Power supply reuse for high-power amplifiers

Abstract

A particular aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first amplifier (402-1), a first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first amplifier (402-1) and configured to supply a first power to the supply input of the first amplifier (402-1), a second amplifier (402-n), a second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second amplifier (402-n) and configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier (402-n), and a third amplifier (406) having a supply input coupled to the first and second power supplies, wherein the first and second power supplies are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier, This applies to amplification circuits (400) that include the following.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (Cross-reference of related applications)

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 339,093, filed on 21 June 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002]

[0002] Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate, in general, to electronic components, and more particularly to powering circuits for signal amplification.

[0003] Description of related technologies

[0003] Electronic devices include computing devices such as desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, smartphones, wearable devices such as smartwatches, and internet servers. These various electronic devices provide human users with information, entertainment, social interaction, security, safety, productivity, transportation, manufacturing, and other services. Many of these various electronic devices rely on wireless communication for many of their functions. Wireless communication systems and devices are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, and broadcast. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems (e.g., Long-Term Evolution (LTE®) systems, or New Radio (NR)). A wireless device may include a transmitter for processing signals for transmission via an antenna. The transmitter may include a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying the signal for transmission. [Overview of the project]

[0004]

[0004] The systems, methods, and devices of this disclosure each have several embodiments, and none of these embodiments alone contribute to the desired attributes. Some features are briefly described here without limiting the scope of this disclosure as expressed in the following claims. After reviewing this description, and especially after reading the section titled “Modes for Carrying Out the Invention,” it will be understood how the features of this disclosure provide the advantages described herein.

[0005]

[0005] A particular aspect of the present disclosure relates to an amplification circuit. The amplification circuit generally comprises a first amplifier and a first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first amplifier and configured to supply a first power to the supply input of the first amplifier; a second amplifier and a second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second amplifier and configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier; and a third amplifier having a supply input coupled to the first and second power supplies, wherein the first and second power supplies are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier. Includes.

[0006]

[0006] Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to transmitters. A transmitter generally comprises a first power amplifier (PA) and a first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first PA and configured to supply first power to the supply input of the first PA, wherein the first PA is configured to generate a first amplified signal for transmission at a first transmit power based on the first power; and a second PA and a second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second PA and configured to supply second power to the supply input of the second PA, wherein the second PA is The present invention includes a second power supply configured to generate a second amplified signal for transmission at a second transmit power based on two powers, and a third amplifier having a supply input coupled to the first and second power supplies, wherein the first and second power supplies are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier, and the third amplifier is configured to generate a third amplified signal for transmission at a third transmit power based on the third power, the third transmit power being greater than the first and second transmit powers.

[0007]

[0007] Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods for signal amplification. The methods generally include: supplying a first power to the supply input of a first amplifier via a first power source; generating a first amplified signal through the first amplifier powered by the first power source; supplying a second power to the supply input of a second amplifier via a second power source; generating a second amplified signal through the second amplifier powered by the second power source; supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier via the first and second power sources; and generating a third amplified signal through the third amplifier powered by the first and second power sources.

[0008]

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned and related objectives, one or more embodiments include features that are fully described below and, in particular, pointed out in the claims. The following description and accompanying drawings describe in detail specific exemplary features of one or more embodiments. However, these features represent only a small number of the various methods that may employ the principles of the various embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009]

[0009] More specific descriptions than those briefly summarized above may be given by referring to embodiments shown in part in the accompanying drawings, so that the features described above may be understood in more detail. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings show only specific embodiments of the disclosure and should not be considered to limit the scope of the disclosure, as other similarly effective embodiments may be recognized in this description. [Figure 1]

[0010] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication network relating to several aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 2]

[0011] This is a block diagram of an example of an access point (AP) and an example of a user terminal relating to several aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 3]

[0012] This is a block diagram of an example of a transceiver front end relating to several aspects of this disclosure. [Figure 4AB]

[0013] This block diagram shows an example of an amplification circuit relating to a particular aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 4CD] This block diagram shows an example of an amplification circuit relating to a particular aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 5]

[0014] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation for signal amplification relating to a particular aspect of this disclosure.

[0010]

[0015] For ease of understanding, the same reference numbers are used to designate the same elements common to the figures, where possible. Consideration has been given to the beneficial use of elements disclosed in one aspect for other aspects without specific recitation.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011]

[0016] Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to an electrical device having one or more high-power power amplifiers (PAs). For example, the high-power PA may be used for transmitting emergency signaling (e.g., SOS distress signal) to a satellite. In some aspects, power may be provided to the high-power PA via multiple power sources (e.g., switching regulators). The power source may be used to drive other PAs (e.g., in addition to the high-power PA). For example, the power source may be configured to provide power to other PAs used for cellular transmission.

[0012]

[0017] The high-power PA may rarely be used for emergency transmission, and in such rare cases, high transmission power may be used. This high transmission power can be supplied to the high-power PA by a dedicated special power source, which may consume a large area. Other single power sources of an electrical device (e.g., other Pas) may not be able to support the high transmission power specified for the high-power PA. Thus, the high-power PA can be driven using multiple power sources so that the electrical device can be implemented without a dedicated power source for the high-power PA. In other words, the supply voltage for the high-power PA can be generated by combining the outputs of multiple power sources coupled to other PAs (e.g., herein referred to as normal PAs that can be used for cellular transmission).

[0013]

[0018] In some embodiments, the power supply can be a switching regulator used for average power or envelope tracking for other PAs. Thus, the supply input of the high-power PA can be coupled to the switching architecture for the power supply. The power supply can be used for average power or envelope tracking in other PAs (e.g., in cellular transmissions), but the power supply may not perform average power or envelope tracking when generating the supply voltage for the high-power PA. The power supply can be part of a single integrated circuit (IC), multiple ICs, or a mix of both (e.g., two power supplies can be part of the first IC, while a third power supply can be part of the second IC).

[0014] Exemplary wireless communication system

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a wireless communication system 100 with an access point 110 and user terminals 120 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented. For simplicity, only one access point 110 is shown in FIG. 1. An access point (AP) is generally a fixed station that communicates with user terminals and can be referred to as a base station (BS), evolved Node B (eNB), next generation Node B (gNB), or some other terms. A user terminal (UT) can be fixed or mobile and can be referred to as a mobile station (MS), access terminal, user equipment (UE), station (STA), client, wireless device, or some other term. The user terminal can be a wireless device such as a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handheld device, wireless modem, laptop computer, tablet, personal computer, etc.

[0015]

[0020] The access point 110 can communicate with one or more user terminals 120 at any given moment over the downlink and uplink. The downlink (i.e., forward link) is the communication link from the access point to the user terminal, and the uplink (i.e., reverse link) is the communication link from the user terminal to the access point. User terminals can also communicate with other user terminals peer-to-peer. The system controller 130 is coupled to the access point and performs coordination and control for the access point.

[0016]

[0021] The wireless communication system 100 employs multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas for data transmission over downlink and uplink. The access point 110 uses N to achieve transmit diversity for downlink transmission and / or receive diversity for uplink transmission. ap It can be equipped with this many antennas. u A set of selected user terminals 120 may receive downlink transmissions and transmit uplink transmissions. Each selected user terminal may transmit user-specific data to and / or receive user-specific data from the access point. Generally, each selected user terminal may be equipped with one or more antennas (i.e., N ut ≥1). N u Each selected user terminal may have the same or different number of antennas.

[0017]

[0022] The wireless communication system 100 may be a time division duplex (TDD) system or a frequency division duplex (FDD) system. In the case of a TDD system, the downlink and uplink share the same frequency band. In the case of an FDD system, the downlink and uplink use multiple different frequency bands. The wireless communication system 100 may also utilize a single carrier or multiple carriers for transmission. Each user terminal 120 may be equipped with a single antenna (for example, to reduce costs) or multiple antennas (for example, if additional costs can be supported).

[0018]

[0023] In some embodiments, the user terminal 120 or access point 110 may include multiple power supplies for generating supply voltages for the power amplifier (PA).

[0019]

[0024] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the wireless communication system 100, consisting of an access point 110 and two user terminals 120m and 120x. Access point 110 is N ap It is equipped with antennas 224a to 224ap. User terminal 120m is N ut,m Equipped with individual antennas 252mA~252μ, user terminal 120x is N ut,x It is equipped with antennas 252xa to 252xu. Access point 110 is a transmitting entity for downlink and a receiving entity for uplink. Each user terminal 120 is a transmitting entity for uplink and a receiving entity for downlink. As used herein, “transmitting entity” is an independently operating device or apparatus capable of transmitting data over a frequency channel, and “receiving entity” is an independently operating device or apparatus capable of receiving data over a frequency channel. In the following description, the subscript “dn” represents downlink, the subscript “up” represents uplink, and N upIndividual user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the uplink, and N dn individual user terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission on the downlink, where N up can be equal to N dn or not equal to N, and N up and N dn can be a static value or can change for each scheduling interval. Beam steering, beamforming, or some other spatial processing technique can be used at the access point and / or user terminal.

[0020]

[0025] On the uplink, in each user terminal 120 selected for uplink transmission, the TX data processor 288 receives traffic data from the data source 286 and control data from the controller 280. The TX data processor 288 processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the traffic data {d up} for the user terminal based on the coding and modulation scheme associated with the rate selected for the user terminal, and provides a data symbol stream {s ut,m} for one of the N antennas. The transceiver front end 254 (also known as a radio frequency front end, RFFE) receives and processes (e.g., converts to analog, amplifies, filters, and frequency up-converts) each symbol stream to generate an uplink signal. The transceiver front end 254 can also route the uplink signal to one of the N antennas for transmit diversity, e.g., via an RF switch. The controller 280 can control the routing within the transceiver front end 254. The memory 282 can store data and program code for the user terminal 120 and interface with the controller 280.

[0021] ​​​​

[0026] N up Each of these user terminals 120 can be scheduled for simultaneous transmission over the uplink. Each of these user terminals sends its processed set of symbol streams to the access point over the uplink.

[0022]

[0027] At access point 110, N ap These antennas 224a to 224ap transmit all N on the uplink. up Uplink signals are received from individual user terminals. For receive diversity, the transceiver front end 222 may select signals received from one of several antennas 224 for processing. Signals received from multiple antennas 224 may be combined for extended receive diversity. The access point's transceiver front end 222 also performs processing that is complementary to that performed by the user terminal's transceiver front end 254 and provides a restored uplink data symbol stream. The restored uplink data symbol stream is the data symbol stream {s} transmitted by the user terminal. up This is an estimate of}. The RX data processor 242 processes the recovered uplink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) according to the rate used for that stream in order to obtain the decoded data. The decoded data for each user terminal may be provided to the data sink 244 for storage and / or to the controller 230 for further processing.

[0023]

[0028] On the downlink, at access point 110, the TX data processor 210 is scheduled for downlink transmission. dnThe TX data processor 210 receives traffic data for each user terminal from data source 208, control data from controller 230, and possibly other data from scheduler 234. Various types of data may be transmitted over different transport channels. The TX data processor 210 processes (e.g., encodes, interleaves, and modulates) the traffic data for each user terminal based on the rate selected for that user terminal. The TX data processor 210 receives N ap N should be transmitted from one of these antennas. dn A downlink data symbol stream may be provided for one or more of the user terminals. The transceiver front end 222 receives and processes the symbol stream (e.g., converts to analog, amplifies, filters, and frequency upconverts) to generate the downlink signal. The transceiver front end 222 also provides, for example, an RF switch for transmit diversity. ap Downlink signals can be routed to one or more of the antennas 224. The controller 230 can control routing within the transceiver front end 222. Memory 232 can store data and program code related to the access point 110 and can interface with the controller 230.

[0024]

[0029] In each user terminal 120, N ut,mThe antennas 252 receive downlink signals from the access point 110. For receive diversity at the user terminal 120, the transceiver front end 254 may select signals received from one or more of the antennas 252 for processing. Signals received from multiple antennas 252 may be combined for extended receive diversity. The user terminal's transceiver front end 254 also performs processing that is complementary to that performed by the access point's transceiver front end 222, providing a restored downlink data symbol stream. The RX data processor 270 processes the restored downlink data symbol stream (e.g., demodulates, deinterleaves, and decodes) to obtain decoded data for the user terminal.

[0025]

[0030] In some embodiments, the transceiver front end 254 or 222 may include multiple power supplies for generating the supply voltage for the PA.

[0026]

[0031] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an example of a transceiver front end 300, such as the transceiver front ends 222 and 254 in Figure 2, in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be carried out. The transceiver front end 300 includes a transmit (TX) path 302 (also known as a transmit chain) for transmitting signals through one or more antennas, and a receive (RX) path 304 (also known as a receive chain) for receiving signals through those antennas. When the TX path 302 and the RX path 304 share an antenna 303, the paths may be connected to the antenna via an interface 306.

[0027]

[0032] Since the TX path 302 receives in-phase (I) or quadrature (Q) baseband analog signals from the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 308, it may include a baseband filter (BBF) 310, a mixer 312, a driver amplifier (DA) 314, and a PA 316. The BBF 310, mixer 312, and DA 314 may be contained within a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), while the PA 316 may be external to the RFIC. In some embodiments, multiple power supplies may be used to simultaneously power PAs such as the PA 316.

[0028]

[0033] The BBF310 filters the baseband signal received from the DAC308, and the mixer312 mixes the filtered baseband signal with the transmit local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the target baseband signal to a different frequency (e.g., upconvert from baseband to RF). This frequency conversion process generates the sum and difference frequencies of the LO frequency and the frequency of the signal of interest. The sum and difference frequencies are called beat frequencies. The beat frequencies are generally in the RF range, and therefore the signal output by the mixer312 is generally an RF signal which can be amplified by the DA314 and / or by the PA316 before transmission by the antenna303.

[0029]

[0034] The RX path 304 includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 322, a mixer 324, and a baseband filter (BBF) 326. The LNA 322, mixer 324, and BBF 326 may be contained within a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), which may or may not be the same RFIC containing the TX path components. The RF signal received via antenna 303 may be amplified by the LNA 322, and the mixer 324 mixes the amplified RF signal with a received local oscillator (LO) signal to convert the target RF signal to a different baseband frequency (i.e., down-convert). The baseband signal output by the mixer 324 may be filtered by the BBF 326 before being converted to a digital I or Q signal by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 328 for digital signal processing.

[0030]

[0035] It is desirable that the output of the LO remains stable in frequency, but tuning the LO to a different frequency typically involves using a variable frequency oscillator. Some systems may employ a frequency synthesizer with a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to generate a stable, tuneable LO with a specific tuning range. Thus, a transmit LO frequency may be generated by the TX frequency synthesizer 318, which can be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 320 before being mixed with the baseband signal in the mixer 312. Similarly, a receive LO frequency may be generated by the RX frequency synthesizer 330, which can be buffered or amplified by the amplifier 332 before being mixed with the RF signal in the mixer 324.

[0031] Examples of technologies for power source reuse

[0036] Power amplifiers (PAs) are one of the most power-hungry components in cellular or other wireless communication devices. Therefore, PAs are most likely to be designed with power efficiency in mind to reduce overall device power consumption and improve thermal performance. To improve PA efficiency, some cellular PAs may be powered using average power or envelope trackers. For example, the supply voltage for a PA may be generated based on the average input power for the PA or the envelope of the input signal for the PA (e.g., track). The tracker may be tuned to the PA load range to improve power and silicon area efficiency. However, some devices have one or more PAs with high-power specifications that may exceed the device's tracker capabilities. For example, high-power PAs may be implemented in relation to wireless devices for high-power emergency transmissions to satellites. High-power PAs may consume more power (e.g., twice the power) than other PAs in a device designed for cellular communications. Therefore, a power supply (e.g., tracker) designed for a cellular PA may not be able to supply sufficient power for an emergency communications PA. Increasing the power capacity of the power supply used for cellular PAs to also supply power for high-power PAs may result in increased power consumption for cellular communications. Some devices may use a separate, dedicated high-power regulator to power the high-power PAs. However, implementing a separate, dedicated high-power regulator may result in increased area and power consumption, as well as higher costs, given that high-power PAs are rarely used for emergency transmissions.

[0032]

[0037] Certain aspects of this disclosure relate to the use of multiple power sources (e.g., switching regulators or trackers) to simultaneously power a high-power PA. As described in more detail herein, switches may be used to selectively couple power sources to a high-power PA. The power sources used to power the high-power PA may be located in a single power integrated circuit (IC) (e.g., a tracker chip) or in multiple power ICs. As an example, a high-power PA may be configured to receive a 5.5V power input with an average current of 2.5A, which may exceed the capacity of any other single power source in the device. To support the high-power PA, or to increase the overall output power capacity for powering the high-power PA, the outputs of multiple power sources may be coupled together.

[0033]

[0038] Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D are block diagrams showing examples of amplifier circuits according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. Figure 4A shows an amplifier circuit 400 in which the power supply within each IC has an internal switch.

[0034]

[0039] As shown in Figure 4A, the amplifier circuit 400 may include power supplies 1 to n and one or more PAs 402-1 to 402-n, where n is an integer of 1 or more. One or more PAs 402-1 to 402-n may correspond to PAs 316 as described in relation to Figure 3. Each power supply may generate one or more power supply voltages for supplying one or more PAs. For example, one or more PAs 402-1 may be coupled to the output of power supply 1, and one or more PAs 402-n may be coupled to the output of power supply n. The amplifier circuit 400 may also include one or more high-power PAs 406. One or more PAs 402-1 to 402-n may be ordinary PAs (e.g., having a lower power capacity than one or more high-power PAs 406).

[0035]

[0040] Each of the power supplies 1 to n may be a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) implemented with inductive elements (e.g., each inductive element 404-1 to 404-n) and output capacitive elements (e.g., each capacitive element 408-1 to 408-n). The inductive elements 404-1 to 404-n are coupled between each power supply 1 to n and each output node 414-1 to 414-n. The capacitive elements 408-1 to 408-n are coupled between each output node 414-1 to 414-n and a reference potential node (e.g., electrical ground).

[0036]

[0041] In some embodiments, each of the power supplies 1 to n may be part of a chip including switches (e.g., each of switches 412-1 to 412-n). Switches 412-1 to 412-n may be controlled to selectively couple each of the output nodes 414-1 to 414-n to one or more high-power PAs 406 at node 418. In some embodiments, the capacitive element 416 may be coupled between node 418 and a reference potential node.

[0037]

[0042] In some embodiments, at least two of the switches 412-1 to 412-n may be closed to couple at least two of the power supplies 1 to n to the high-power PA 406 in order to transmit a high-power signal through one or more high-power PAs. At least two of the power supplies 1 to n may generate power supply voltages for one or more high-power PAs. When a power supply is supplying one or more high-power PAs 406, the associated normal PAs of the power supply may be deactivated. For example, when power supply 1 is supplying one or more high-power PAs 406 (e.g., together with one or more other power supplies), one or more PAs 402-1 may be deactivated. The associated switches in each of the power supplies 1 to n may be open when the power supply is supplying normal PAs (for example, switch 412-1 may be open when power supply 1 is supplying one or more PAs 402-1). When one or more high-power PAs 406 are not in use, all switches 412-1 to 412-n may be open so that the high-power PAs do not consume power.

[0038]

[0043] Figure 4B is a block diagram showing an amplifier circuit 420 having internal switches for one or more power supplies mounted within an IC, according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. That is, at least one of the power supplies 1 to n may be part of an IC having internal switches for selectively coupling each output node to one or more high-power PAs 406. At least one of the power supplies 1 to n may be coupled to one or more high-power PAs 406 (e.g., directly coupled without a switch), as shown.

[0039]

[0044] When a power supply (e.g., power supply n) directly coupled to one or more high-power PA406s is supplying power to the associated normal PAs (e.g., one or more PA402-n), one or more high-power PA406s may be deactivated. When a power supply is supplying power to one or more high-power PA406s, the normal PAs associated with the power supply may be deactivated. For example, when power supply n is supplying power to one or more high-power PA406s (e.g., together with one or more other power supplies), one or more PA402-n may be deactivated.

[0040]

[0045] Figure 4C is a block diagram relating to a particular aspect of the present disclosure, showing an amplifier circuit 425 in which one or more power supplies are part of an IC and an external switch is used to couple to a high-power PA. For example, as shown, the switch 410 may be coupled between output nodes 414-n and node 418 coupled to one or more high-power PAs 406. The switch 410 may be outside the IC having the power supply n. The switch 410 may be closed when the power supply n is powering one or more high-power PAs 406 (for example, together with one or more other power supplies). The switch 410 may be open at other times (for example, when the power supply n is powering one or more PAs 402-n).

[0041]

[0046] Figure 4D is a block diagram showing an amplifier circuit 430 having external switches for coupling power supplies to one or more high-power PAs, relating to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. For example, the amplifier circuit 430 may include switches 412-1 to 412-n for selectively coupling each power supply 1 to n to one or more high-power PAs 406. The switches 412-1 to 412-n may be external to the IC used to implement the power supplies. To transmit a high-power signal through one or more high-power PAs, at least two of the switches 412-1 to 412-n may be closed to couple at least two of the power supplies 1 to n to the high-power PAs 406. At least two of the power supplies 1 to n may generate power supply voltages for one or more high-power PAs. When a power supply is powering one or more high-power PAs 406, the associated normal PAs of the power supply may be deactivated. For example, when power supply 1 is supplying power to one or more high-power PA406 (for example, together with one or more other power supplies), one or more PA402-1 may be disabled. The associated switches in each of power supplies 1 to n may be open when the power supply is supplying power to a normal PA (for example, switch 412-1 may be open when power supply 1 is supplying power to one or more PA402-1).

[0042]

[0047] In some embodiments, when each power source is supplying power to a related normal PA, the power source is configured as an average power or envelope tracking power source. On the other hand, when supplying power to a high-power PA, the power source may be configured as a normal power source (e.g., without average power or envelope tracking) to power the high-power PA together with one or more other power sources.

[0043]

[0048] In some embodiments, to efficiently power a high-power PA, one of the power supplies may be configured to provide a slightly higher output voltage but with current limitations in a continuous conduction mode (CCM). The other power supply may be configured to provide a slightly lower voltage and with current limitations in a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). CCM refers to a mode of the SMPS in which the inductors of the SMPS conduct continuously. DCM, on the other hand, is a mode of the SMPS in which the current of the inductors is zero during each switching cycle (e.g., not conducts continuously).

[0044]

[0049] As an example, suppose power supplies 1 and 2 are powering one or more high-power PAs 406. The associated normal PAs in power supplies 1 and 2 may be disabled. Power supplies 1 and 2 may be coupled to one or more high-power PAs. Power supply 1 may be configured to provide an output voltage of 5.6V in CCM mode and with a current limit of 1.25A. Power supply 2 may be configured to provide an output voltage of 5.5V in DCM mode. Thus, power supply 1 can supply load current to one or more high-power PAs 406 up to a current limit of 1.25A. Since the output voltage of power supply 1 is higher than the output voltage of power supply 2, power supply 2 maintains a high impedance state (for example, power supply 2 has a high output impedance because power supply 1 is configured to provide a higher output voltage). If the load current drawn by one or more high-power PAs exceeds 1.25A, the current limit of power supply 1 may be reached, resulting in a drop in the output voltage of power supply 1 to 5.5V. Therefore, power supply 2 (for example, configured to provide an output voltage of 5.5V) is no longer in a high-impedance state and begins to supply current to one or more high-power PAs. Thus, when the load current reaches 1.25A, both power supplies 1 and 2 supply current to the load (for example, one or more high-power PAs 406).

[0045]

[0050] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation 500 for signal amplification according to a particular aspect of the present disclosure. For example, operation 500 may be performed by amplification circuits such as amplification circuits 400, 420, 425, or 430, and in some aspects by transceivers such as a transceiver front end 300.

[0046]

[0051] Operation 500 begins in block 502 when the amplification circuit supplies first power to the supply input of a first amplifier (e.g., one or more PA402-1 in Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D) via a first power supply (e.g., power supply 1 in Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D). In some cases, the first power supplied to the supply input of the first amplifier may be generated based on the average power or envelope of the input signal in the first amplifier. In block 504, the amplification circuit generates a first amplified signal via the first amplifier powered by the first power supply.

[0047]

[0052] In block 506, the amplification circuit supplies a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier via a second power supply (e.g., power supply n in Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D). In block 508, the amplification circuit generates a second amplified signal via a second amplifier (e.g., one or more PA402-n) powered by the second power supply.

[0048]

[0053] In block 510, the amplification circuit supplies a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier (e.g., one or more high-power PA406) via a first power supply and a second power supply. In block 512, the amplification circuit generates a third amplified signal via a third amplifier powered by the first power supply and the second power supply. In some embodiments, the transceiver transmits an emergency signal based on the third amplified signal. For example, the transceiver may transmit a signal to a satellite based on the third amplified signal.

[0049]

[0054] In some embodiments, the transceiver transmits a signal with a first transmit power based on a first amplified signal and a signal with a second transmit power based on a second amplified signal. The transceiver may also transmit a signal with a third transmit power greater than the first and second transmit powers based on a third amplified signal.

[0050]

[0055] In some embodiments, the amplification circuit may selectively couple a first power supply to a third amplifier (e.g., via switch 412-1) before supplying a third power. The amplification circuit may selectively couple a second power supply to a third amplifier (e.g., via switch 412-n) before supplying a third power. In some embodiments, the amplification circuit may disable the first and second amplifiers before the first and second power supplies supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

[0051]

[0056] In some embodiments, supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier may include operating the first power supply in CCM mode and the second power supply in DCM mode. Furthermore, supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier may include configuring the first power supply to produce a first output voltage and configuring the second power supply to produce a second output voltage smaller than the first output voltage. Supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier may also include supplying an output current through the first power supply up to a current threshold.

[0052] Exemplary aspects

[0057] Embodiment 1: A first amplifier, a first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first amplifier and configured to supply a first power to the supply input of the first amplifier, a second amplifier, a second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second amplifier and configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier, and a third amplifier having a supply input coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier, An amplification circuit, including one.

[0053]

[0058] Embodiment 2: The amplification circuit of Embodiment 1, wherein a third amplifier is configured to amplify a signal for transmitting an emergency signal.

[0054]

[0059] Embodiment 3: An amplification circuit according to Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the third amplifier is configured to amplify a signal for transmission to a satellite.

[0055]

[0060] Embodiment 4: An amplification circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are configured to amplify a signal for cellular transmission.

[0056]

[0061] Embodiment 5: An amplification circuit according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 4, wherein a first amplifier is configured to amplify a signaling for transmission at a first transmit power, a second amplifier is configured to amplify a signaling for transmission at a second transmit power, and a third amplifier is configured to amplify a signaling for transmission at a third power greater than the first and second transmit powers.

[0057]

[0062] Embodiment 6: An amplifier circuit according to any of embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising a first switch coupled between a first power supply and the supply input of a third amplifier, and configured to couple the first power supply to the third amplifier before the third power is supplied.

[0058]

[0063] Embodiment 7: The amplifier circuit of Embodiment 6, further comprising a second switch coupled between a second power supply and the supply input of a third amplifier, and configured to couple the second power supply to the third amplifier before the third power is supplied.

[0059]

[0064] Embodiment 8: An amplification circuit according to Embodiment 6 or 7, wherein the first amplifier and the first switch are part of an integrated circuit (IC).

[0060]

[0065] Embodiment 9: An amplification circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the first power supply is configured to supply first power to the supply input of the first amplifier based on the average power or envelope of the input signals for the first amplifier.

[0061]

[0066] Embodiment 10: An amplification circuit according to Embodiment 9, wherein the second power supply is configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier based on the average power or envelope of the input signal for the second amplifier.

[0062]

[0067] Embodiment 11: An amplification circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein each of the first power supply and the second power supply is a switch-mode power supply (SMPS).

[0063]

[0068] Embodiment 12: An amplification circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the first and second amplifiers are configured such that the first and second power supplies are deactivated before supplying third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

[0064]

[0069] Embodiment 13: An amplifier circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the first power supply is configured to operate in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and the second power supply is configured to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) in order to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

[0065]

[0070] Embodiment 14: An amplifier circuit according to any of embodiments 1 to 13, wherein a first power supply is configured to generate a first output voltage and a second power supply is configured to generate a second output voltage that is smaller than the first output voltage, in order to supply a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier.

[0066]

[0071] Embodiment 15: An amplifier circuit according to any of Embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the first power supply is configured to provide an output current up to a current threshold in order to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

[0067]

[0072] Embodiment 16: A first power supply comprising a first power amplifier (PA) and a first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first PA and configured to supply first power to the supply input of the first PA, wherein the first PA is configured to generate a first amplified signal for transmission at a first transmit power based on the first power; a second power supply comprising a second PA and a second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second PA and configured to supply second power to the supply input of the second PA, wherein the second PA is configured to supply second power A transmitter comprising: a second power supply configured to generate a second amplified signal for transmission at a second transmit power based on power; and a third PA having a supply input coupled to the first and second power supplies, wherein the first and second power supplies are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third PA, and the third PA is configured to generate a third amplified signal for transmission at a third transmit power based on the third power, the third transmit power being greater than the first and second transmit powers.

[0068]

[0073] Embodiment 17: The transmitter of Embodiment 16, wherein the first and second amplified signals are for cellular transmission and the third amplified signal is for satellite transmission.

[0069]

[0074] Embodiment 18: A transmitter according to Embodiment 16 or 17, wherein the first power supply is configured to operate in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and the second power supply is configured to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) in order to supply a third power to the supply input of a third PA.

[0070]

[0075] Embodiment 19: A transmitter according to any of Embodiments 16 to 18, wherein a first power supply is configured to generate a first output voltage and a second power supply is configured to generate a second output voltage lower than the first output voltage, in order to supply a third power to the supply input of a third PA.

[0071]

[0076] Embodiment 20: A method for wireless communication, comprising: supplying a first power to the supply input of a first amplifier via a first power source; generating a first amplified signal via the first amplifier powered by the first power source; supplying a second power to the supply input of a second amplifier via a second power source; generating a second amplified signal via the second amplifier powered by the second power source; supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier via the first and second power sources; and generating a third amplified signal via the third amplifier powered by the first and second power sources.

[0072]

[0077] Embodiment 21: The method of Embodiment 20, further comprising transmitting an emergency signal based on a third amplified signal.

[0073]

[0078] Embodiment 22: The method of Embodiment 20 or 21, further comprising transmitting a satellite signal based on a third amplified signal.

[0074]

[0079] Embodiment 23: Any method of Embodiments 20 to 22, further comprising transmitting a signal with a first transmit power based on a first amplified signal, transmitting a signal with a second transmit power based on a second amplified signal, and transmitting a signal with a third power greater than the first and second transmit powers based on a third amplified signal.

[0075]

[0080] Embodiment 24: Any method of Embodiments 20 to 23, further comprising coupling the first power supply to the third amplifier via a first switch before supplying the third power.

[0076]

[0081] Embodiment 25: The method of Embodiment 24, further comprising coupling the second power supply to the third amplifier via a second switch before supplying the third power.

[0077]

[0082] Embodiment 26: The first power supplied to the supply input of the first amplifier is generated based on the average power or envelope of the input signal for the first amplifier, in any of the methods of Embodiments 20 to 25.

[0078]

[0083] Embodiment 27: Any method of Embodiments 20 to 26, further comprising disabling the first and second amplifiers before the first and second power supplies supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

[0079]

[0084] Embodiment 28: A method according to any of Embodiments 20 to 27, wherein supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier includes operating the first power supply in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and operating the second power supply in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM).

[0080]

[0085] Embodiment 29: A method according to any of Embodiments 20 to 28, wherein supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier includes configuring a first power supply to generate a first output voltage and configuring a second power supply to generate a second output voltage lower than the first output voltage.

[0081]

[0086] Embodiment 30: The method of any of Embodiments 20 to 29, wherein supplying a third power to the supply input of a third amplifier includes supplying an output current up to a current threshold via a first power supply.

[0082]

[0087] Within the scope of this disclosure, the term “exemplary” is used to mean “serving as an example, illustration, or representation.” No implementation or aspect described herein as “exemplary” should necessarily be construed as being preferable or advantageous to any other aspect of this disclosure. Similarly, the term “aspect” does not require that all aspects of this disclosure include the features, advantages, or modes of operation discussed. The term “bonded” is used herein to refer to a direct or indirect bond between two objects. For example, if object A is in physical contact with object B, and object B is in contact with object C, then object A and object C may still be considered bonded to each other, even if object A and object C are not in direct physical contact with each other. For example, a first object may be bonded to a second object even if the first object is not in any direct physical contact with the second object. The terms “circuit” and “circuitry” are used broadly and include hardware implementations of both electrical devices and conductors that, when connected and configured, enable the implementation of the functions described herein, without limitation on the type of electronic circuit.

[0083]

[0088] The apparatus and methods described in the embodiments for carrying out the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as “elements”). These elements may be implemented, for example, using hardware.

[0084]

[0089] One or more of the components, steps, features, and / or functions described herein may be reconfigured and / or combined into a single component, step, feature, or function, or may be implemented in several components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may also be added without departing from the features disclosed herein. Apparatus, devices, and / or components described herein may be configured to implement one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein.

[0085]

[0090] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed method is an example of an exemplary process. It should also be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method may be rearranged based on design preferences. The appended claims for the method illustrate various step elements in a sample order and are not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless specifically enumerated herein.

[0086]

[0091] The foregoing explanations are provided so that any person skilled in the art may practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may also be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the claims are not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the entire scope consistent with the language of the claims, and a singular reference to an element is intended to mean "one or more" rather than "only one" unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise specified, the term "several" refers to one or more. A phrase referring to "at least one of" in an enumeration of items refers to any combination of those items that includes a single element. For example, “at least one of a, b, or c” is intended to encompass a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc, as well as any combination of multiple identical elements (e.g., aa, aaa, aab, aac, abb, acc, bb, bbb, bbc, cc, and ccc, or any other sequence of a, b, and c). All structural and functional equivalents to the various aspects of the elements described throughout this disclosure, whether known to those skilled in the art or to become known later, are expressly incorporated by reference herein and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be made public, regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly enumerated in the claims. No element of a claim should be construed under Section 112(f) of the United States Patent Act unless that element is expressly enumerated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, unless that element is enumerated using the phrase “steps for…”.

[0087]

[0092] It should be understood that the claims are not limited to the exact configurations and components illustrated above. Various modifications, changes, and variations may be made to the configuration, operation, and details of the methods and apparatus described above without departing from the claims.

Claims

1. The first amplifier and A first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first amplifier and configured to supply first power to the supply input of the first amplifier, The second amplifier, A second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second amplifier and configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second amplifier, A third amplifier having a supply input coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third amplifier, An amplification circuit equipped with the following features.

2. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, wherein the third amplifier is configured to amplify a signal for transmitting an emergency signal.

3. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, wherein the third amplifier is configured to amplify a signal for transmission to a satellite.

4. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are configured to amplify a signal for cellular transmission.

5. The first amplifier is configured to amplify the signaling for transmission at a first transmit power, The second amplifier is configured to amplify the signaling for transmission at the second transmit power, The third amplifier is configured to amplify the signaling for transmission at a third power greater than the first and second transmit powers. The amplification circuit according to claim 1.

6. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a first switch coupled between the first power supply and the supply input of the third amplifier, and configured to couple the first power supply to the third amplifier before the third power is supplied.

7. The amplification circuit according to claim 6, further comprising a second switch coupled between the second power supply and the supply input of the third amplifier, and configured to couple the second power supply to the third amplifier before the third power is supplied.

8. The amplification circuit according to claim 6, wherein the first amplifier and the first switch are part of an integrated circuit (IC).

9. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply is configured to supply the first power to the supply input of the first amplifier based on the average power or envelope of the input signals for the first amplifier.

10. The amplification circuit according to claim 9, wherein the second power supply is configured to supply the second power to the supply input of the second amplifier based on the average power or envelope of the input signals for the second amplifier.

11. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first power supply and the second power supply is a switch-mode power supply (SMPS).

12. The amplification circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are configured such that the first power supply and the second power supply are deactivated before supplying the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

13. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply is configured to operate in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and the second power supply is configured to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) in order to supply the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

14. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply is configured to generate a first output voltage and the second power supply is configured to generate a second output voltage smaller than the first output voltage, in order to supply the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

15. The amplifier circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply is configured to provide an output current up to a current threshold in order to supply the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

16. The first power amplifier (PA) and A first power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the first PA and configured to supply a first power to the supply input of the first PA, wherein the first PA is configured to generate a first amplified signal for transmission at a first transmit power based on the first power; The second PA and A second power supply having an output coupled to the supply input of the second PA and configured to supply a second power to the supply input of the second PA, wherein the second PA is configured to generate a second amplified signal for transmission at a second transmit power based on the second power; A third PA having a supply input coupled to the first power supply and the second power supply, wherein the first power supply and the second power supply are further configured to supply a third power to the supply input of the third PA, and the third PA is configured to generate a third amplified signal for transmission at a third transmit power based on the third power, wherein the third transmit power is greater than the first transmit power and the second transmit power. A transmitter equipped with the following features.

17. The first amplified signal and the second amplified signal are for cellular transmission. The third amplified signal described above is for transmission to the satellite. The transmitter according to claim 16.

18. The transmitter according to claim 16, wherein the first power supply is configured to operate in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and the second power supply is configured to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) in order to supply the third power to the supply input of the third PA.

19. The transmitter according to claim 16, wherein the first power supply is configured to generate a first output voltage and the second power supply is configured to generate a second output voltage lower than the first output voltage, in order to supply the third power to the supply input of the third PA.

20. A method of wireless communication, To supply first power to the supply input of the first amplifier via the first power supply, The first amplified signal is generated via the first amplifier, which is powered by the first power supply, The second power is supplied to the supply input of the second amplifier via the second power supply, The second amplified signal is generated via the second amplifier, which is powered by the second power supply, The third power is supplied to the supply input of the third amplifier via the first power supply and the second power supply, A third amplified signal is generated via the third amplifier, which is powered by the first power supply and the second power supply. Methods that include...

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting an emergency signal based on the third amplified signal.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising transmitting a satellite signal based on the third amplified signal.

23. Transmitting a signal with a first transmission power based on the first amplified signal, Transmitting a signal with a second transmission power based on the second amplified signal, Transmitting a signal with a third power greater than the first and second transmission powers based on the third amplified signal, The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising coupling the first power supply to the third amplifier via a first switch before supplying the third power.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising coupling the second power supply to the third amplifier via a second switch before supplying the third power.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the first power supplied to the supply input of the first amplifier is generated based on the average power or envelope of the input signal for the first amplifier.

27. The method according to claim 20, further comprising disabling the first amplifier and the second amplifier before the first power supply and the second power supply supply the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein supplying the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier includes operating the first power supply in continuous conduction mode (CCM) and operating the second power supply in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM).

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein supplying the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier includes configuring the first power supply to generate a first output voltage and configuring the second power supply to generate a second output voltage lower than the first output voltage.

30. The method according to claim 20, wherein supplying the third power to the supply input of the third amplifier includes supplying an output current up to a current threshold via the first power supply.

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