IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,160,377
Granted Patent B2
US 9,160,377 · App. 13/720,851 · Granted Oct 13, 2015

Multi-mode multi-band power amplifiers

Inventors: Chang-Ho Lee (San Diego, CA); Woonyun Kim (San Diego, CA); Minsik Ahn (San Diego, CA); Jeongwon Cha (San Diego, CA); Yunseo Park (San Diego, CA); Aristotele Hadjichristos (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04B1/0458H03F1/0277H03F3/72H04B1/0483H03F2203/7239H03H7/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,160,377
App. No.
13/720,851
Granted
Oct 13, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to an amplifier module which may comprise a transmit path including a first amplifier and a second amplifier. The exemplary amplifier module may further include a transformer coupled between the first amplifier and the second amplifier and switchably configured for coupling the first amplifier in series with the second amplifier in a first mode and coupling the first amplifier to bypass the second amplifier in a second mode.

Claims (36)

1. An amplifier module, comprising:

a transmit path including a first amplifier and a second amplifier; and

a transformer coupled between the first amplifier and the second amplifier and switchably configured to double-endedly couple the first amplifier in series with the second amplifier in a first mode and to single-endedly couple the first amplifier to bypass the second amplifier through at least a portion of the transformer in a second mode.

2. The amplifier module of claim 1 , further comprising another transmit path including a third amplifier for operating in a third mode.

3. The amplifier module of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first switch to couple either the transmit path or the another transmit path to one of a first band port and a second band port; and

a second switch to couple either the transmit path or the another transmit path to one of a third band port and a fourth band port.

4. The amplifier module of claim 2 , the first mode comprising a high-power mode, the second mode comprising a medium-power mode, and the third mode comprising a low-power mode.

5. The amplifier module of claim 1 , the transmit path including:

a second transformer to receive a single-ended input signal and to convey a double-ended output signal to the first amplifier.

6. The amplifier module of claim 5 , further including a third transformer to receive a double-ended input signal conveyed from the second amplifier and to convey a single-ended signal to an output.

7. The amplifier module of claim 1 , the transformer to receive an output signal and switchably configured to either convey a double-ended signal to the second amplifier in the first mode or to convey a single-ended signal to bypass the second amplifier in the second mode.

8. The amplifier module of claim 1 , the first mode comprising a high-power mode and the second mode comprising a medium-power mode.

9. The amplifier module of claim 1 , further comprising a first switch to couple to an output of either the first amplifier of the second amplifier and to select either a first band or a second band and a second, different switch to couple to an output of either the first amplifier of the second amplifier and to select either a third band or a fourth band.

10. A method, comprising:

amplifying a signal with at least one amplifier through at least a portion of a transformer in each one of a plurality of operating modes, the transformer double-endedly coupling a first amplifier in series with a second amplifier in a first operating mode and the transformer single-endedly coupling the first amplifier to bypass the second amplifier through at least a portion of the transformer in a second operating mode; and

conveying the amplified signal to a first output path if one of a first plurality of band ports is selected; and

conveying the amplified signal to a second output path if one of a second plurality of band ports is selected.

11. The method of claim 10 , the amplifying comprising:

amplifying the signal with the first amplifier and the second amplifier in the first operating mode;

amplifying the signal with the first amplifier in the second operating mode; and

amplifying the signal with a third amplifier in a third operating mode.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising switchably configuring the transformer to convey a signal output from the first amplifier to the second amplifier in the first operating mode.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising switchably configuring the transformer to convey a signal output from the first amplifier to one of the first output path and the second output path in the second operating mode.

14. The method of claim 10 , the amplifying comprising amplifying the signal in one of a high-power mode, a medium power mode, and a low-power mode.

15. The method of claim 10 , the amplifying comprising:

converting a single-ended signal to a double-ended signal at the transformer; and

converting an amplified double-ended signal to a single-ended signal at another transformer.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising outputting the signal via one of a plurality of switches based on a selected band.

17. The method of claim 16 , the outputting comprising one of outputting the signal via a first switch if one of a first band and a second band is selected and outputting the signal via a second switch if one of a third band and a fourth band is selected.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing impedance matching from an output of a driver amplifier to an input of a power amplifier in a high-power mode.

19. The method of claim 10 , tuning a capacitor to provide at least one of interstage matching and output matching for the at least one amplifier.

20. A device, comprising:

means for amplifying a signal with at least one amplifier through at least a portion of a transformer in each of a plurality of operating modes, the transformer double-endedly coupling a first amplifier in series with a second amplifier in a first operating mode and the transformer single-endedly coupling the first amplifier to bypass the second amplifier through at least a portion of the transformer in a second operating mode; and

means for conveying the amplified signal to a first output path if one of a first plurality of band ports is selected; and

means for conveying the amplified signal to a second output path if one of a second plurality of band ports is selected.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2013
From: LEE, CHANG-HO; KIM, WOONYUN; AHN, MINSIK; CHA, JEONGWON; PARK, YUNSEO; HADJICHRISTOS, ARISTOTELE
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 031762/0842 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150050901A1 · Feb 19, 2015