, switching transistors 1111 and 1112, as well as shunt transistor 1121, are in a non-conducting state. Figure 4 (The "cut-off"). This reliably prevents the power amplifier 2000 from short-circuiting to ground.

[0074] Next, in Figure 4When the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112 exceeds the threshold voltage Vth at time Ti6, the drain and source of the switching transistor 1112 become in a conducting state.

[0075] That is, in this case, such as Figure 3 As shown in (c), the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of each transistor, so that the drain and source of switching transistor 1111 are in a non-conductive state, the drain and source of switching transistor 1112 are in a conductive state, and the drain and source of shunt transistor 1121 are in a non-conductive state. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in the second connection state.

[0076] ==Power switching device 1000a involved in the modification example==

[0077] <<Structure>>

[0078] Reference Figure 5 The structure of the power switching device 1000a involved in the modified example will be described. Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a structural example of the power switching device 1000a according to the modified example. Furthermore, the following description will only focus on the differences from the power switching device 1000; otherwise, they are the same as the power switching device 1000.

[0079] like Figure 5 As shown, the power switching device 1000a includes a switching circuit 1100a and a control circuit 1200.

[0080] like Figure 2 As shown, the switching circuit 1100a includes a switching section 1110a, a shunt section 1120a, and a path adjustment section 1130.

[0081] The switching unit 1110a includes, for example, a switching transistor 1111a and a switching transistor 1112a.

[0082] The source (first power supply terminal) of switching transistor 1111a is electrically connected to the first power supply, and the drain (first amplifier terminal) of switching transistor 1111a is electrically connected to the first adjustment power supply terminal of adjustment transistor 1131. The gate (first control terminal) of switching transistor 1111a is supplied with a control voltage to control the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal. The connection point between the drain of switching transistor 1111a and the first adjustment power supply terminal of adjustment transistor 1131 will be referred to as "connection point N2". A shunt transistor 1121a, described later, is electrically connected at connection point N2.

[0083] The source (second power supply terminal) of switching transistor 1112a is electrically connected to the second power supply, and the drain (second amplifier terminal) of switching transistor 1112a is electrically connected to the second adjustment power supply terminal of adjustment transistor 1132. The gate (second control terminal) of switching transistor 1112a is supplied with a control voltage to control the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal. The connection point between the drain of switching transistor 1112a and the second adjustment power supply terminal of adjustment transistor 1132 is referred to as "connection point N3". A shunt transistor 1122a, described later, is electrically connected at connection point N3.

[0084] The shunt section 1120a includes, for example, shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a.

[0085] The shunt transistor 1121a includes a first connection terminal, a first ground terminal, and a first shunt control terminal. The first connection terminal is the end electrically connected to the connection point N2, for example, the source. The first ground terminal is the end connected to ground, for example, the drain. The first shunt control terminal is the end electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is, for example, the gate, supplied with a control voltage for controlling the conduction between the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the first connection terminal will be referred to as the "source," the first ground terminal as the "drain," and the first shunt control terminal as the "gate."

[0086] The shunt transistor 1122a includes a second connection terminal, a second ground terminal, and a second shunt control terminal. The second connection terminal is the end electrically connected to the connection point N3, for example, the source. The second ground terminal is the end connected to ground, for example, the drain. The second shunt control terminal is the end electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is, for example, the gate, supplied with a control voltage for controlling the conduction between the second connection terminal and the second ground terminal. Hereinafter, for ease of explanation, the second connection terminal will be referred to as the "source," the second ground terminal as the "drain," and the second shunt control terminal as the "gate."

[0087] The path adjustment unit 1130 is a circuit used to adjust the connection path when switching between the first connection state, the second connection state, and the connection state connected to ground. The path adjustment unit 1130 includes, for example, adjustment transistor 1131 and adjustment transistor 1132.

[0088] The adjustment transistor 1131 includes a first adjustment power supply terminal, a first adjustment amplifier terminal, and a first adjustment control terminal. The first adjustment power supply terminal is electrically connected to the drain (first amplifier terminal) of the switching transistor 1111a through connection point N2, and is, for example, the source terminal. The first adjustment amplifier terminal is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and is, for example, the drain terminal. The first adjustment control terminal is supplied with a control voltage for controlling the conduction between the first adjustment power supply terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal, and is, for example, the gate terminal. For ease of explanation, the first adjustment power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source terminal," the first adjustment amplifier terminal as the "drain terminal," and the first adjustment control terminal as the "gate terminal" in the following description.

[0089] The adjustment transistor 1132 includes a second adjustment power supply terminal, a second adjustment amplifier terminal, and a second adjustment control terminal. The second adjustment power supply terminal is electrically connected to the drain (second amplifier terminal) of the switching transistor 1112a via connection point N3, and is, for example, the source terminal. The second adjustment amplifier terminal is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and is, for example, the drain terminal. The second adjustment control terminal is supplied with a control voltage to control the conduction between the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal, and is, for example, the gate terminal. For ease of explanation, the second adjustment power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source terminal," the second adjustment amplifier terminal as the "drain terminal," and the second adjustment control terminal as the "gate terminal" in the following description.

[0090] When the control circuit 1200 receives a control signal, it automatically controls the gate voltages of the switching transistors 1111a, 1112a, shunt transistors 1121a, 1122a, and adjusting transistors 1131 and 1132 in sequence according to the specified conditions.

[0091] <<Action>>

[0092] Reference Figure 6 The operation of the power switching device 1000a will be explained. Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the operation of the switching transistors 1111a and 1112a, the shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a, and the adjusting transistors 1131 and 1132 in the power switching device 1000a according to the modified example. Figure 6 In (a), the dashed arrow indicates the direction of the current flowing from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000. Figure 6 In (b), the dashed arrowheads represent the flow of accumulated charge. Figure 6 In (c), the direction of the current supplied from the second power supply Vdd2 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0093] Furthermore, the following graph, which represents the gate voltage of each transistor, is set to... Figure 4Similar to [other examples], its explanation is omitted. Below, [the text continues with...] Figure 4 Similarly, in the control circuit 1200, the gate voltage used to switch the shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a to the non-conducting state is set to the set voltage Vset.

[0094] Furthermore, the state in which the drain and source of a transistor are connected is referred to as the "conducting state," and the state in which the drain and source of a transistor are not connected is referred to as the "non-conducting state."

[0095] like Figure 6 As shown in (a), the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of each transistor to turn on the switching transistor 1111a, turn off the switching transistor 1112a, turn off the shunt transistor 1121a, turn on the shunt transistor 1122a, turn on the regulating transistor 1131, and turn off the regulating transistor 1132. At this time, the power switching device 1000a is in the first connection state.

[0096] Next, a control signal is input from the external device 3000 to the control circuit 1200. The control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the switching transistor 1111a to switch the switching transistor 1111a to a non-conducting state. At this time, the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111a gradually decreases.

[0097] Next, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111a has dropped to the threshold voltage Vth. That is, the control circuit 1200 determines that the switching transistor 1111a has become non-conducting. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gates of the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 to switch the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 into the conducting state. As a result, the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 gradually increase.

[0098] When the gate voltages of shunt transistor 1121a and regulating transistor 1132 rise to the threshold voltage Vth, such as Figure 6 As shown in (b), shunt transistor 1121a and regulating transistor 1132 are in the on state. Furthermore, at this time, shunt transistor 1122a is assumed to be in the on state.

[0099] Next, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121a has risen to a set voltage Vset. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the shunt transistor 1122a and the gate of the regulating transistor 1131 respectively (e.g., stops supplying control voltage) to switch the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131 into a non-conducting state. Then, the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131 gradually decrease.

[0100] Furthermore, while it has been stated above that the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121a rises to a set voltage Vset, it is not limited thereto. For example, the control circuit 1200 may also determine that at least one of the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1121a and the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1122a rises to the set voltage Vset.

[0101] Next, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1122a and the gate voltage of the regulating transistor 1131 have decreased to the threshold voltage Vth. That is, the control circuit 1200 determines that the power amplifier 2000 is no longer electrically connected to ground. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a to switch the switching transistor 1112a into the on state. Then, the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a gradually increases.

[0102] That is, the power switching device 1000a is in a state where the power amplifier 2000 is not electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2. Figure 6 In state (b), the power amplifier 2000 is connected to ground via shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a. Thus, the power switching device 1000a is able to remove the charge accumulated in the capacitors that causes spike currents.

[0103] Furthermore, the power switching device 1000a is set with a set voltage Vset based on a set signal, thereby adjusting the time for properly removing the charge accumulated in the capacitors of the power amplifier module 100. In other words, the power switching device 1000a can easily adjust the charge removal time based on the user's setting operation of the external device 3000 according to the size of the capacitance components included in the power amplifier module 100.

[0104] Next, when the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a rises to the threshold voltage Vth, the switching transistor 1112a switches to the on state.

[0105] That is, in this case, such as Figure 6As shown in (c), the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of each transistor to make the switching transistor 1111a non-conducting, the switching transistor 1112a conducting, and the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131 non-conducting. At this time, the power switching device 1000a is in the second connection state.

[0106] Therefore, compared with the power switching device 1000, the power switching device 1000a can more reliably remove the charge accumulated in the capacitor and can more appropriately prevent peak current.

[0107] ===Summary===

[0108] <1> The power switching device 1000 includes a switching circuit 1100 and a control circuit 1200. The switching circuit 1100 includes: a switching transistor 1111 (first switching transistor), which has a first power supply terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to a first power supply Vdd1 supplying a first voltage, a first amplifier terminal (e.g., drain or collector) electrically connected to a power amplifier 2000 that amplifies and outputs a high-frequency signal, and a first control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal; and a switching transistor 1112 (second switching transistor), which has a second power supply Vdd2 supplying a second voltage different from the first voltage, and a second power supply Vdd2 supplying a second voltage different from the first voltage. The system includes a power supply terminal (e.g., source or emitter), a second amplifier terminal (e.g., drain or collector) electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and a second control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal; and a shunt section 1120, which includes at least one shunt transistor, each of the at least one shunt transistor having a connection terminal (e.g., source or emitter), a ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) electrically connected to ground, and a shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling the conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, wherein the connection terminal (e.g., source or emitter) is electrically connected between the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier 2000 and the second amplifier terminal. At least one of the amplifier terminal and the power amplifier 2000, the control circuit 1200 controls the voltage or current of the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the shunt control terminal respectively. The control circuit 1200 performs the following processing: based on a control signal indicating switching between the first connection state and the second connection state, it stops supplying control voltage or control current to the first control terminal, so that the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal are in a non-conductive state. The first connection state is a connection state in which a first voltage can be supplied from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000 through the switching transistor 1111 (first switching transistor), and the second connection state is a connection state in which a first voltage can be supplied from the second power supply Vdd2 through the switching transistor 1111 (first switching transistor). 112 (second switching transistor) supplies a second voltage to the power amplifier 2000 in a connected state; when the voltage or current at the first control terminal decreases to a first threshold voltage or first threshold current (e.g., threshold voltage Vth) that makes the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal non-conductive, a control voltage or control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal to make the connection terminal and the ground terminal conductive; when the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current (e.g., set voltage Vset) after the connection terminal and the ground terminal are conductive, the supply of control voltage or control current to the shunt control terminal is stopped to make the connection terminal and the ground terminal non-conductive.Furthermore, when the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal drops to the second threshold voltage or second threshold current, a control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal to establish a second connection state. Thus, the power amplifier module 100 can appropriately remove the charge accumulated in the capacitor and prevent current spikes.

[0109] <2> In addition, according to <1> The power switching device 1000 includes a control circuit 1200 that can adjust a set voltage or set current based on a set signal from a specified device (e.g., MIPI). Therefore, the power switching device 1000 allows the user to arbitrarily set the operation of the shunt section 1120 according to the amount of charge accumulated in the capacitor of the power amplifier module 100, thus appropriately preventing current spikes.

[0110] <3> In addition, according to <1> or <2> The power switching device 1000a further includes a switching circuit 1100a comprising: an adjustment transistor 1131 (first adjustment transistor), which has a first adjustment power supply terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to the first amplifier terminal, a first adjustment amplifier terminal (e.g., drain or collector) electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and a first adjustment control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling the conduction between the first adjustment power supply terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal; and an adjustment transistor 1132 (second adjustment transistor), which has a second adjustment power supply terminal electrically connected to the second amplifier terminal, a second adjustment amplifier terminal ... The system includes a second adjustment control terminal for controlling the conduction between the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal. At least one shunt transistor includes shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) and shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor). Connection terminals include a first connection terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) between the first amplifier terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal, and a second connection terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor) between the second amplifier terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal. A ground terminal includes shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor). The control circuit 1200 includes a first ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) connected to ground, and a second ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) connected to ground of a shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor). The shunt control terminals include a first shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) of the shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) for controlling the conduction between the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal, and a second shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) of the shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor) for controlling the conduction between the second connection terminal and the second ground terminal. The control circuit 1200 performs the following processing: based on the control signal, it stops supplying control voltage or control current to the first control terminal. To make the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal non-conductive; when the voltage or current of the first control terminal drops to the first threshold voltage or the first threshold current (e.g., threshold voltage Vth), to supply a control voltage or control current to the first shunt control terminal to make the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal conductive, so that the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to ground through the shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor), and to supply a control voltage or control current to the second adjustment control terminal to make the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal conductive, so that the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to ground through the shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor);When the voltage or current at at least one of the first and second shunt control terminals rises to a set voltage or set current (e.g., set voltage Vset) after the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to ground, the supply of control voltage or control current to the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal respectively stops, resulting in a state where the power amplifier 2000 is not electrically connected to ground; and when the voltage or current at the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal drops to a second threshold voltage or second threshold current (e.g., threshold voltage Vth), control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal, resulting in a second connected state. Therefore, the power amplifier module 100 can more reliably remove the charge accumulated in the capacitors and can more appropriately prevent spike currents.

[0111] <4> In addition, the power amplifier module 100 has the following features: <1> to <3> The power switching device 1000 and power amplifier 2000 described in any one of the above. Thus, the power amplifier module 100 can properly remove the charge accumulated in the capacitor and prevent spike current.

[0112] The embodiments described above are for the purpose of facilitating understanding of this disclosure and are not intended to limit its interpretation. This disclosure can be modified or improved without departing from its spirit, and it also includes equivalents. That is, any method obtained by appropriately applying design changes to the embodiments by those skilled in the art, as long as it possesses the features of this disclosure, is also included within the scope of this disclosure. The elements and their configurations in the embodiments are not limited to those illustrated and can be appropriately modified.

[0113] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0114] 100: Power amplifier module; 1000, 1000a: Power switching device; 1100, 1100a: Switching circuit; 1110, 1110a: Switching section; 1111, 1111a: Switching transistor; 1112, 1112a: Switching transistor; 1120, 1120a: Shunt section; 1121: Shunt transistor; 1121a, 1122a: Shunt transistor; 1200: Control circuit; 1131, 1132: Adjustment transistor.

Claims

1. A power switching device comprising a switching circuit and a control circuit, wherein, The switching circuit includes: The first switching transistor has a first power supply terminal electrically connected to a first power source supplying a first voltage, a first amplifier terminal electrically connected to a power amplifier that amplifies and outputs a high-frequency signal, and a first control terminal for controlling the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal. The second switching transistor includes a second power supply terminal electrically connected to a second power supply with a second voltage different from the first voltage, a second amplifier terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier, and a second control terminal for controlling the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal; and The shunt section includes at least one shunt transistor, each of the at least one shunt transistor having a connection terminal, a ground terminal connected to ground, and a shunt control terminal for controlling the conduction of the connection terminal and the ground terminal, wherein the connection terminal is electrically connected to at least one of the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, and the second amplifier terminal and the power amplifier. The control circuit controls the voltage or current of the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the shunt control terminal, respectively. The control circuit performs the following processing: Based on the control signal indicating the switching between the first connection state and the second connection state, the supply of control voltage or control current to the first control terminal is stopped, so that the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal are in a non-conducting state. The first connection state is a connection state in which the first voltage can be supplied from the first power supply to the power amplifier through the first switching transistor, and the second connection state is a connection state in which the second voltage can be supplied from the second power supply to the power amplifier through the second switching transistor. When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to a first threshold voltage or a first threshold current that makes the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal non-conductive, the control voltage or the control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal to make the connection terminal and the ground terminal conductive. When the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or current after a conductive state is established between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, the supply of the control voltage or control current to the shunt control terminal is stopped, thereby making the connection terminal and the ground terminal non-conductive; and When the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal drops to the second threshold voltage or the second threshold current, the control voltage or the control current is supplied to the second control terminal to form the second connection state.

2. The power switching device according to claim 1, wherein, The control circuit has the function of adjusting the set voltage or the set current based on a set signal from a specified device.

3. The power switching device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The switching circuit also includes: The first adjustment transistor has a first adjustment power supply terminal electrically connected to the first amplifier terminal, a first adjustment amplifier terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier, and a first adjustment control terminal for controlling the conduction between the first adjustment power supply terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal. as well as The second adjustment transistor includes a second adjustment power supply terminal electrically connected to the second amplifier terminal, a second adjustment amplifier terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier, and a second adjustment control terminal for controlling the conduction between the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal. The at least one shunt transistor includes a first shunt transistor and a second shunt transistor. The connection terminals include a first connection terminal of the first shunt transistor electrically connected between the first amplifier terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal, and a second connection terminal of the second shunt transistor electrically connected between the second amplifier terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal. The grounding terminal includes a first grounding terminal of the first shunt transistor connected to ground, and a second grounding terminal of the second shunt transistor connected to ground. The shunt control terminal includes a first shunt control terminal of the first shunt transistor for controlling the conduction between the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal, and a second shunt control terminal of the second shunt transistor for controlling the conduction between the second connection terminal and the second ground terminal. The control circuit performs the following processing: Based on the control signal, stop supplying the control voltage or the control current to the first control terminal, so that the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal are in a non-conducting state. When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to the first threshold voltage or the first threshold current, the control voltage or the control current is supplied to the first shunt control terminal to make the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal conduct, so that the power amplifier is electrically connected to the ground through the first shunt transistor; and the control voltage or the control current is supplied to the second adjustment control terminal to make the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal conduct, so that the power amplifier is electrically connected to the ground through the second shunt transistor. When the voltage or current of at least one of the first shunt control terminal and the second shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current after the power amplifier is electrically connected to the ground, the supply of the control voltage or the control current to the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal respectively is stopped, so that the power amplifier is not electrically connected to the ground. as well as When the voltage or current at the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal decreases to the second threshold voltage or the second threshold current, the control voltage or the control current is supplied to the second control terminal to form the second connection state.

4. A power amplifier module, comprising: The power switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and The power amplifier.

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