Power switching device and power amplification module

Abstract

This invention provides a power switching device and a power amplification module that prevent spike currents during power switching. [Solution] The power amplification module 100 includes a switch circuit 1100 which includes a first power supply terminal (source) that supplies a first voltage, a power amplifier 2000 that amplifies and outputs a high-frequency signal, a first switching transistor, a second amplifier terminal (drain) that supplies a second voltage, a second switching transistor, and a shunt section which includes at least one shunt transistor, and a control circuit 1200 which switches between a first connection state in which a first voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier from the first power supply Vdd1 through the first switching transistor, and a second connection state in which a second voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier from the second power supply Vdd2 through the second switching transistor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply switching device and a power amplification module.

Background Art

[0002] A switch circuit provided in a wireless communication device corresponding to multi-band is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 is a circuit that switches the path of a high-frequency signal.

[0005] Conventionally, in a wireless communication device that switches power supplies of different voltages at high speed (nS level), such as ENDC (Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Radio Dual Connectivity), a switch capable of switching the power supply at high speed is provided. For example, referring to FIG. 7, a conventional power amplification module 200 will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional power amplification module 200.

[0006] As shown in FIG. 7, the power amplification module 200 includes a power amplifier 210 that amplifies an input signal RFin and outputs an output signal RFout, and a switch 220 that switches to either a power supply Vdd1 or Vdd2 of different voltages. In the power amplification module 200, capacitors and parasitic capacitors exist in the power supply wiring between the power amplifier 210 and the power supplies Vdd1 and Vdd2. These capacitors are charged with electric charges.

[0007] In the power amplification module 200, when the operation is performed to switch power supply Vdd1, which is connected to the power amplifier 210, to power supply Vdd2, the charge stored in the capacitor flows to the power supply side as a spike current. This spike current can cause the power supply to be damaged.

[0008] The switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied as a switch to switch the power supply of a power amplifier circuit. Even if the configuration of the switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 could be applied to switch the power supply of a power amplifier circuit, the configuration of the switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 cannot switch the power supply at high speed.

[0009] This is because, in order to apply the switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 to the power supply switching operation of the power amplifier module, it is necessary to sequentially input control signals from an external device to switch each switch of the switch circuit at high speed, and it is difficult in terms of design to sequentially input such control signals from the external device 3000 at high speed.

[0010] In other words, the switch circuit described in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied as a switch circuit to switch the power supply of the power amplification module 200, and therefore cannot properly prevent spike current when switching the switch in the power amplification module 200.

[0011] Therefore, this disclosure aims to prevent spike currents during power supply switching. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] A power switching device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first switching transistor having a first power 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 conduction between the first power terminal and the first amplifier terminal; a second switching transistor having a second power 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 conduction between the second power terminal and the second amplifier terminal; a shunt section including at least one shunt transistor, each of which has a connection terminal electrically connected to at least one of the following: the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, and the second amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, the ground terminal electrically connected to ground, and the shunt control terminal for controlling conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal; a switch circuit including the first control terminal, the second control terminal and the shunt section The circuit comprises a control circuit that controls the voltage or current of each control terminal, and the control circuit stops supplying the control voltage or control current to the first control terminal so that the connection between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal becomes non-conductive, based on a control signal indicating a switch between a first 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 a second connection state in which the second voltage can be supplied from the second power supply to the power amplifier through the second switching transistor, and the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to a first threshold voltage or first threshold current at which there is no conduction between the terminal and the connection terminal, the control voltage or control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal so that there is conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal. After there is conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, when the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current, the control voltage or control current supplied to the shunt control terminal is stopped so that there is no conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal.When the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal drops to the second threshold voltage or second threshold current, the control voltage or control current supplied to the second control terminal is provided to achieve the second connection state.

[0013] A power amplification module according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned power switching device and a power amplifier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent spike currents during power supply switching. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This figure shows examples of various circuit configurations for a power amplification module, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example configuration of a power switching device. [Figure 3] This graph shows the operation of the power switching device. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the operation of the switching transistor and shunt section in a power switching device. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example configuration of a power switching device related to a modified example. [Figure 6] This figure shows the operation of the switching transistor, shunt transistor, and adjustment transistor in a modified power switching device. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example configuration of a conventional power amplification module. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures. Here, circuit elements with the same reference numerals indicate the same circuit element, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0017] ===Configuration of Power Amplifier Module 100=== Referring to FIG. 1, an overview of the configuration of the power amplification module 100 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of various circuits related to the power amplification module 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] The power amplification module 100 is used, for example, to amplify the power of a radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted to a base station and is mounted on a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone. The power amplification module 100 amplifies the power of signals of 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, 6G (sixth-generation mobile communication system), etc. Also, the frequency of the RF signal is, for example, on the order of several hundred MHz to several tens of GHz. Note that the communication standards of the signals amplified by the power amplification module 100 are not limited to these.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the power amplification module 100 includes, for example, a power supply switching device 1000 and a power amplifier 2000.

[0020] The power supply switching device 1000 is a switching device provided in series between a power supply and the power amplifier 2000. The power supply switching device 1000 switches the power supply supplied to the power amplifier 2000. The power supply switching device 1000 is connected to power supplies of different voltages respectively. Hereinafter, as an example, the power supply switching device 1000 is electrically connected to a first power supply Vdd1 that supplies a first voltage (for example, 5V) and a second power supply Vdd2 that supplies a second voltage (for example, 0.5V) different from the first voltage. <0​​The power switching device 1000 includes a transistor. The transistor is a field-effect transistor or a bipolar transistor, etc. In the following, as an example, the power switching device 1000 is assumed to be composed of a field-effect transistor.

[0022] If the transistors constituting the power switching device 1000 are bipolar transistors, then in the following explanation, "voltage" will be read as "current," "drain" as "collector," "source" as "emitter," and "gate" as "base."

[0023] The transistors constituting the power switching device 1000 have their gate voltages controlled by a control voltage supplied to the gate from the control circuit 1200, which will be described later. As a result, the power switching device 1000 switches the connection state between the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2.

[0024] The first power supply Vdd1 is a power supply that provides a predetermined voltage (e.g., 5V) to a power amplifier 2000 that amplifies and outputs high-frequency radio frequency signals. The second power supply Vdd2 is a power supply that provides a voltage (e.g., 0.5V) different from the voltage of the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000.

[0025] In the following, the state in which the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 will be 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 will be referred to as the "second connection state."

[0026] The power switching device 1000 has a configuration that prevents the generation of spike current when switching from the first connection state to the second connection state. This configuration will be described later.

[0027] As a result, the power amplification module 100 enables proper power switching without generating spike currents in wireless communication devices that require high-speed (nS level) switching to power supplies of different voltages, such as ENDC.

[0028] While it is possible to prevent spike currents by installing a capacitor on the power supply side with a capacity approximately 100 times greater than that of the capacitor causing the spike current, such a large-capacity capacitor cannot be installed on the power supply side considering the driving capability of the power supply of the power amplification module.

[0029] The power amplifier 2000 is an amplifier that amplifies a 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, several GHz. The power amplifier 2000 is not particularly limited, but is composed of a bipolar transistor such as a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) or a transistor such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

[0030] ==Power Switching Device 1000== <<Structure>> The configuration of the power switching device 1000 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the power switching device 1000. As shown in Figure 2, the power switching device 1000 includes a switch circuit 1100 and a control circuit 1200.

[0031] The switch circuit 1100 is a circuit that switches between a first connection state and a second connection state. The configuration of the switch circuit 1100 will be explained with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the switch circuit 1100.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the switch circuit 1100 includes a switching unit 1110 and a shunt unit 1120.

[0033] 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 terminals electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2 so as to be switchable between the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2, and terminals electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000. The switching unit 1110 includes, for example, a switching transistor 1111 and a switching transistor 1112.

[0034] 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 terminal electrically connected to the first power supply, for example, the source. The first amplifier terminal is the terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, for example, the drain. The first control terminal is the terminal to which a control voltage is supplied to control the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal, for example, the gate. For convenience 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."

[0035] In other words, the switching transistor 1111 has, for example, its source electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1, its drain electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and its gate electrically connected to the control circuit 1200.

[0036] Furthermore, in the following, the connection point between the drain (first amplifier terminal) of the switching transistor 1111 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.

[0037] 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 terminal electrically connected to the second power supply, for example, the source. The second amplifier terminal is the terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, for example, the drain. The second control terminal is the terminal to which a control voltage is supplied to control the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal, for example, the gate. For convenience 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."

[0038] In other words, the switching transistor 1112 has, for example, its source electrically connected to the second power supply Vdd2, its drain electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and its gate electrically connected to the control circuit 1200. The drain of the switching transistor 1112 is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000 through connection point N1.

[0039] The shunt section 1120 is a circuit for removing the charge accumulated in the capacitor in the power amplification module 100. The shunt section 1120 includes at least one shunt transistor 1121.

[0040] The shunt transistor 1121 includes a connection terminal, a ground terminal, and a shunt control terminal. The connection terminal is the terminal electrically connected to connection point N1, for example, the source. The ground terminal is the terminal electrically connected to ground, for example, the drain. The shunt control terminal is the terminal electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is supplied with a control voltage to control conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, for example, the gate. For convenience 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."

[0041] In other words, the shunt transistor 1121 has, for example, its source electrically connected to connection point N1, its drain electrically connected to ground, and its gate electrically connected to the control circuit 1200.

[0042] The control circuit 1200 is a circuit that controls the operation of transistors by supplying or stopping a control voltage to the gate of the transistors that make up the power switching device 1000 in order to control the gate voltage of the transistors. The control circuit 1200 receives control signals from an external device 3000 (for example, a MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) compatible interface).

[0043] The control signal is, for example, a signal indicating that the switching unit 1110 is switched from a first connection state in which voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the first power supply Vdd1 to a second connection state in which voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the second power supply Vdd2. The control signal is also, for example, a signal indicating that the switching unit 1110 is switched from a second connection state in which voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the second power supply Vdd2 to a first connection state in which voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the first power supply Vdd1.

[0044] Furthermore, the control circuit 1200 receives a setting signal from the external device 3000 to set a setting voltage Vset, which is related to the timing of switching the shunt transistor 1121 of the shunt section 1120 from a conductive state to a non-conductive state. Based on the setting signal, the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121. As a result, the power switching device 1000 allows the user to arbitrarily set the operation of the shunt section 1120 according to the magnitude of the charge charged to the capacitor of the power amplification module 100, thereby effectively preventing spike currents.

[0045] When the control circuit 1200 receives a control signal, it 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 the switching transistors 1111, 1112 and the shunt transistor 1121 with a threshold voltage.

[0046] <<Operation>> The operation of the power switching device 1000 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0047] Figure 3 shows the operation of the switching transistors 1111, 1112 and the shunt transistor 1121 in the power switching device 1000. In Figure 3(a), the direction of the current flowing from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow, in Figure 3(b), the flow of the charged charge is indicated by a dashed arrow, and in Figure 3(c), the direction of the current supplied from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0048] Figure 4 is a graph showing the operation of the power switching device 1000. In Figure 4, the vertical axis shows the gate voltages of the switching transistors 1111, 1112 and the shunt transistor 1121, and the horizontal axis shows time (nS). In Figure 4, the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111 is shown by a solid line, the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 is shown by a dashed line, and the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112 is shown by a dashed line.

[0049] In the following, the state in which there is electrical conductivity between the drain and source of a transistor will be referred to as the "conductive state," and the state in which there is no electrical conductivity between the drain and source of a transistor will be referred to as the "non-conductive state."

[0050] As shown in Figure 3(a), the control circuit 1200 controls the supply and cessation of control voltages to the gates of each transistor so that switching transistor 1111 is in a conducting state, switching transistor 1112 is in a non-conducting state, and shunt transistor 1121 is in a non-conducting state. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in the first connection state. When the gate voltage of switching transistor 1111 is higher than the threshold voltage Vth (for example, 0.7V), switching transistor 1111 becomes conducting.

[0051] At time Ti1 shown in Figure 4, 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 1111 so that the switching transistor 1111 is switched to a non-conducting state. Specifically, the control circuit 1200 stops supplying the control voltage to the gate of the switching transistor 1111 so that the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111 decreases from time Ti1 to time Ti2 in Figure 4.

[0052] At time Ti2 shown in Figure 4, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111 has dropped to the threshold voltage Vth. That is, the control circuit 1200 determines that the switching transistor 1111 has become non-conductive. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 so that the shunt transistor 1121 switches to a conducting state. Specifically, the control circuit 1200 supplies a control voltage to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 so that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 rises from time Ti2 to time Ti4 in Figure 4.

[0053] At time Ti3 shown in Figure 4, if the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 exceeds the threshold voltage Vth, the shunt transistor 1121 becomes conductive, as shown in Figure 3(b).

[0054] Next, at time Ti4 shown in Figure 4, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 has risen to the set voltage Vset. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 so that the shunt transistor 1121 becomes non-conductive. Specifically, the control circuit 1200 stops supplying the control voltage to the gate of the shunt transistor 1121 so that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121 decreases from time Ti4 in Figure 4.

[0055] Next, at time Ti5 shown in Figure 4, 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 so that the switching transistor 1112 is switched to a conductive 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 rises from time Ti5 to time Ti7 in Figure 4.

[0056] In other words, from time Ti3 to time Ti5, the power switching device 1000 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, but the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to ground through the shunt transistor 1121. This allows the power switching device 1000 to remove the charge charged to the capacitor, which is the cause of the spike current.

[0057] Furthermore, between time Ti3 and time Ti5, the power switching device 1000 can adjust the time required to properly remove the charge charged to the capacitor of the power amplification module 100, since the set voltage Vset is set based on the set signal. In other words, the power switching device 1000 can easily adjust the time required to remove the charge based on the user's setting operation on the external device 3000, according to the size of the capacitor included in the power amplification module 100.

[0058] Furthermore, from time Ti2 to time Ti3 and from time Ti5 to time Ti6, the switching transistors 1111, 1112 and the shunt transistor 1121 become non-conductive ("OFF" in Figure 4). This reliably prevents the power amplifier 2000 from short-circuiting to ground.

[0059] Next, at time Ti6 shown in Figure 4, if the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112 exceeds the threshold voltage Vth, the drain and source of the switching transistor 1112 become conductive.

[0060] In other words, in this case, as shown in Figure 3(c), the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gates of each transistor so that the drain and source of switching transistor 1111 become non-conductive, the drain and source of switching transistor 1112 become conductive, and the drain and source of shunt transistor 1121 become non-conductive. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in the second connection state.

[0061] ==Power switching device 1000a related to modified form== <<Structure>> Referring to Figure 5, the configuration of the modified power switching device 1000a will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the modified power switching device 1000a. In the following, only the parts that differ from the power switching device 1000 will be described, and unless otherwise specified, they will be the same as the power switching device 1000.

[0062] As shown in Figure 5, the power switching device 1000a includes a switch circuit 1100a and a control circuit 1200.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2, the switch circuit 1100a includes a switching unit 1110a, a shunt unit 1120a, and a path adjustment unit 1130.

[0064] The switching unit 1110a includes, for example, a switching transistor 1111a and a switching transistor 1112a.

[0065] The switching transistor 1111a has its source (first power supply terminal) electrically connected to the first power supply, its drain (first amplifier terminal) electrically connected to the first regulating power supply terminal of the regulating transistor 1131, and a control voltage supplied to its gate (first control terminal) to control the conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal. Hereafter, the connection point between the drain of the switching transistor 1111a and the first regulating power supply terminal of the regulating transistor 1131 will be referred to as "connection point N2". The shunt transistor 1121a, which will be described later, is electrically connected to connection point N2.

[0066] The switching transistor 1112a has its source (second power supply terminal) electrically connected to the second power supply, its drain (second amplifier terminal) electrically connected to the second regulating power supply terminal of the regulating transistor 1132, and a control voltage supplied to its gate (second control terminal) to control the conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal. Hereafter, the connection point between the drain of the switching transistor 1112a and the second regulating power supply terminal of the regulating transistor 1132 will be referred to as "connection point N3". The shunt transistor 1122a, which will be described later, is electrically connected to connection point N3.

[0067] The shunt section 1120a includes, for example, a shunt transistor 1121a and a shunt transistor 1122a.

[0068] 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 terminal electrically connected to connection point N2, for example, the source. The first ground terminal is the terminal electrically connected to ground, for example, the drain. The first shunt control terminal is the terminal electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is supplied with a control voltage to control conduction between the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal, for example, the gate. For convenience 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."

[0069] 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 terminal electrically connected to connection point N3, for example, the source. The second ground terminal is the terminal electrically connected to ground, for example, the drain. The second shunt control terminal is the terminal electrically connected to the control circuit 1200, and is supplied with a control voltage to control conduction between the second connection terminal and the second ground terminal, for example, the gate. For convenience 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."

[0070] The path adjustment unit 1130 is a circuit that adjusts the connection path when switching between the first connection state, the second connection state, and the connection state to ground. The path adjustment unit 1130 includes, for example, an adjustment transistor 1131 and an adjustment transistor 1132.

[0071] The regulating transistor 1131 includes a first regulating power supply terminal, a first regulating amplifier terminal, and a first regulating control terminal. The first regulating power supply terminal is the terminal that is electrically connected to the drain (first amplifier terminal) of the switching transistor 1111a through connection point N2, and is, for example, the source. The first regulating amplifier terminal is the terminal that is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and is, for example, the drain. The first regulating control terminal is the terminal to which a control voltage is supplied to control the conduction between the first regulating power supply terminal and the first regulating amplifier terminal, and is, for example, the gate. For the sake of explanation, the first regulating power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source," the first regulating amplifier terminal as the "drain," and the first regulating control terminal as the "gate."

[0072] The regulating transistor 1132 includes a second regulating power supply terminal, a second regulating amplifier terminal, and a second regulating control terminal. The second regulating power supply terminal is the terminal that is electrically connected to the drain (second amplifier terminal) of the switching transistor 1112a through connection point N3, and is, for example, the source. The second regulating amplifier terminal is the terminal that is electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and is, for example, the drain. The second regulating control terminal is the terminal to which a control voltage is supplied to control the conduction between the second regulating power supply terminal and the second regulating amplifier terminal, and is, for example, the gate. For the sake of explanation, the second regulating power supply terminal will be referred to as the "source," the second regulating amplifier terminal as the "drain," and the second regulating control terminal as the "gate."

[0073] When the control circuit 1200 receives a control signal, it automatically and sequentially controls the gate voltages of the switching transistors 1111a, 1112a, shunt transistors 1121a, 1122a, and adjustment transistors 1131, 1132 based on predetermined conditions.

[0074] <<Operation>> The operation of the power switching device 1000a will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the switching transistors 1111a, 1112a, shunt transistors 1121a, 1122a, and adjustment transistors 1131, 1132 in a modified power switching device 1000a. In Figure 6(a), the direction of the current flowing from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow, in Figure 6(b), the flow of the charged charge is indicated by a dashed arrow, and in Figure 6(c), the direction of the current supplied from the first power supply Vdd1 to the power amplifier 2000 is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0075] In the following, the graphs showing the gate voltages of each transistor will be the same as in Figure 4, and their explanation will be omitted. In the following, as in Figure 4, it will be assumed that the gate voltage used to switch the shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a to a non-conducting state in the control circuit 1200 is set to the set voltage Vset.

[0076] Furthermore, in the following, the state in which there is conductivity between the drain and source of a transistor will be referred to as the "conductive state," and the state in which there is no conductivity between the drain and source of a transistor will be referred to as the "non-conductive state."

[0077] As shown in Figure 6(a), the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of each transistor so that the switching transistor 1111a is in a conducting state, the switching transistor 1112a is in a non-conducting state, the shunt transistor 1121a is in a non-conducting state, the shunt transistor 1122a is in a conducting state, the adjustment transistor 1131 is in a conducting state, and the adjustment transistor 1132 is in a non-conducting state. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in the first connection state.

[0078] 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 so as to switch the switching transistor 1111a to a non-conducting state. At this time, the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1111a gradually decreases.

[0079] 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-conductive. 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 so that they switch to a conducting state. As a result, the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 gradually increase.

[0080] When the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 rise to the threshold voltage Vth, the shunt transistor 1121a and the regulating transistor 1132 become conductive, as shown in Figure 6(b). At this time, the shunt transistor 1122a is assumed to be conductive.

[0081] Next, the control circuit 1200 determines that the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121a has risen to the set voltage Vset. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the control voltage supplied to the gates of the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131, respectively, so that they switch the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131 to a non-conducting state (for example, by stopping the control voltage). Then, the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1122a and the regulating transistor 1131 gradually decrease.

[0082] In the above description, the control circuit 1200 was described as determining when the gate voltage of the shunt transistor 1121a has risen to the set voltage Vset, but it is not limited to this. For example, the control circuit 1200 may determine when at least one of the gate voltages of the shunt transistor 1121a and the shunt transistor 1122a has risen to the set voltage Vset.

[0083] 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 dropped to the threshold voltage Vth. That is, the control circuit 1200 determines that the power amplifier 2000 and ground are no longer electrically connected. At this time, the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a so that it switches the switching transistor 1112a to a conducting state. Then, the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a gradually increases.

[0084] In other words, when the power amplifier 2000 is not electrically connected to the first power supply Vdd1 and the second power supply Vdd2 (the state shown in Figure 6(b)), the power switching device 1000 is electrically connected to ground through the shunt transistors 1121a and 1122a. This allows the power switching device 1000a to remove the charge charged to the capacitor, which is the cause of the spike current.

[0085] Furthermore, the power switching device 1000a can adjust the time required to properly remove the charge charged to the capacitor of the power amplification module 100, since the set voltage Vset is set based on the set signal. In other words, the power switching device 1000a can easily adjust the time required to remove the charge based on the user's setting operation on the external device 3000, according to the magnitude of the capacitive component contained in the power amplification module 100.

[0086] Next, when the gate voltage of the switching transistor 1112a rises to the threshold voltage Vth, the switching transistor 1112a switches to a conductive state.

[0087] In other words, in this case, as shown in Figure 6(c), the control circuit 1200 controls the gate voltage of each transistor so that the switching transistor 1111a is in a non-conducting state, the switching transistor 1112a is in a conducting state, and the shunt transistor 1122a and the adjustment transistor 1131 are in a non-conducting state. At this time, the power switching device 1000 is in the second connection state.

[0088] As a result, the power switching device 1000a can more reliably remove the charge stored in the capacitor compared to the power switching device 1000, and can more effectively prevent spike currents.

[0089] ===Summary=== <1> The power switching device 1000 includes a switching transistor 1111 (first switching transistor) comprising a first power terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to a first power supply Vdd1 that supplies 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 conduction between the first power terminal and the first amplifier terminal, and a second power terminal (e.g., source) electrically connected to a second power supply Vdd2 that supplies a second voltage different from the first voltage. A switching transistor 1112 (second switching transistor) having a first amplifier terminal (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 conduction between the second power terminal and the second amplifier terminal, and a shunt section 1120 including at least one shunt transistor, each of which has at least one shunt transistor providing power to at least one of the connections between the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier 2000, and between the second amplifier terminal and the power amplifier 2000. A switch circuit 1100 includes a shunt section 1120 comprising a connection terminal (e.g., source or emitter) that is electrically connected to ground, a ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) that is electrically connected to ground, and a shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, and a control circuit 1200 that controls the voltage or current of the first control terminal, the second control terminal and the shunt control terminal, respectively, the control circuit 1200 receiving power from a first power supply Vdd1 through a switching transistor 1111 (first switching transistor) Based on a control signal indicating a switch between a first connection state in which a first voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 and a second connection state in which a second voltage can be supplied to the power amplifier 2000 from the second power supply Vdd2 through the switching transistor 1112 (second switching transistor), the supply of control voltage or control current to the first control terminal is stopped so that the connection between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal becomes non-conductive, and when the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to a first threshold voltage or first threshold current (e.g., threshold voltage Vth) that causes the connection between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal to become non-conductive,A control voltage or control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal so that the connection terminal and the ground terminal become conductive. After the connection terminal and the ground terminal become conductive, if the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current (e.g., set voltage Vset), the control voltage or control current supplied to the shunt control terminal is stopped so that the connection terminal and the ground terminal become non-conductive. If the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal drops to a second threshold voltage or second threshold current, a control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal so that a second connection state is achieved. This allows the power amplification module 100 to properly remove the charge charged to the capacitor and prevent spike currents.

[0090] <2> Furthermore, the control circuit 1200 in the power switching device 1000 has a function that can adjust the set voltage or set current based on a setting signal from a predetermined device (e.g., MIPI). <1> The power switching device described above. This allows the user to arbitrarily set the operation of the shunt section 1120 according to the magnitude of the charge charged to the capacitor of the power amplification module 100, thereby effectively preventing spike currents.

[0091] <3> Furthermore, in the power switching device 1000a, the switch circuit 1100a includes a first regulating power terminal (e.g., source or emitter) electrically connected to the first amplifier terminal, a first regulating amplifier terminal (e.g., drain or collector) electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000, and a first regulating control terminal (e.g., gate or base) for controlling conduction between the first regulating power terminal and the first regulating amplifier terminal, a second regulating power terminal electrically connected to the second amplifier terminal, and a second regulating power terminal electrically connected to the power amplifier 2000. The system further includes a tuning transistor 1132 (second tuning transistor) having a tuning amplifier terminal and a second tuning control terminal for controlling conduction between the second tuning power terminal and the second tuning amplifier terminal, and at least one shunt transistor including a shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) and a shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor), the connection terminal being the first connection terminal (e.g., source) of the shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) which is electrically connected between the first amplifier terminal and the first tuning amplifier terminal. The shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor) includes an emitter and a second connecting terminal (e.g., source or emitter) of a shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) which is electrically connected between the second amplifier terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal, and the ground terminal includes a first ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) of a shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) which is electrically connected to ground, and a second ground terminal (e.g., drain or collector) of a shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor) which is electrically connected to ground, and the shunt The control terminal includes a first shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) of a shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor) for controlling conduction between a first connection terminal and a first ground terminal, and a second shunt control terminal (e.g., gate or base) of a shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor) for controlling conduction between a second connection terminal and a second ground terminal. Based on the control signal, the control circuit 1200 stops supplying a control voltage or control current to the first control terminal so that the connection between the first power terminal and the first amplifier terminal becomes non-conductive.When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to a first threshold voltage or first threshold current (e.g., threshold voltage Vth), a control voltage or control current is supplied to the first shunt control terminal so that the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal become conductive, thereby electrically connecting the power amplifier 2000 to ground through the shunt transistor 1121a (first shunt transistor). Similarly, a control voltage or control current is supplied to the second adjustment control terminal so that the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal become conductive, thereby electrically connecting the power amplifier 2000 to ground through the shunt transistor 1122a (second shunt transistor). After the power amplifier 2000 is electrically connected to ground, if the voltage or current at at least one of the first shunt control terminal and the second shunt control terminal rises to a set voltage or set current (e.g., set voltage Vset), the control voltage or control current supplied to the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal is stopped so that the power amplifier 2000 is not electrically connected to ground. If 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), the control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal so that the second connection state is achieved. <1> or <2> The power switching device described in [reference]. This allows the power amplification module 100 to more reliably remove the charge stored in the capacitor, thereby more effectively preventing spike currents.

[0092] <4> Furthermore, the power amplification module 100 is <1> from <3> The power amplifier module 100 comprises a power switching device 1000 as described in any one of the above, and a power amplifier 2000. This enables the power amplifier module 100 to properly remove the charge stored in the capacitor, thereby preventing spike currents.

[0093] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and are not intended to limit its interpretation. This disclosure may be modified or improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents thereof are also included. That is, embodiments modified by those skilled in the art are also included within the scope of this disclosure, as long as they retain the features of this disclosure. The elements and their arrangements in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 100...Power amplification module, 1000,1000a...Power switching device, 1100,1100a...Switch 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 first switching transistor comprising: a first power supply terminal electrically connected to a first power supply that supplies 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 conduction between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal, A second switching transistor comprising: 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 conduction between the second power supply terminal and the second amplifier terminal, A shunt section including at least one shunt transistor, Each of the at least one shunt transistors is The device comprises a connection terminal electrically connected to at least one of the first amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, and the second amplifier terminal and the power amplifier, a ground terminal electrically connected to ground, and a shunt control terminal for controlling the conduction between the connection terminal and the ground terminal. The shunt area, A switch circuit including, A control circuit that controls the voltage or current of the first control terminal, the second control terminal, and the shunt control terminal, Equipped with, The aforementioned control circuit is Based on a control signal indicating a switch between a first 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 a second connection state in which the second voltage can be supplied from the second power supply to the power amplifier through the second switching transistor, the supply of control voltage or control current to the first control terminal is stopped so that the connection between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal becomes non-conductive. When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to a first threshold voltage or first threshold current at which the connection terminal and the first amplifier terminal become non-conductive, the control voltage or control current is supplied to the shunt control terminal such that the connection terminal and the ground terminal become conductive. After conductivity is established between the connection terminal and the ground terminal, if the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal rises to the set voltage or set current, the control voltage or control current supplied to the shunt control terminal is stopped so that conductivity is restored between the connection terminal and the ground terminal. When the voltage or current at the shunt control terminal drops to the second threshold voltage or second threshold current, the control voltage or control current supplied to the second control terminal is supplied so that the second connection state is achieved. Power switching device.

2. The control circuit has a function that can adjust the set voltage or the set current based on a setting signal from a predetermined device. The power switching device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned switch circuit is A first adjustment transistor comprising: 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 conduction between the first adjustment power supply terminal and the first adjustment amplifier terminal, A second adjustment transistor comprising: 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 conduction between the second adjustment power supply terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal; Furthermore, The at least one shunt transistor is It includes a first shunt transistor and a second shunt transistor, The connection terminal includes 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 ground terminal includes the first ground terminal of the first shunt transistor which is electrically connected to ground, and the second ground terminal of the second shunt transistor which is electrically connected to ground. The shunt control terminal includes a first shunt control terminal of the first shunt transistor for controlling conduction between the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal, and a second shunt control terminal of the second shunt transistor for controlling conduction between the second connection terminal and the second ground terminal. The aforementioned control circuit is Based on the control signal, the supply of the control voltage or the control current to the first control terminal is stopped so that the connection between the first power supply terminal and the first amplifier terminal becomes non-conductive. When the voltage or current at the first control terminal drops to the first threshold voltage or first threshold current, The control voltage or control current is supplied to the first shunt control terminal so that the first connection terminal and the first ground terminal are in a conductive state, thereby electrically connecting the power amplifier and the ground through the first shunt transistor. The control voltage or control current is supplied to the second adjustment control terminal so that the second adjustment power terminal and the second adjustment amplifier terminal are in a conductive state, thereby electrically connecting the power amplifier and the ground through the second shunt transistor. After the power amplifier and the ground are electrically connected, if the voltage or current at at least one of the first shunt control terminal and the second shunt control terminal rises to the set voltage or set current, the control voltage or control current supplied to the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal respectively is stopped so that the power amplifier and the ground are no longer electrically connected. When the voltage or current at the first adjustment control terminal and the second shunt control terminal drops to the second threshold voltage or second threshold current, the control voltage or control current is supplied to the second control terminal to achieve the second connection state. A power switching device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The power switching device according to claim 1 or claim 2, The aforementioned power amplifier, A power amplification module equipped with the following features.

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