US-12627221-B2 - Power supply system, radio frequency system, communication device, and tracker module

Abstract

A power supply system is provided that includes a first board, a tracker module disposed at the first board, and a power inductor disposed at the first board. The tracker module includes a second board and at least one IC chip disposed at the second board. The at least one IC chip includes at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator. In a plan view in a thickness direction of the first board, the second board has a recess, and at least a portion of the power inductor is disposed in the recess.

Inventors

• Sho OKAMOTO
• Muneharu KATO
• Kouji Yamaguchi

Assignees

• MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240312

Priority Date

20230316

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A power supply system comprising: a first board; a tracker module disposed at the first board; and a power inductor disposed at the first board, wherein the tracker module includes: a second board, and at least one IC chip disposed at the second board, wherein the at least one IC chip includes: at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit that is configured to use the power inductor to convert an input voltage into an adjustment voltage, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit that is configured to generate a plurality of discrete voltages based on the adjustment voltage, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator that is configured to selectively output at least one of the plurality of discrete voltages to a power amplifier, and wherein, in a plan view in a thickness direction of the first board, the second board has a recess and at least a portion of the power inductor is disposed in the recess.
2. 2 . The power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the tracker module further includes a connection terminal connected to the power inductor and that is disposed adjacent to a portion of an outer edge of the second board that faces the power inductor.
3. 3 . The power supply system according to claim 2 , wherein the connection terminal is connected to the at least one switch included in the pre-regulator circuit.
4. 4 . The power supply system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one IC chip is disposed adjacent to the portion of the outer edge of the second board that faces the power inductor.
5. 5 . The power supply system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one switch included in the pre-regulator circuit is disposed adjacent to the portion of the outer edge of the second board that faces the power inductor.
6. 6 . The power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein in the plan view in the thickness direction of the first board, the tracker module and the power inductor are disposed inside a rectangular first region.
7. 7 . The power supply system according to claim 6 , wherein, in the plan view in the thickness direction of the first board, the power inductor is located inside a second region that is a portion of the first region, and the second region is in contact with at least one side of the first region.
8. 8 . The power supply system according to claim 7 , wherein, in the plan view in the thickness direction of the first board, the second region includes one of four vertices of the first region.
9. 9 . The power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein: the tracker module further includes a filter circuit that includes at least one inductor and that is connected to the supply modulator, and a magnetic flux direction of the at least one inductor is perpendicular to a magnetic flux direction of the power inductor.
10. 10 . A radio frequency system comprising: the power supply system according to claim 1 ; and the power amplifier connected to the tracker module.
11. 11 . A communication device comprising: the radio frequency system according to claim 10 ; and a signal processing circuit connected to the radio frequency system.
12. 12 . A power supply system comprising: a first board; a tracker module disposed at the first board; and a power inductor disposed at the first board, wherein the tracker module includes: a second board, and at least one IC chip disposed at the second board, wherein the at least one IC chip includes: at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit that is configured to use the power inductor to convert an input voltage into an adjustment voltage, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit that is configured to generate a plurality of discrete voltages based on the adjustment voltage, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator that is configured to selectively output at least one of the plurality of discrete voltages to a power amplifier, and wherein, in a plan view in a thickness direction of the first board, the tracker module and the power inductor face each other in a first direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first board, and face each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first board and the first direction.
13. 13 . A tracker module comprising: a module laminate; and at least one IC chip disposed at the module laminate, wherein the at least one IC chip includes: at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit that is configured to use a power inductor to convert an input voltage into an adjustment voltage, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit that is configured to generate a plurality of discrete voltages based on the adjustment voltage, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator that is configured to selectively output at least one of the plurality of discrete voltages to a power amplifier, and wherein, in a plan view in a thickness direction of the module laminate, the module laminate has a recess, and at least a portion of the power inductor is disposed in the recess.
14. 14 . The tracker module according to claim 13 , further comprising a connection terminal connected to the power inductor and that is disposed adjacent to a portion of an outer edge of the module laminate that faces the power inductor.
15. 15 . The tracker module according to claim 14 , wherein the connection terminal is connected to the at least one switch included in the pre-regulator circuit.
16. 16 . The tracker module according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one IC chip is disposed adjacent to the portion of the outer edge of the module laminate that faces the power inductor.
17. 17 . The tracker module according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one switch included in the pre-regulator circuit is adjacent to the portion of the outer edge of the module laminate that faces the power inductor.
18. 18 . The tracker module according to claim 13 , wherein, in the plan view in the thickness direction of the module laminate, the tracker module and the power inductor are located inside a rectangular first region.
19. 19 . The tracker module according to claim 18 , wherein, in the plan view in the thickness direction of the module laminate, the power inductor is located inside a second region that is a portion of the first region, and the second region is in contact with at least one side of the first region.
20. 20 . The tracker module according to claim 13 , further comprising: a filter circuit that includes at least one inductor and that is connected to the supply modulator, wherein a magnetic flux direction of the at least one inductor is perpendicular to a magnetic flux direction of the power inductor.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-042412, filed Mar. 16, 2023, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a power supply system, a radio frequency system, a communication device, and a tracker module, and more specifically, to a power supply system including a tracker module, a radio frequency system and a communication device including the power supply system, and the tracker module. BACKGROUND U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0132354 discloses a power supply modulation circuit capable of supplying a power supply voltage to a power amplifier. The power supply modulation circuit includes, for example, a pre-regulator circuit including a power inductor as a configuration for generating a plurality of discrete voltages. When the power supply modulation circuit in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0132354 is provided as a power supply system including a tracker module, it is difficult to reduce a size of the tracker module in a configuration in which the tracker module includes the power inductor included in the pre-regulator circuit. On the other hand, in a case where the power supply system includes the power inductor and the tracker module, each of the power inductor and the tracker module occupies a space, and thus it may be difficult to reduce the size of the power supply system. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a power supply system, a radio frequency system, a communication device, and a tracker module that is reduced in size. In an exemplary aspect, a power supply system is provided that includes a first board, a tracker module, and a power inductor. The tracker module is disposed at the first board. The power inductor is disposed at the first board. The tracker module includes a second board and at least one IC chip. The at least one IC chip is disposed at the second board. Moreover, the at least one IC chip includes at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator. The pre-regulator circuit is configured to convert an input voltage into an adjustment voltage by using the power inductor. The switched-capacitor circuit is configured to generate a plurality of discrete voltages based on the adjustment voltage. The supply modulator is configured to selectively output at least one of the plurality of discrete voltages to a power amplifier. The second board has a recess in a plan view in a thickness direction of the first board. At least a portion of the power inductor is disposed in the recess in a plan view in the thickness direction of the first board. In another exemplary aspect, a power supply system is provided that includes a first board, a tracker module, and a power inductor. The tracker module is disposed at the first board, and the power inductor is disposed at the first board. The tracker module includes a second board and at least one IC chip. The at least one IC chip is disposed at the second board. Moreover, the at least one IC chip includes at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit, and at least one switch included in a supply modulator. The pre-regulator circuit is configured to convert an input voltage into an adjustment voltage by using the power inductor. The switched-capacitor circuit is configured to generate a plurality of discrete voltages based on the adjustment voltage. The supply modulator is configured to selectively output at least one of the plurality of discrete voltages to a power amplifier. In a plan view in a thickness direction of the first board, the tracker module and the power inductor face each other in a first direction and face a second direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first board. The second direction is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first board and the first direction. In another exemplary aspect, a radio frequency system of the present disclosure is provided that includes the power supply system and a power amplifier. The power amplifier is connected to the tracker module. In another exemplary aspect, a communication device of the present disclosure is provided that includes the radio frequency system and a signal processing circuit. The signal processing circuit is connected to the radio frequency system. In yet another exemplary aspect, a tracker module is provided that includes a module laminate and at least one IC chip. The at least one IC chip is disposed at the module laminate. The at least one IC chip includes at least one switch included in a pre-regulator circuit, at least one switch included in a switched-capacitor circuit, and at least one switch