# US 12,184,236 B2 · Multi-amplifier envelope tracking apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,236 B2 - Document ID: US12184236B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/634,347 - Filed: 2020-08-13 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-14 - Assignees: Qorvo US, Inc. - Applicants: Qorvo US, Inc. - Inventors: Nadim Khlat - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184236B2 ## CPC - H03F 1/0227: {using supply converters} - H03F 3/189: High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers - H03F 3/20: Power amplifiers, e.g. Class B amplifiers, Class C amplifiers (H03F3/26 - H03F3/30 take precedence) - H03F 3/24: of transmitter output stages - H03F 2200/102: A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit - H03F 2200/321: Use of a microprocessor in an amplifier circuit or its control circuit - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H03F 2200/511: Many discrete supply voltages or currents or voltage levels can be chosen by a control signal in an IC-block amplifier circuit - H03F: AMPLIFIERS ## Abstract A multi-amplifier envelope tracking (ET) apparatus is provided. The multi-amplifier ET apparatus includes an ET integrated circuit (ETIC). The ETIC includes a first voltage circuit that generates the first ET voltage based on a first supply voltage and a first time-variant target voltage. The ETIC also includes a second voltage circuit that generates the second ET voltage based on a second supply voltage and a second time-variant target voltage. In embodiments disclosed herein, the ETIC is configured to determine the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage in accordance to the first time-variant target voltage and the second time-variant target voltage, respectively. As a result, both the first and the second voltage circuits can operate with optimal efficiency, thus helping to improve overall operating efficiency of the multi-amplifier ET apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multi-amplifier envelope tracking (ET) apparatus comprising: an ET integrated circuit (ETIC) comprising: a first voltage circuit configured to generate a first ET voltage based on a first supply voltage and a first time-variant target voltage; a second voltage circuit configured to generate a second ET voltage based on a second supply voltage and a second time-variant target voltage; a supply voltage circuit configured to generate a plurality of supply voltages; and a control circuit coupled to the supply voltage circuit and configured to: dynamically select the first supply voltage from the plurality of supply voltages based on the first time-variant target voltage; provide the selected first supply voltage to the first voltage circuit; dynamically select the second supply voltage from the plurality of supply voltages based on the second time-variant target voltage; and provide the selected second supply voltage to the second voltage circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a first power amplifier circuit coupled to the ETIC and configured to amplify a first radio frequency (RF) signal based on the first ET voltage, wherein the first time-variant target voltage tracks a time-variant power envelope of the first RF signal; and a second power amplifier circuit coupled to the ETIC and configured to amplify a second RF signal based on the second ET voltage, wherein the second time-variant target voltage tracks a time-variant power envelope of the second RF signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first power amplifier circuit and the second power amplifier circuit are configured to amplify the first RF signal and the second RF signal concurrently. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 2 wherein: the first power amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the first RF signal to a first power; and the second power amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the second RF signal to a second power different from the first power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 2 wherein: the first power amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the first RF signal to a first power; and the second power amplifier circuit is configured to amplify the second RF signal to a second power identical to the first power. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the first voltage circuit comprises: a first voltage amplifier configured to generate a first initial ET voltage based on the first supply voltage and track the first time-variant target voltage; and a first offset capacitor configured to raise the first initial ET voltage by a first offset voltage to generate the first ET voltage; and the second voltage circuit comprises: a second voltage amplifier configured to generate a second initial ET voltage based on the second supply voltage and track the second time-variant target voltage; and a second offset capacitor configured to raise the second initial ET voltage by a second offset voltage to generate the second ET voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ETIC further comprises: a multi-level charge pump (MCP) configured to generate a low-frequency voltage that is proportional to a battery voltage; and a power inductor configured to induce a low-frequency current based on the low-frequency voltage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 6 wherein the plurality of supply voltages comprises a low constant voltage and a high constant voltage greater than the low constant voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control circuit is further configured to: provide the low constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is below a first threshold voltage; provide the high constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is above the first threshold voltage; provide the low constant voltage to the second voltage amplifier as the second supply voltage when the second time-variant target voltage is below a second threshold voltage; and provide the high constant voltage to the second voltage amplifier as the second supply voltage when the second time-variant target voltage is above the second threshold voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control circuit is further configured to: provide the low constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is below a first threshold voltage; provide the high constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is above the first threshold voltage; and provide the high constant voltage to the second voltage amplifier as the second supply voltage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control circuit is further configured to: provide the low constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is below a first threshold voltage; provide the high constant voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage when the first time-variant target voltage is above the first threshold voltage; and provide the low constant voltage to the second voltage amplifier as the second supply voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 8 wherein the supply voltage circuit comprises: a supply multi-level charge pump (MCP) configured to generate a low-frequency supply voltage that is proportional to a battery voltage; a supply power inductor configured to induce a low-frequency supply current based on the low-frequency supply voltage; a lower voltage path coupled to the supply power inductor and configured to output the low-frequency supply voltage as the low constant voltage; and a higher voltage path coupled to the supply power inductor and configured to boost the low-frequency supply voltage to generate the high constant voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 6 wherein the plurality of supply voltages comprises: a first modulated voltage that is modulated based on the first time-variant target voltage; and a second modulated voltage that is modulated based on the second time-variant target voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 13 wherein the control circuit is further configured to: provide the first modulated voltage to the first voltage amplifier as the first supply voltage; and provide the second modulated voltage to the second voltage amplifier as the second supply voltage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 14 wherein the supply voltage circuit comprises: a first amplifier configured to generate a first initial modulated voltage based on a first voltage and the first time-variant target voltage; a first capacitor configured to raise the first initial modulated voltage to generate the first modulated voltage; a second amplifier configured to generate a second initial modulated voltage based on a second voltage and the second time-variant target voltage; and a second capacitor configured to raise the second initial modulated voltage to generate the second modulated voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 15 wherein the supply voltage circuit further comprises: a supply multi-level charge pump (MCP) configured to generate a low-frequency supply voltage that is proportional to a battery voltage; a supply power inductor configured to induce a low-frequency supply current based on the low-frequency supply voltage; a first low-dropout (LDO) circuit coupled to the supply power inductor and configured to generate the first voltage based on the low-frequency supply voltage; and a second LDO circuit coupled to the supply power inductor and configured to generate the second voltage based on the low-frequency supply voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 16 wherein the supply voltage circuit further comprises a controller configured to provide a reference voltage to the first LDO circuit and the second LDO circuit for generating the first voltage and the second voltage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to: receive a first low target voltage corresponding to a minimum of the first time-variant target voltage; receive a second low target voltage corresponding to a minimum of the second time-variant target voltage; and generate the reference voltage as a higher one of the first low target voltage and the second low target voltage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured to generate the reference voltage as a constant voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The multi-amplifier ET apparatus of claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured to generate the reference voltage as a modulated voltage. ### Claim 21 A wireless device comprising a multi-amplifier envelope tracking (ET) apparatus, the multi-amplifier ET apparatus comprises: an ET integrated circuit (ETIC) comprising: a first voltage circuit configured to generate a first ET voltage based on a first supply voltage and a first time-variant target voltage; a second voltage circuit configured to generate a second ET voltage based on a second supply voltage and a second time-variant target voltage; a supply voltage circuit configured to generate a plurality of supply voltages; and a control circuit coupled to the supply voltage circuit and configured to: dynamically select the first supply voltage from the plurality of supply voltages based on the first time-variant target voltage; provide the selected first supply voltage to the first voltage circuit; dynamically select the second supply voltage from the plurality of supply voltages based on the second time-variant target voltage; and provide the selected second supply voltage to the second voltage circuit.