US 9,041,365 B2Granted

Multiple mode RF power converter

AssigneeRF Micro Devices, Inc.

InventorsMichael R. Kay, Nadim Khlat

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This disclosure relates to radio frequency (RF) power converters and methods of operating the same. In one embodiment, an RF power converter includes an RF switching converter, a low-drop out (LDO) regulation circuit, and an RF filter. The RF filter is coupled to receive a pulsed output voltage from the RF switching converter and a supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit. The RF filter is operable to alternate between a first RF filter topology and a second RF filter topology. In the first RF filter topology, the RF filter is configured to convert the pulsed output voltage from a switching circuit into the supply voltage. The RF filter in the second RF filter topology is configured to filter the supply voltage from the LDO regulation circuit to reduce a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage. As such, the RF filter provides greater versatility.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A radio frequency (RF) power converter comprising:

a switching circuit operable to receive a power source voltage, the switching circuit being switchable so as to generate a pulsed output voltage from the power source voltage;
an RF filter coupled to receive the pulsed output voltage from the switching circuit and operable to convert the pulsed output voltage from the switching circuit into a supply voltage;
a switching controller operable in an first operational mode and in a second operational mode, wherein the switching controller is configured to:
switch the switching circuit so that the switching circuit generates the pulsed output voltage and modulates the supply voltage in the first operational mode;
and
switch the switching circuit so that the switching circuit generates the pulsed output voltage in the second operational mode and such that the pulsed output voltage is adjusted to drive an average DC supply voltage level of the supply voltage to a target average DC supply voltage level in the second operational mode;
and
a power mode controller configured to provide the switching controller in the first operational mode and to provide the switching controller in the second operational mode.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/747,694Filed 23 Jan 2013 · continuation in part
Priority: 1 Dec 2011
Published: US 2013/0141062 A16 Jun 2013
Granted: 26 May 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

G05F 1/468
Wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is DC: characterised by reference voltage circuitry, e.g. soft start, remote…
H02M 1/10
Details of apparatus for conversion: arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of…
H03F 1/0211
In transistor amplifiers: with control of the supply voltage or current
H03F 1/0227
By using a signal derived from the input signal: using supply converters

Family

Application61/565,670Us provisional application · filed 1 Dec 2011
Application61/589,558Us provisional application · filed 23 Jan 2012
Application13/690,187Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Nov 2012
US 2013/0141063 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Jun 2013
US 2013/0141062 A1Published application
US 9,041,364 B2Related patent
US 9,041,365 B2This patent

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