Described herein are systems, architectures, circuits, devices, and methods for a DC-DC converter that dynamically adjusts a supply voltage to a power amplifier based on the number of resource blocks in a signal to be transmitted. The disclosed technologies estimate the number of resource blocks in a signal, generate a signal corresponding to the estimated number of resource blocks, and modify a supply voltage based on the generated signal. These technologies can be used to increase the efficiency of power amplifier systems for cellular signals being transmitted that have fewer resource blocks than is typically assumed (e.g., at least 100 resource blocks).

A fast-switching power management circuit operable to prolong battery life is provided. The power management circuit includes a voltage circuit that can generate an output voltage for amplifying an analog signal in a number of time intervals and a pair of hybrid circuits each causing the output voltage to change in any of the time intervals. A control circuit is configured to activate any one of the hybrid circuits during a preceding one of the time intervals to cause the output voltage to change in an immediately succeeding one of the time intervals. By starting the output voltage change earlier in the preceding time interval, it is possible to complete the output voltage change within a switching window in the succeeding time interval while concurrently reducing rush current associated with the output voltage change, thus helping to prolong battery life in a device employing the power management circuit.

A method of maximizing power efficiency for a power amplifier system comprises obtaining a power supply voltage; determining a first voltage level sufficient for a power amplifier of the power amplifier system to output an output power; determining a second voltage level lower than the first voltage level; determining whether the power amplifier is activated, to generate a determination result; determining to convert the power supply voltage into a supply voltage with the first voltage level or the second voltage level according to the determination result; and supplying the power amplifier with the supply voltage.

The present invention generally relates to a structure and method of audio amplifier with power feedback, including a power amplifying unit, a loud-speaker, a current sensing unit, a voltage sensing unit and a multiplying unit. The power amplifying unit includes an input side and an output side, the input side inputs an audio voltage signal, and the loudspeaker is electrically connected to an output side of the power amplifying unit. The current sensing unit is electrically connected to the output side of the power amplifying unit and senses the output current of the power amplifying unit and then converts it into a current control voltage signal. The voltage sensing unit is electrically connected to the output side of the power amplifying unit, and senses the output voltage of the power amplifying unit to form an output sensing voltage signal. The multiplying unit obtains the voltage of the current control voltage multiplied by the output sensing voltage, and the output side of the multiplying unit is electrically connected to the input side of the power amplifying unit to form a closed loop power feedback structure. Accordingly, the output quality of the amplifier and loud-speaker is improved.

A communication device, method and computer program product provide efficient average power tracking (APT) powering of transmit power amplifiers with fewer switching mode power supplies (SMPSs) to reduce size and cost of the communication device. A controller of the communication device detects an output voltage level of a battery supply of a communication device power amplifiers (PAs) assignable to respective transmit uplinks. The communication device includes a smaller second number of switching mode power supplies (SMPSs). The communication device includes linear regulator(s) that are powered by one of (i) output voltage of the battery supply and (ii) one of the one or more SMPSs. Controller selects a combination of SMPSs and linear regulators to power active PAs. The controller determines APT supply voltage value for each PAs and assigns the SMPS(s) and the linear regulator(s) to the PAs to achieve a highest overall or combined system power efficiency.

An envelope tracking (ET) circuit and related power amplifier apparatus is provided. An ET power amplifier apparatus includes an ET circuit and a number of amplifier circuits. The ET circuit is configured to provide a number of ET modulated voltages to the amplifier circuits for amplifying concurrently a number of radio frequency (RF) signals. The ET circuit includes a target voltage circuit for generating a number of ET target voltages adapted to respective power levels of the RF signals and/or respective impedances seen by the amplifier circuits, a supply voltage circuit for generating a number of constant voltages, and an ET voltage circuit for generating the ET modulated voltages based on the ET target voltages and a selected one of the constant voltages. By employing a single ET circuit, it may be possible to reduce the footprint and improve heat dissipation of the ET power amplifier apparatus.

An apparatus that includes a tracking amplifier having an amplifier output terminal coupled to an output voltage node and an envelope input terminal configured to receive an envelope signal of a radio frequency signal is disclosed. A multi-level voltage converter has a switched voltage terminal coupled to the output voltage node and a converter control input terminal configured to receive a converter control signal. A control signal multiplexer has a converter control output terminal coupled to the converter control input terminal, a first converter signal input terminal configured to receive a first converter control signal corresponding to a lower envelope modulation bandwidth, a second converter signal input terminal configured to receive a second converter control signal corresponding to a higher envelope modulation bandwidth, and a converter control signal selector terminal configured to receive a control selector signal for selecting between the first and second converter control signals.

A power management circuit operable to reduce rush current is provided. The power management circuit is configured to provide a time-variant voltage(s) to a power amplifier(s) for amplifying a radio frequency (RF) signal(s). Notably, a variation in the time-variant voltage(s) can cause a rush current that is proportionally related to the variation of the time-variant voltage(s). To reduce the rush current, the power management circuit is configured to maintain the time-variant voltage(s) at a non-zero standby voltage level when the power amplifier(s) is inactive. When the power amplifier(s) becomes active and the time-variant voltage(s) needs to be raised or reduced from the non-zero standby voltage level, the rush current will be smaller as a result of reduced variation in the time-variant voltage(s). As such, it is possible to prolong the battery life in a device employing the power management circuit.

Power amplifiers with supply capacitor switching are provided herein. In certain configurations, a power amplifier system includes a power amplifier that provides amplification to a radio frequency (RF) signal, a power management circuit that controls a voltage level of a supply voltage of the power amplifier, a supply capacitor, and a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) switch in series with the supply capacitor between the supply voltage and the a reference voltage, such as ground. The power management circuit is operable in multiple supply control modes including, for example, an average power tracking (APT) mode and an envelope tracking (ET) mode. Additionally, the SOI switch is controlled based on the supply control mode of the power management circuit.

A mobile device may include a power supply configured to generate a supply voltage, a power converter configured to generate a converted voltage from the supply voltage wherein the converted voltage is significantly different than the supply voltage, and a plurality of power domains. The plurality of power domains may include a first power domain that is global to the mobile device and comprising a first plurality of electronic components powered from the converted voltage and a second power domain that is global to the mobile device and comprising a second plurality of electronic components powered from the supply voltage, wherein power requirements of each of the second plurality of electronic components are significantly higher than power requirements of each of the first plurality of electronic components.