# US 9,857,862 B2 · System and method for supplying power to a power amplifier > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,857,862 B2 - Document ID: US9857862B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/370,258 - Filed: 2016-12-06 - Published: 2017-03-23 - Granted: 2018-01-02 - 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/US9857862B2 ## 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 radio frequency power amplifier system comprising: a power amplifier configured to receive a radio frequency input signal and to provide an amplified radio frequency output signal, the power amplifier including a first stage and a second stage; a first power converter configured to receive a first input voltage and generate a first output voltage, the first power converter being configured to provide the first output voltage to the first stage and to the second stage responsive to a first mode of operation; and a second power converter configured to receive a second input voltage and generate a second output voltage, the second power converter being configured to provide at least a portion of the second output voltage to the second stage responsive to a second mode of operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 1 further comprising an amplitude detector configured to generate an amplitude signal indicative of an amplitude envelope of the radio frequency input signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 2 further comprising a controller configured to select one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation based on the amplitude signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the second power converter is configured to be disabled responsive to the first mode of operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 1 further comprising a third power converter configured to receive the first output voltage and generate a third output voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 5 further comprising a power combiner coupled to the second power converter and the third power converter, the power combiner configured to combine the second output voltage with the third output voltage to generate a fourth output voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 6 wherein the first power converter is configured to provide the first output voltage to the first stage and the power combiner is configured to provide the fourth output voltage to the second stage responsive to a third mode of operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 5 wherein the third power converter is configured to be disabled responsive to at least one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The radio frequency power amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the second power converter is configured to selectively receive at least one of the first input voltage and the first output voltage as the second input voltage. ### Claim 10 A method of providing power to a radio frequency power amplifier, the method comprising: converting a first input voltage to a first output voltage; providing the first output voltage to a first stage of the radio frequency power amplifier and to a second stage of the radio frequency power amplifier in a first mode of operation; converting a second input voltage to a second output voltage in a second mode of operation; and providing, in the second mode of operation, the first output voltage to the first stage of the radio frequency power amplifier and at least a portion of the second output voltage to the second stage of the radio frequency power amplifier. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting an amplitude of a radio frequency input signal and selecting one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation based on the amplitude. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising converting the first output voltage into a third output voltage, combining the second output voltage and the third output voltage into a fourth output voltage, and providing the fourth output voltage to the second stage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising selecting at least one of the first input voltage and the first output voltage to be the second input voltage. ### Claim 14 A method of providing power to a power amplifier, the method comprising: detecting an amplitude of an input signal; comparing the amplitude to a signal threshold; selectively providing at least one of a first converted voltage and a second converted voltage to the power amplifier in response to the amplitude being lower than the signal threshold; and combining the second converted voltage and a third converted voltage to provide a combined voltage to the power amplifier in response to the amplitude being higher than the signal threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the third converted voltage is capable of higher frequency operation than the second converted voltage. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein selectively providing at least one of a first converted voltage and a second converted voltage to the power amplifier in response to the amplitude being lower than the threshold includes providing the first converted voltage to the power amplifier responsive to a target voltage level being above a voltage threshold and providing the second converted voltage to the power amplifier responsive to the target voltage level being below the voltage threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein selectively providing the first converted voltage includes one of increasing and decreasing a battery voltage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the second converted voltage is provided by converting a battery voltage when the battery voltage is above a battery threshold and converting the first converted voltage when the battery voltage is below the battery threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the second converted voltage is provided by converting an input voltage by a buck converter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising providing the third converted voltage by a linear converter.