US 2022/0103140 A1Published application

Apparatus and method of power management using envelope-stacking

AssigneeAnokiwave, Inc.

InventorsSusanne Paul, Akhil Garlapati, Yan Li

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Abstract

An envelope stacking power amplifier system reduces current for a given output power level without sacrificing the ability to support large voltage swings at saturation and therefore increases efficiency at the maximum linear operating power and all power levels below that. The system includes a stack/unstack controller including circuitry configured to switch the RF power amplifier system between a stacked mode in which first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in a stacked configuration and an unstacked mode in which the first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in an unstacked configuration in response to one or more mode-control signals, the stacked configuration providing reduced current compared to the unstacked configuration.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A reduced current RF power amplifier system comprising:

a first RF amplifier for amplifying a first RF input signal and generating a first RF output signal;
a second RF amplifier for amplifying a second RF input signal and generating a second RF output signal;
a stack/unstack controller including circuitry configured to switch the RF power amplifier system between a stacked mode in which said first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in a stacked configuration and an unstacked mode in which said first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in an unstacked configuration in response to one or more mode-control signals, the stacked configuration providing reduced current compared to the unstacked configuration;
and
a linearity detector configured to detect if both of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate linearly in the stacked configuration and to generate the one or more mode-control signals to specify the stacked mode when the linearity detector detects that both of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate linearly in the stacked configuration and to specify the unstacked mode when the linearity detector detects that either of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate nonlinearly in the stacked configuration.

2 more elements

A method of reducing the current of an RF power amplifier system having first and second RF amplifiers and a stack/unstack controller including circuitry configured to switch the RF power amplifier system between a stacked mode in which said first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in a stacked configuration and an unstacked mode in which said first and second RF amplifiers are coupled in an unstacked configuration in response to one or more mode-control signals, the stacked configuration providing reduced current compared to the unstacked configuration, the method comprising:

detecting, by a linearity detector, if both of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate linearly in the stacked configuration;
generating, by the linearity detector, the one or more mode-control signals to specify the stacked mode when the linearity detector detects that both of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate linearly in the stacked configuration;
generating, by the linearity detector, the one of more mode-control signals to specify the unstacked mode when the linearity detector detects that either of said first and second RF amplifiers would operate nonlinearly in the stacked configuration;
receiving, by the stack/unstack controller, the one or more mode-control signals from the linearity detector;
and
switching, by the stack/unstack controller, the first and second RF amplifiers into the mode indicated by the mode-control signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/466,632Filed 3 Sep 2021
Priority: 12 Aug 2019
Published: 31 Mar 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H03F 3/245
Of transmitter output stages: with semiconductor devices only
H03F 3/195
With semiconductor devices only: in integrated circuits
H03F 3/211
With semiconductor devices only: using a combination of several amplifiers
H03F 3/45183
Using MOSFET transistors as the active amplifying circuit: long tailed pairs

Family

Application62/885,638Us provisional application · filed 12 Aug 2019
Application16/991,673Continuation · filed 12 Aug 2020
Application17/466,632Continuation
US 11,114,990 B2Related patent
US 12,003,224 B2Related patent
US 2021/0050828 A1Published application
US 2022/0103140 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.