Power amplifier with current reuse
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsNitesh Singhal, Mark G Forbes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic device may include wireless circuitry with a processor, a transceiver, an antenna, and a front-end module coupled between the transceiver and the antenna. The front-end module may include one or more power amplifiers for amplifying a signal for transmission through the antenna. A power amplifier may include multiple amplifier stages. Current sharing or reuse may occur between two amplifier stages in the power amplifier via a current flow path between the two amplifier stages. A power supply voltage line may be connected to the current flow path and may provide the downstream amplifier stage with a supplemental supply current based on which the downstream amplifier stage can amplify a radio-frequency signal received from the upstream amplifier stage.
Claims20
A radio-frequency power amplifier comprising:
- a first amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive a first voltage and a second voltage less than the first voltage, the first amplifier stage being configured to output a first radio-frequency signal;
- a second amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the second voltage and a third voltage less than the second voltage, the second amplifier stage being configured to receive the first radio-frequency signal and output a second radio-frequency signal by amplifying the first radio-frequency signal;
- and
- a third amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the first voltage and the third voltage, the second amplifier stage being coupled between the first amplifier stage and the third amplifier stage.
An electronic device comprising:
- wireless communications circuitry having
- a first amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive a first voltage and a second voltage less than the first voltage, the first amplifier stage being configured to output a first radio-frequency signal,
- a second amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the second voltage and a third voltage less than the second voltage, the second amplifier stage being configured to receive the first radio-frequency signal and output a second radio-frequency signal by amplifying the first radio-frequency signal, and
- a third amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the first voltage and the third voltage, the second amplifier stage being coupled between the first amplifier stage and the third amplifier stage.
Wireless communications circuitry comprising:
- a first amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive a first voltage and a second voltage less than the first voltage, the first amplifier stage being configured to output a first radio-frequency signal;
- a second amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the second voltage and a third voltage less than the second voltage, the second amplifier stage being configured to receive the first radio-frequency signal and output a second radio-frequency signal by amplifying the first radio-frequency signal;
- and
- a third amplifier stage having power supply terminals configured to receive the first voltage and the third voltage, the second amplifier stage being coupled between the first amplifier stage and the third amplifier stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.