# US 11,929,715 B2 · Method and apparatus for modulating amplifier supply voltage for reducing power dissipation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,929,715 B2 - Document ID: US11929715B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/336,504 - Filed: 2021-06-02 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Granted: 2024-03-12 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-07 - Assignees: Microchip Technology Incorporated - Applicants: Microchip Technology Incorporated - Inventors: Rohit Tirumala; Miguel Salcedo; Donald Humbert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11929715B2 ## CPC - H03F 1/0227: {using supply converters} - H03F 3/68: Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics {(power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602)} - G01R 19/04: Measuring peak values {or amplitude or envelope} of AC or of pulses - H03F 1/0238: {using supply converters} - H03F 3/211: {using a combination of several amplifiers (H03F3/60 takes precedence)} - H03F 3/45475: {using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit} - H03K 5/1532: Peak detectors (measuring characteristics of individual pulses G01R29/02) - H03F 2200/321: Use of a microprocessor in an amplifier circuit or its control circuit - H03F: AMPLIFIERS - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A circuit to modulate the power supply to track input or output voltages provided to or output by a plurality of amplifiers to reduce power dissipation is provided. The circuit may include a peak detection circuit configured to receive a plurality of voltages respectively corresponding to the plurality of amplifiers, and to detect and output information regarding a maximum instantaneous voltage from the received plurality of voltages, and a summing circuit configured to output a sum of the information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage and an amplifier headroom voltage. A reference voltage may be provided for the supply voltage responsive to the output sum. The circuit may also include a scaling circuit configured to scale the output sum, and the reference voltage may be a scaled reference voltage output by the scaling circuit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit for modulating a power supply voltage provided to a plurality of amplifiers, the circuit comprising: a peak detection circuit to receive respective analog input voltages provided to the plurality of amplifiers, and to detect and output information regarding a maximum instantaneous analog input voltage from the received respective analog input voltages; and a summing circuit to output a sum of the information regarding the maximum instantaneous analog input voltage output from the peak detection circuit and an amplifier headroom voltage, wherein a reference voltage is provided to the power supply voltage responsive to the output sum. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, comprising a scaling circuit to scale the output sum, wherein the reference voltage provided for the power supply voltage is responsive to an output of the scaling circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the maximum instantaneous analog input voltage is the maximum instantaneous analog input voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The circuit of claim 1, wherein the amplifier headroom voltage is a predetermined voltage configured to avoid saturating the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 5 A circuit for modulating a power supply voltage provided to a plurality of amplifiers, the circuit comprising: a peak detection circuit to receive a plurality of respective digital control signals provided for the plurality of amplifiers, and to detect and output information regarding a maximum digital control signal from the plurality of respective digital control signals; and a summing circuit to output a sum of the information regarding the maximum digital control signal output from the peak detection circuit and an amplifier headroom voltage, wherein a reference voltage is provided to the power supply voltage responsive to the output sum. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The circuit of claim 5, comprising a scaling circuit to scale the output sum, wherein the reference voltage is responsive to an output of the scaling circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The circuit of claim 5, wherein the information regarding the maximum digital control signal is the maximum digital control signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The circuit of claim 5, wherein the amplifier headroom voltage is a predetermined voltage to avoid saturating the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 9 A circuit for modulating a power supply voltage provided to a plurality of amplifiers, the circuit comprising: a peak detection circuit to receive a plurality of respective output voltages output by the plurality of amplifiers, and to detect and output information regarding a maximum instantaneous output voltage from the received respective output voltages; a summing circuit to output a sum of the information regarding the maximum instantaneous output voltage output from the peak detection circuit and an amplifier headroom voltage; and a scaling circuit configured to scale the output sum, wherein a reference voltage is provided to the power supply voltage responsive to the output sum; and wherein the provided reference voltage is responsive to an output of the scaling circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The circuit of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the maximum instantaneous output voltage is the maximum instantaneous output voltage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The circuit of claim 9, wherein the amplifier headroom voltage is a predetermined voltage to avoid saturating the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 12 A circuit for modulating a power supply voltage provided to a plurality of amplifiers, the circuit comprising: a peak detection circuit to receive a plurality of voltages respectively corresponding to the plurality of amplifiers, and to detect and output information regarding a maximum instantaneous voltage from the received plurality of voltages; a summing circuit to output a sum of the information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage output from the peak detection circuit and an amplifier headroom voltage; and a scaling circuit to scale the output sum, wherein a reference voltage is provided to the supply voltage responsive to the output sum; and wherein the reference voltage provided for the power supply voltage is responsive to an output of the scaling circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The circuit of claim 12, wherein the plurality of voltages received by the peak detection circuit comprises a plurality of respective analog input voltages provided to the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The circuit of claim 12, wherein the plurality of voltages received by the peak detection circuit comprises a plurality of respective digital control signals provided for the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The circuit of claim 12, wherein the plurality of voltages received by the peak detection circuit comprises a plurality of respective output voltages output by the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The circuit of claim 12, wherein the information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage is the maximum instantaneous voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The circuit of claim 12, wherein the amplifier headroom voltage is a predetermined voltage to avoid saturating the plurality of amplifiers. ### Claim 18 A method of modulating a power supply voltage provided to a plurality of amplifiers, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of voltages respectively corresponding to the plurality of amplifiers; detecting a maximum instantaneous voltage from the received plurality of voltages, and outputting information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage; generating a reference voltage by summing the information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage and an amplifier headroom voltage; and providing the reference voltage to a power supply, the power supply providing the power supply voltage to the plurality of amplifiers responsive to the provided reference voltage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, comprising: scaling the reference voltage to generate a scaled reference voltage; and providing the scaled reference voltage to the power supply as the reference voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the information regarding the maximum instantaneous voltage is the maximum instantaneous voltage. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the amplifier headroom voltage is a predetermined voltage to avoid saturating the plurality of amplifiers.