CN-114764260-B - Power supply modulator for providing multi-level power supply voltage and operation method thereof

Abstract

The power modulator includes a multi-level voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of power voltages having different voltage levels, a switch array including a plurality of switches respectively corresponding to the plurality of power voltages and outputting one of the plurality of power voltages by activating a connection of one of the plurality of switches, and a switch controller configured to control the connection of each of the plurality of switches, and to activate a connection of at least one third switch distinguished from the first switch and the second switch during a period of time between the disconnection of the first switch and the connection of the second switch corresponding to a frequency to be attenuated in response to receiving a level control signal switching the connection from the first switch to the second switch.

Inventors

• Jin Dongxiu
• Zheng Shengye
• Zhu Yinghuan

Assignees

• 三星电子株式会社
• 三星电子株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260421

Application Date

20211230

Priority Date

20210113

Claims (20)

1. 1. A power modulator, comprising: A multi-level voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of power supply voltages having different voltage levels; a switch array including a plurality of switches respectively corresponding to the plurality of power supply voltages, each of the switches being switchably connected to the output terminal, and A switch controller configured to receive a level control signal indicating switching of connection of the output terminal from a first switch to a second switch, and to connect at least one third switch to the output terminal during a period of time corresponding to a frequency to be attenuated between disconnecting the first switch and connecting the second switch.
2. 2. The power supply modulator of claim 1, wherein the frequency to be attenuated corresponds to a frequency of a transmission/reception signal of a power amplifier to which the power supply voltage is supplied.
3. 3. The power modulator of claim 1, wherein when the frequency to be attenuated is changed, the switch controller activates the connection of the at least one of the third switches for a period of time inversely proportional to the changed frequency to be attenuated.
4. 4. The power modulator of claim 1, wherein the switch controller activates the connection of the at least one of the third switches during different time periods according to a difference between a voltage corresponding to a first level of the first switch and a voltage corresponding to a second level of the second switch.
5. 5. The power modulator of claim 4, wherein when the difference between the first level and the second level is an odd level, the switch controller sequentially activates the connection of a plurality of third switches corresponding to a plurality of voltage levels between the first level and the second level.
6. 6. The power modulator of claim 4, wherein the switch controller activates connection of a third switch corresponding to an intermediate level between the first level and the second level when the difference between the first level and the second level is an even level.
7. 7. The power modulator of claim 1, further comprising: And a filter circuit configured to cancel noise of the power supply voltage output from the switch array.
8. 8. The power modulator of claim 7, wherein the filter circuit is activated when Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) operation is performed and deactivated when Time Division Duplex (TDD) operation is performed.
9. 9. A wireless communication device, comprising: A power modulator configured to output one of a plurality of power voltages of different voltage levels, and to output a power voltage of at least one third voltage level different from the first voltage level and the second voltage level during a period corresponding to a frequency to be attenuated between changes from the first voltage level to the second voltage level when the power voltage is changed from the first voltage level to the second voltage level, and A communication processor configured to control the power modulator and determine at least one of the frequency to attenuate and the time period.
10. 10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the communication processor determines the time period from the frequency to be attenuated corresponding to a frequency of a transmit/receive signal of a power amplifier to which the power supply voltage is supplied.
11. 11. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the power supply modulator further comprises a switch array comprising a plurality of switches corresponding to each voltage level and outputting any of the plurality of power supply voltages by activating a connection of any of the plurality of switches.
12. 12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the power supply modulator outputs the third voltage level of the power supply voltage during a time period inversely proportional to the changed frequency to be attenuated when the frequency to be attenuated is changed.
13. 13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the power supply modulator outputs the power supply voltage of the third voltage level during different time periods according to a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level.
14. 14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the power supply modulator outputs a plurality of third voltage levels between the first voltage level and the second voltage level when a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is an odd level.
15. 15. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the power supply modulator outputs an intermediate level between the first voltage level and the second voltage level as the third voltage level when a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level is an even level.
16. 16. A method of operation of a wireless communication device for amplifying power of a communication signal based on a plurality of levels of supply voltage, the method of operation comprising: determining a transition delay time based on a frequency to be attenuated when the power supply voltage transitions from a first level to a second level of the plurality of levels; outputting a power supply voltage of at least one third level different from the first level and the second level during the transition delay time between the transition from the first level to the second level, and The power of the communication signal is amplified based on the output power supply voltage.
17. 17. The method of operation of claim 16, wherein determining the transition delay time comprises: Determining the frequency to be attenuated corresponding to the frequency of the communication signal, and A time period inversely proportional to the frequency to be attenuated is determined as the transition delay time.
18. 18. The method of operation of claim 16, wherein determining the transition delay time comprises: the transition delay time is determined based on a voltage difference between the first level and the second level.
19. 19. The method of operation of claim 18, wherein outputting the third level of supply voltage comprises: When the voltage difference between the first level and the second level is an odd level, a plurality of voltage levels between the first level and the second level are output as the power supply voltage of the third level.
20. 20. The method of operation of claim 18, wherein outputting the third level of supply voltage comprises: When the voltage difference between the first level and the second level is an even level, a voltage level corresponding to an intermediate level between the first level and the second level is output as the power supply voltage of the third level.

Description

Power supply modulator for providing multi-level power supply voltage and operation method thereof Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority from korean patent application No. 10-2021-0004929, filed on the korean intellectual property office on day 1 and 13 of 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a power modulator, and more particularly, to a power modulator that outputs a multi-level (level) power voltage (power voltage). Background In wireless communication devices such as smartphones, tablets, and internet of things (IoT) devices, communication technologies such as Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), third generation (3G), long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-advanced fourth generation (4G), or New Radio (NR) fifth generation (5G) are used for high-speed communications. However, with the development of communication technology, a peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and a high bandwidth transmit/receive signal are used. Therefore, when a power supply for a power amplifier of a transmitter is connected to a battery, the efficiency of the power amplifier is lowered. Accordingly, in order to track the power efficiency of the power amplifier at high PAPR and high bandwidth, an average power tracking technique (hereinafter referred to as APT) or an envelope tracking technique (hereinafter referred to as ET) may be used. The chip or component that supports such APT and ET is called a Supply Modulator (SM). Disclosure of Invention The present disclosure relates to power modulators, and more particularly, to a power modulator that minimizes noise and a method of operating the same. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a power supply modulator including a multi-level voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of power supply voltages having different voltage levels, a switch array including a plurality of switches respectively corresponding to the plurality of power supply voltages, each switch being switchably connected to an output terminal, and a switch controller configured to receive a level control signal indicating switching connection of the output terminal from a first switch to a second switch, and to connect at least one third switch to the output terminal during a period of time corresponding to a frequency to be attenuated between switching off the first switch and connecting the second switch. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a wireless communication device including a power supply modulator configured to output any one of a plurality of power supply voltages of different voltage levels, and to output a power supply voltage of at least one third voltage level different from the first voltage level and the second voltage level during a period corresponding to a frequency to be attenuated between changes from the first voltage level to the second voltage level when the power supply voltage changes from the first voltage level to the second voltage level, and a communication processor configured to control the power supply modulator and determine at least one of the frequency and the period to be attenuated. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an operation method of a wireless communication device for amplifying power of a communication signal based on a power supply voltage of a plurality of levels, including determining a transition delay time based on a frequency to be attenuated when the power supply voltage transitions from a first level to a second level of the plurality of levels, outputting the power supply voltage of at least one of a third level different from the first level and the second level during the transition delay time between transitions from the first level to the second level, and amplifying the power of the communication signal based on the power supply voltage. Drawings Embodiments of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: fig. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a power modulator according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a multi-level voltage generator according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating an example of discretely generating a multi-level output voltage from envelope tracking results; FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating an example of a transition voltage in which the power supply modulator of the comparative embodiment generates one level difference; FIGS. 6A and 6B are graphs illustrating examples of transition voltages in which a power supply modulator according to an embodiment generates one level difference; FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a transfer function in which noise components of