Envelope Tracking Power Circuit Merging Voltage Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of antennas and power amplifiers in mobile communication devices leads to increased power dissipation and footprint, compromising performance and user experience, especially with the need for higher data rates in higher frequency spectrums.
Innovation Solution
An envelope tracking (ET) power management circuit that utilizes a single voltage circuit, such as an inductor-based buck-boost circuit, to power multiple tracker circuits, reducing the overall footprint and cost by eliminating the need for multiple voltage circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple voltage circuits are employed to power multiple tracker circuits, then reliability and performance are improved, but footprint and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple voltage circuits into a single shared voltage circuit that powers multiple tracker circuits. The control circuitry dynamically allocates power from this single voltage circuit to different tracker circuits based on operational needs, achieving the functionality of multiple voltage circuits while using only one physical circuit, thereby reducing footprint while maintaining performance
Solution Approach 2:
The single voltage circuit is designed to serve multiple functions by powering different tracker circuits at different times or in different combinations. The control circuitry enables this voltage circuit to adaptively support various operational modes (such as carrier aggregation and MIMO) by selectively connecting to different tracker circuits, making the single circuit universal in its functionality
2Reliability
If multiple voltage circuits are employed to power multiple tracker circuits, then performance is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple voltage circuits into one shared voltage circuit, directly reducing the component count and associated costs. By consolidating the voltage generation functionality into a single circuit that serves multiple tracker circuits, the patent reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the performance benefits of having multiple voltage supply capabilities
3Productivity
If multiple antennas and power amplifiers are employed, then data rate and robustness are improved, but power dissipation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power management where the control circuitry continuously monitors and adjusts the power supply to tracker circuits based on real-time operational requirements. This dynamic allocation ensures that power is supplied only when and where needed, enabling multiple antennas and amplifiers to operate at higher efficiency while reducing overall power dissipation through adaptive voltage control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the voltage parameter dynamically by using a single voltage circuit that can adjust its output characteristics and connect to different tracker circuits based on operational mode. This parameter adjustment enables the system to support multiple antennas and amplifiers for higher data rates while optimizing power consumption by matching voltage supply to actual operational needs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces power consumption and cost while maintaining performance, supporting operations like uplink carrier aggregation and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) without increasing the device's footprint.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage circuit, including a voltage output, configured to generate a supply voltage at the voltage output. In various embodiments, the voltage circuit is an inductor-based buck-boost circuit
Data Source
AI summary
An envelope tracking (ET) power management circuit is provided. The ET power management circuit includes a number of tracker circuits each configured to operate based on a respective input voltage. In various operation scenarios, one or more selected tracker circuits may be configured to provide ET modulated voltages to a number of amplifier circuits. In examples discussed herein, each of the selected tracker circuits is configured to draw the respective input voltage from a single voltage circuit (e.g., an inductor-based buck-boost circuit) in the ET power management circuit. By utilizing the single voltage circuit to power the selected tracker circuits, as opposed to employing multiple voltage circuits, it is possible to reduce the footprint of the ET power management circuit, thus helping to reduce cost and power consumption of the ET power management circuit.