# US 9,225,362 B2 · Power supply > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,225,362 B2 - Document ID: US9225362B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/208,553 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2015-12-29 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Assignees: Quantance, Inc. - Applicants: Quantance, Inc. - Inventors: Serge Francois Drogi; Marcus Charles Mertsching; Luigi Panseri - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9225362B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/324: by lowering clock frequency - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators - H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)} - H03F 1/0227: {using supply converters} - H03F 3/189: High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers - H04B 1/0458: {Arrangements for matching and coupling between power amplifier and antenna or between amplifying stages (matching circuits in general H03H)} - H04B 1/1607: {Supply circuits (converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46)} - H02M 1/0025: {Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter} - H02M 1/0045: {Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M 1/008: {Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators} - H03F 2200/102: A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit - H03F 2200/411: the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages - H03F 2200/451: the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier - H03F 2200/516: Some amplifier stages of an amplifier use supply voltages of different value - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) - H03F: AMPLIFIERS - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract A power supply for a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal and a method of operation in the power supply. The power supply comprises a first power converter to convert an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. The power supply comprises a second power converter to receive the input voltage and the first supply voltage and to selectively convert either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power supply for a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal, the power supply comprising: a first power converter to convert an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier; and a second power converter to receive the input voltage and the first supply voltage and to selectively convert either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 further comprising a control circuit to generate a supply control signal for the second power converter based on an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude of the RF input signal, the second power converter controlling a level of the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier based on the supply control signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second power converter selects either the input voltage or the first supply voltage for conversion based on a level of the input voltage to the power supply. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second power converter selectively converts either the input voltage or the first supply voltage into a first output voltage and the power supply further comprises: a third power converter to receive the input voltage and to convert the input voltage into a second output voltage; and a power combiner circuit to combine the first output voltage and the second output voltage into the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power supply of claim 4 wherein the power supply disables the third power converter responsive to an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below a threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The power supply of claim 5 further comprising a switch coupled between the first supply voltage to the RF power amplifier and the second supply voltage to the RF power amplifier, the power supply disabling the second power converter and closing the switch to connect the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The power supply of claim 5 wherein the power supply keeps the second power converter enabled while disabling the third power converter responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The power supply of claim 4 wherein the third power converter operates at a higher frequency than the first power converter and the second power converter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The power supply of claim 4 wherein the first power converter is a first switching power converter, the second power converter is a second switching power converter, and the third power converter is a linear power converter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the first supply voltage provides power to a first stage of the RF power amplifier and the second supply voltage provides power to a second stage of the RF power amplifier that follows the first stage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second supply voltage provides power to a first stage of the RF power amplifier and the first supply voltage provides power to a second stage of the RF power amplifier that follows the first stage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the input voltage is a battery voltage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The power supply of claim 1 wherein the second supply voltage to the RF power amplifier tracks an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier. ### Claim 14 A method of operation in a power supply providing power to a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier that amplifies an RF input signal into an RF output signal, the method comprising: converting, by a first power converter, an input voltage to the power supply into a first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier; and selectively converting, by a second power converter, either the input voltage to the power supply or the first supply voltage of the RF power amplifier into at least a portion of a second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising generating a supply control signal for the second power converter based on an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude of the RF input signal and controlling, by the second power converter, a level of the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier based on the supply control signal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein selectively converting, by the second power converter, includes selecting either the input voltage or the first supply voltage for conversion based on a level of the input voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the portion of the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier is a first output voltage and the method further comprises: converting, by a third power converter, the input voltage into a second output voltage; and combining the first output voltage and the second output voltage into the second supply voltage of the RF power amplifier. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 further comprising disabling the third power converter responsive to an amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below a threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising disabling the second power converter and connecting the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising keeping the second power converter enabled while the third power converter is disabled responsive to the amplitude of the RF input signal to the RF power amplifier being below the threshold.