WO2025235136A1

WO2025235136A1 - Power management circuit supporting fast voltage change

Info

Publication number: WO2025235136A1
Application number: PCT/US2025/023785
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nadim Khlat; Michael R. Kay; Daniel E. Brueske
Original assignee: Qorvo US Inc
Current assignee: Qorvo US Inc
Priority date: 2024-05-07
Filing date: 2025-04-09
Publication date: 2025-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-07
Also published as: TW202548473A

Abstract

A power management circuit supporting fast voltage change is provided. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit configured to generate a voltage based on a target voltage. However, the primary voltage circuit may be inherently slow in changing (increasing or decreasing) the voltage to the target voltage. As such, a voltage pullup circuit and a voltage pulldown circuit are provided in the power management circuit to help accelerate the voltage change in both up and down directions. By accelerating the voltage change using the voltage pullup circuit and the voltage pulldown circuit, the power management circuit is capable of supporting dynamic power control under a stringent switching delay budget (e.g., 0.5 μs).

Description

POWER MANAGEMENT CIRCUIT SUPPORTING FAST VOLTAGE CHANGE

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial number 63/643,555, filed on May 7, 2024, and U.S. provisional patent application serial number 63/678,586, filed on August 2, 2024, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Field of the Disclosure

[0002] The technology of the disclosure relates generally to supporting fast voltage change (increase and decrease) in a power management circuit.

Background

[0003] Nowadays, a wireless communication device capable of supporting an advanced wireless communication technology, such as fifth-generation (5G) and 5G new radio (5G-NR), is expected to achieve higher data rates, improved coverage range, enhanced signaling efficiency, and reduced latency across a wide range of radio frequency (RF) bands, which include a low-band (below 1 GHz), a mid-band (1 GHz to 6 GHz), and a high-band (above 24 GHz). In addition, the wireless communication device is also required to support local area networking technologies, such as Wi-Fi, in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The latest 802.11 ax standard has introduced a dynamic power control feature that allows the wireless communication device to transmit a Wi-Fi signal with a maximum power ranging from -10 dBm to 23 dBm. Accordingly, a Wi-Fi power amplifier(s) in the wireless communication device must be able to adapt a power level of the Wi-Fi signal on a per-frame basis. As a result, a power management circuit must be able to adapt a voltage supplied to the Wi-Fi power amplifier(s) within Wi-Fi inter-frame spacing (IFS) to help maintain linearity and efficiency of the Wi-Fi power amplifier(s). [0004] Notably, the Wi-Fi IFS may only last sixteen microseconds (16 ^s). Depending on specific configurations of the Wi-Fi system, such as bandwidth mode, trigger frame format, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and delays associated with Wi-Fi physical layer (PHY) and communication buses, the actual temporal limit for the power management circuit to adapt the voltage may be as short as one-half of a microsecond (0.5 jtzs). In this regard, it is desirable for the power management circuit to adapt the voltage from one level to another within a defined temporal limit (e.g., 0.5 is).

[0005] Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a power management circuit supporting fast voltage change. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit configured to generate a voltage based on a target voltage. However, the primary voltage circuit may be inherently slow in changing (increasing or decreasing) the voltage to the target voltage. As such, a voltage pullup circuit and a voltage pulldown circuit are provided in the power management circuit to help accelerate the voltage change in both up and down directions. By accelerating the voltage change using the voltage pullup circuit and the voltage pulldown circuit, the power management circuit is capable of supporting dynamic power control under a stringent switching delay budget (e.g., 0.5 [is).

[0006] In one aspect, a power management circuit is provided. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit. The primary voltage circuit is configured to generate a voltage at a voltage output based on a battery voltage. The power management circuit also includes a voltage pullup circuit. The voltage pullup circuit is configured to accelerate an increase of the voltage at the voltage output. The power management circuit also includes a voltage pulldown circuit. The voltage pulldown circuit is configured to accelerate a decrease of the voltage at the voltage output. The power management circuit also includes a multi-function control circuit. The multi-function control circuit is configured to receive a target voltage indicating a change of the voltage at the voltage output. The multi-function control circuit is also configured to control the primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage. The multifunction control circuit is also configured to activate the voltage pu Hup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates an increase of the voltage. The multi-function control circuit is also configured to activate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates a decrease of the voltage.

[0007] In another aspect, a wireless device is provided. The wireless device includes a power management circuit. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit. The primary voltage circuit is configured to generate a voltage at a voltage output based on a battery voltage. The power management circuit also includes a voltage pu Hup circuit. The voltage pu Hup circuit is configured to accelerate an increase of the voltage at the voltage output. The power management circuit also includes a voltage pulldown circuit. The voltage pulldown circuit is configured to accelerate a decrease of the voltage at the voltage output. The power management circuit also includes a multi-function control circuit. The multi-function control circuit is configured to receive a target voltage indicating a change of the voltage at the voltage output. The multifunction control circuit is also configured to control the primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage. The multi-function control circuit is also configured to activate the voltage pullup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates an increase of the voltage. The multi-function control circuit is also configured to activate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates a decrease of the voltage.

[0008] In another aspect, a method for supporting fast voltage change in a power management circuit is provided. The method includes receiving a target voltage indicating a change of a voltage at a voltage output. The method also includes controlling a primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage. The method also includes activating a voltage pullup circuit to accelerate an increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the voltage is going to increase. The method also includes activating a voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate a decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the voltage is going to decrease.

[0009] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

[0010] The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit configured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to support fast voltage change (increase and decrease);

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit configured according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit configured according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of exemplary multi-function control circuits configured according to various embodiments and can be provided in the power management circuits of Figures 1 and 2 to enable the fast voltage change;

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication device wherein the power management circuits of Figures 1 -3 can be provided; and

[0016] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary process whereby the power management circuits of Figures 1 -3 can be configured to support the fast voltage change. Detailed Description

[0017] The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.

[0018] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. [0019] It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being "on" or extending "onto" another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or extending "directly onto" another element, there are no intervening elements present. Likewise, it will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region, or substrate is referred to as being "over" or extending "over" another element, it can be directly over or extend directly over the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly over" or extending "directly over" another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

[0020] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.

[0021] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," and/or "including" when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0023] Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a power management circuit supporting fast voltage change. The power management circuit includes a primary voltage circuit configured to generate a voltage based on a target voltage. However, the primary voltage circuit may be inherently slow in changing (increasing or decreasing) the voltage to the target voltage. As such, a voltage pullup circuit and a voltage pulldown circuit are provided in the power management circuit to help accelerate the voltage change in both up and down directions. By accelerating the voltage change using the voltage pullup circuit and the voltage pulldown circuit, the power management circuit is capable of supporting dynamic power control under a stringent switching delay budget (e.g., 0.5 js).

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit 10A configured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure to support fast voltage change (increase and decrease). The power management circuit 10A includes a primary voltage circuit 12. The primary voltage circuit 12 is coupled to a voltage output 14 and configured to generate a voltage Vcc, such as an average power tracking (APT) or an envelope tracking (ET) voltage, at the voltage output 14 based on a battery voltage VBAT. In a non-limiting example, the primary voltage circuit 12 includes a multi-level charge pump 16 and an inductorcapacitor (LC) circuit 18, which is coupled between the multi-level charge pump 16 and the voltage output 14.

[0025] The multi-level charge pump 16 is configured to generate a low- frequency voltage VDC (e.g., a constant voltage) at multiple levels based on a selected duty cycle. For example, the multi-level charge pump 16 can be configured to generate the low-frequency voltage VDC at zero volt (0 V) and four volts (4 V) based on a 25%-75% duty cycle. As a result, the multi-level charge pump 16 would generate an average of the low-frequency voltage VDC that equals three volts (3 V).

[0026] The LC circuit 18, which includes a power inductor 20 and a bypass capacitor 22, functions as a low-pass filter to output an average of the multiple levels of the low-frequency voltage VDC as the voltage Vcc. Specifically, the power inductor 20 induces a respective low-frequency current IDC (e.g., a constant current) based on each of the multiple levels of the low-frequency voltage VDC to charge the bypass capacitor 22. As a result, the LC circuit 18 outputs the voltage Vcc that equals the average of the multiple levels of the low- frequency voltage VDC.

[0027] In a non-limiting example, the power inductor 20 can have an inductance of 1 /zH and the bypass capacitor 22 can have a capacitance of 2.2 /zF. In this regard, the LC circuit 18 will have a resonance frequency of approximately 107 KHz. Accordingly, the LC circuit 18 may take 2.5 to 3 microseconds (/zs) to change the voltage Vcc from one level to another. However, as discussed earlier, to employ the power management circuit 10 to support dynamic power control in, for example 802.1 1 ax, the power management circuit 10 must be able to change the voltage Vcc under a stringent switching delay budget (e.g., 0.5 /zs). Clearly, the primary voltage circuit 12 alone would not be able to satisfy the stringent switching delay budget.

[0028] As such, the power management circuit 10 is further configured to include a voltage pullup circuit 24 to help accelerate an increase of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14 and a voltage pulldown circuit 26 to help accelerate a decrease of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14. By utilizing the voltage pullup circuit 24 to quickly drive up the voltage Vcc or the voltage pulldown circuit 26 to quickly drive down the voltage Vcc, the power management circuit 10 will be capable of supporting dynamic power control under the stringent switching delay budget (e.g., 0.5 /zs).

[0029] Specifically, when the power management circuit 10A receives a target voltage VTGT that indicates the voltage Vcc will increase, the voltage pullup circuit 24 is activated to help drive the voltage Vcc up to a pullup target VTGT-UP by a defined temporal limit (e.g., 0.5 ^s). In a non-limiting example, the pullup target VTGT-UP can be approximately 12 mV below the target voltage VTGT. Once the voltage Vcc reaches the pullup target VTGT-UP, the voltage pullup circuit 24 will automatically shut off, while the primary voltage circuit 12 continues to drive the voltage Vcc up to the target voltage VTGT.

[0030] In contrast, when the power management circuit 10A receives the target voltage VTGT that indicates the voltage Vcc will decrease, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 is activated to help drive the voltage Vcc down to a pulldown target VTGT -DN by the defined temporal limit (e.g., 0.5 /zs). In a non-limiting example, the pulldown target VTGT-DN can be approximately 12 mV above the target voltage VTGT. Once the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 will automatically shut off, while the primary voltage circuit 12 continues to drive the voltage Vcc down to the target voltage VTGT.

[0031] In an embodiment, the voltage pullup circuit 24 is coupled between the voltage output 14 and the MCP 16. In a non-limiting example, the voltage pullup circuit 24 can include at least a p-type field-effect transistor (PFET) that can be turned on and off like a switch. In an embodiment, as illustrated herein, the PFET may be coupled in series with a diode 25. When the voltage pullup circuit 24 is activated, the voltage pullup circuit 24 is configured to receive a supply voltage VSUP that is higher than the battery voltage VBAT. In a non-limiting example, the supply voltage VSUP can be substantially equal to two times the battery voltage VBAT (e.g., VSUP = 2XVBAT ± 0.1 V). Based on the supply voltage VSUP, the voltage pullup circuit 24 acts as a current source to provide a pullup current IUP to help drive the voltage Vcc toward the pullup target VTGT-UP by the defined temporal limit.

[0032] The voltage pullup circuit 24 can be configured to automatically turn itself off as soon as the voltage Vcc reaches the pullup target VTGT-UP- In the meantime, the primary voltage circuit 12 remains active to continue driving the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14 toward the target voltage VTGT. In this regard, the primary voltage circuit 12 and the voltage pullup circuit 24 can collectively cause the power management circuit 10 to increase the voltage Vcc by the defined temporal limit. For a detailed discussion as to how the primary voltage circuit 12 can operate to generate the voltage Vcc and the supply voltage VSUP, please refer to U.S. Patent Number 11 ,579,646 B2, entitled “POWER MANAGEMENT CIRCUIT FOR FAST AVERAGE POWER TRACKING VOLTAGE SWITCHING.”

[0033] In an embodiment, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 is coupled between the voltage output 14 and a ground (GND). Herein, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 can be further coupled to an offset capacitor COFF that is also coupled to the voltage output 14. In a non-limiting example, the voltage pullup circuit 24 can include at least an n-type field-effect transistor (NFET) that can be turned on and off like a switch. When the voltage pulldown circuit 26 is activated, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 acts as a current sink to sink a pulldown current IDN to help drive the voltage Vcc toward the pulldown target VTGT-D by the defined temporal limit.

[0034] The voltage pulldown circuit 26 can be configured to automatically turn itself off as soon as the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN. In the meantime, the primary voltage circuit 12 remains active to continue driving the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14 toward the target voltage VTGT. In this regard, the primary voltage circuit 12 and the voltage pulldown circuit 26 can collectively cause the power management circuit 10 to decrease the voltage Vcc by the defined temporal limit.

[0035] As mentioned above, the voltage pullup circuit 24 can only serve as the current source, whereas the voltage pulldown circuit 26 can only serve as the current sink. As such, the voltage pullup circuit 24 can only be activated to source the pullup current IUP when the voltage Vcc is set to increase, and the voltage pulldown circuit 26 can only be activated to sink the pulldown current IDN when the voltage Vcc is set to decrease. In other words, the voltage pullup circuit 24 must be deactivated and remain inactive when the voltage Vcc is set to decrease, and the voltage pulldown circuit 26 must be deactivated and remain inactive when the voltage Vcc is set to increase. As for the primary voltage circuit 12, it is necessary for the primary voltage circuit 12 to remain active all the time, regardless of whether the voltage Vcc is set to increase or decrease.

[0036] In this regard, to help coordinate the primary voltage circuit 12, the voltage pullup circuit 24, and the voltage pulldown circuit 26, a multi-function control circuit 28 is provided in the power management circuit 10A. The multifunction control circuit 28, which can be a field-programable gate array (FPGA), as an example, receives the target voltage VTGT that indicates a change (increase or decrease) of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14. The multifunction control circuit 28 also receives a feedback voltage VCCFB that indicates an instantaneous level of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14. Accordingly, the multi-function control circuit 28 can control the primary voltage circuit 12 to drive the voltage Vcc toward the target voltage VTGT. When the voltage Vcc is set to increase, the multi-function control circuit 28 will activate the voltage pullup circuit 24 to accelerate the increase of the voltage Vcc toward the pullup target VTGT-UP. When the voltage Vcc is set to decrease, the multi-function control circuit 28 will activate the voltage pulldown circuit 26 to accelerate the decrease of the voltage Vcc toward the pulldown target VTGT-DN.

[0037] In an embodiment, the multi-function control circuit 28 can generate a first control signal 30 to thereby cause the primary voltage circuit 12 to generate the voltage Vcc. When the voltage Vcc is set to increase, the multi-function control circuit 28 can generate a second control signal 32 to thereby activate the voltage pullup circuit 24. The multi-function control circuit 28 can remove the second control signal 32 to deactivate the voltage pullup circuit 24 when the voltage Vcc reaches the pullup target VTGT-UP. When the voltage Vcc is set to decrease, the multi-function control circuit 28 can generate a third control signal 34 to thereby activate the voltage pulldown circuit 26. The multi-function control circuit 28 can remove the third control signal 34 to deactivate the voltage pulldown circuit 26 when the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN. [0038] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit 10B configured according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Common elements between Figures 1 and 2 are shown therein with common element numbers and will not be re-described herein. Notably, the power management circuit 10B is different from the power management circuit 10A of Figure 1 in that the voltage pulldown circuit 26 is only coupled to the voltage output 14 and the ground (GND).

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary power management circuit 10C configured according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Common elements between Figures 1 and 2 are shown therein with common element numbers and will not be re-described herein.

[0040] Alternative to receiving the supply voltage VSUP from the primary voltage circuit 12, the voltage pullup circuit 24 may be configured to receive the supply voltage VSUP from a voltage source 36. In a non-limiting example, the voltage source 36 can be a micro inductor-based buck-boost (/zLBB) that drives a voltage amplifier 37 in the power management circuit 10C to generate the voltage Vcc based on envelope tracking (ET). In an embodiment, the voltage source 36 can be configured to boost the supply voltage VSUP to any voltage level between the battery voltage VBAT and two-times the battery voltage VBAT (VBAT < VSUP 2XVBAT). Understandably, by reusing the voltage source 36 to provide the supply voltage VSUP to the voltage pullup circuit 24, it is possible to free up the MCP 16 for other tasks.

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram providing an exemplary illustration of the multi-function control circuit 28 configured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Common elements between Figures 1 and 4 are shown therein with common element numbers and will not be re-described herein.

[0042] Herein, the multi-function control circuit 28 includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) loop controller 38, a pullup calculator 40, a pullup error amplifier 42, a pulldown calculator 44, and a pulldown error amplifier 46. The PWM loop controller 38 is configured to generate the first control signal 30 based on the target voltage VTGT that indicates an expected level of the voltage Vcc and the feedback voltage VCCFB that indicates a present level of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14. More specifically, the first control signal 30 sets the duty cycle of the MCP 16 in Figures 1 and 2 for generating the low-frequency voltage VDC.

[0043] The pullup calculator 40 is configured to determine the pullup target VTGT-UP based on the target voltage VTGT and a pullup offset term VOFF-UP (e.g., 12 mV). In an embodiment, the pullup target VTGT-UP is determined by subtracting the pullup offset term VOFF-UP from the target voltage VTGT (VTGT-UP = VTGT - VOFF- UP). The pullup offset term VOFF-UP may be prestored in or dynamically provided to the multi-function control circuit 28.

[0044] The pullup error amplifier 42 is configured to compare the feedback voltage VCCFB against the pullup target VTGT-UP. If the feedback voltage VCCFB is lower than the pullup target VTGT-UP, the pullup error amplifier 42 will generate the second control signal 32 to thereby activate the voltage pullup circuit 24. Otherwise, the pullup error amplifier 42 will remove the second control signal 32 to thereby deactivate the voltage pullup circuit 24. [0045] The pulldown calculator 44 is configured to determine the pulldown target VTGT-DN based on the target voltage VTGT and a pulldown offset term VOFF- DN (e.g., 12 mV). In an embodiment, the pulldown target VTGT-DN is determined by adding the pulldown offset term VOFF-DN to the target voltage VTGT (VTGT-DN = VTGT + VOFF-DN). The pulldown offset term VOFF-D may be prestored in or dynamically provided to the multi-function control circuit 28.

[0046] The pulldown error amplifier 46 is configured to compare the feedback voltage VCCFB against the pulldown target VTGT-DN. If the feedback voltage VCCFB is higher than the pulldown target VTGT-DN, the pulldown error amplifier 46 will generate the third control signal 34 to thereby activate the voltage pulldown circuit 26. Otherwise, the pulldown error amplifier 46 will remove the third control signal 34 to thereby deactivate the voltage pulldown circuit 26.

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram providing an exemplary illustration of the multi-function control circuit 28 configured according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Common elements between Figures 1 and 5 are shown therein with common element numbers and will not be re-described herein. [0048] Herein, the multi-function control circuit 28 includes a PWM loop controller 48, a pullup controller 50, and a pulldown controller 52. The PWM loop controller 48 is configured to generate the first control signal 30 based on the target voltage VTGT that indicates the expected level of the voltage Vcc and the feedback voltage VCCFB that indicates the present level of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14. More specifically, the first control signal 30 sets the duty cycle of the MCP 16 in Figures 1 and 2 for generating the low-frequency voltage VDC. [0049] In an embodiment, the PWM loop controller 48 may be further configured to determine whether to activate/deactivate the voltage pullup circuit 24 or the voltage pulldown circuit 26. Accordingly, the PWM loop controller 48 can generate a control signal 54 to thereby cause the voltage pullup circuit 24 or the voltage pulldown circuit 26 to be activated. The PWM loop controller 48 can remove the control signal 54 to thereby cause the voltage pullup circuit 24 or the voltage pulldown circuit 26 to be deactivated. [0050] The pullup controller 50 can then generate the second control signal 32 in response to receiving the control signal 54 or remove the second control signal 32 when the control signal 54 is removed. Likewise, the pulldown controller 52 can then generate the third control signal 34 in response to receiving the control signal 54 or remove the third control signal 34 when the control signal 54 is removed.

[0051] As mentioned earlier, the voltage pulldown circuit 26 can automatically turn itself off as soon as the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN. However, when the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN, there may be a residual energy buildup as the voltage Vcc transitions from one level to another. In this regard, in an embodiment, the pulldown controller 52 may maintain the third control signal 34 a little longer to thereby keep the voltage pulldown circuit 26 active until the residual energy dissipates below a defined threshold. The pulldown controller 52 may be configured to determine whether the residual energy buildup has dissipated below the defined threshold based on a number of means. In one example, the pulldown controller 52 may measure the residual energy buildup by means of a sensor(s) (not shown). In another example, the pulldown controller 52 may remove the third control signal 34 after a temporal delay from the moment the voltage Vcc reaches the pulldown target VTGT-DN.

[0052] The power management circuit 10A of Figure 1 , the power management circuit 10B of Figure 2, and the power management circuit 10C of Figure 3 can be provided in a communication device (e.g., a wireless device) to support the embodiments described above. In this regard, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary communication device 100 wherein the power management circuit 10A of Figure 1 , the power management circuit 10B of Figure 2, and the power management circuit 10C of Figure 3 can be provided. [0053] Herein, the communication device 100 can be any type of communication devices, such as mobile terminals, smart watches, tablets, computers, navigation devices, access points, base stations (e.g., eNB, gNB, etc.), and any other type of wireless communication devices that support wireless communications, such as cellular, wireless local area network (WLAN), Bluetooth, Ultra-wideband (UWB), and near field communications. The communication device 100 will generally include a control system 102, a baseband processor 104, transmit circuitry 106, receive circuitry 108, antenna switching circuitry 1 10, multiple antennas 112, and user interface circuitry 1 14. In a non-limiting example, the control system 102 can be a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), as an example. In this regard, the control system 102 can include at least a microprocessor(s), an embedded memory circuit(s), and a communication bus interface(s). The receive circuitry 108 receives radio frequency signals via the antennas 112 and through the antenna switching circuitry 1 10 from one or more base stations. A low noise amplifier and a filter cooperate to amplify and remove broadband interference from the received signal for processing. Downconversion and digitization circuitry (not shown) will then downconvert the filtered, received signal to an intermediate or baseband frequency signal, which is then digitized into one or more digital streams using an analog-to-digital converter(s) (ADC).

[0054] The baseband processor 104 processes the digitized received signal to extract the information or data bits conveyed in the received signal. This processing typically comprises demodulation, decoding, and error correction operations, as will be discussed in greater detail below. The baseband processor 104 is generally implemented in one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

[0055] For transmission, the baseband processor 104 receives digitized data, which may represent voice, data, or control information, from the control system 102, which it encodes for transmission. The encoded data is output to the transmit circuitry 106, where a digital-to-analog converter(s) (DAC) converts the digitally encoded data into an analog signal and a modulator modulates the analog signal onto a carrier signal that is at a desired transmit frequency or frequencies. A power amplifier will amplify the modulated carrier signal to a level appropriate for transmission, and deliver the modulated carrier signal to the antennas 1 12 through the antenna switching circuitry 110. The multiple antennas 1 12 and the replicated transmit and receive circuitries 106, 108 may provide spatial diversity. Modulation and processing details will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the power management circuit 10A, the power management circuit 10B, and the power management circuit 10C may be provided between the transmit circuitry 106 and the antenna switching circuitry 1 10. Understandably, the power management circuit 10A, the power management circuit 10B, and the power management circuit 10C may also be provided elsewhere in the communication device 100.

[0057] In an embodiment, it is possible to configure the power management circuit 10A of Figure 1 , the power management circuit 10B of Figure 2, and the power management circuit 10C of Figure 3 to support fast voltage change in accordance with a process. In this regard, Figure 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 200 whereby the power management circuit 10A of Figure 1 , the power management circuit 10B of Figure 2, and the power management circuit 10C of Figure 3 can support fast voltage change.

[0058] Herein, the process 200 includes receiving the target voltage VTGT indicating a change of the voltage Vcc at the voltage output 14 (step 202). The process 200 also includes controlling the primary voltage circuit 12 to drive the voltage Vcc toward the target voltage VTGT (step 204). The process 200 also includes activating the voltage pullup circuit 24 to accelerate an increase of the voltage Vcc when the target voltage VTGT indicates that the voltage Vcc is going to increase (step 206). The process 200 also includes activating the voltage pulldown circuit 26 to accelerate a decrease of the voltage Vcc when the target voltage VTGT indicates that the voltage Vcc is going to decrease (step 208).

[0059] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is:

1 . A power management circuit comprising: a primary voltage circuit configured to generate a voltage at a voltage output based on a battery voltage; a voltage pullup circuit configured to accelerate an increase of the voltage at the voltage output; a voltage pulldown circuit configured to accelerate a decrease of the voltage at the voltage output; and a multi-function control circuit configured to: receive a target voltage indicating a change of the voltage at the voltage output; control the primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage; activate the voltage pullup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates an increase of the voltage; and activate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates a decrease of the voltage.

2. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein the multi-function control circuit is further configured to: deactivate the voltage pullup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the decrease of the voltage; and deactivate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the increase of the voltage.

3. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein: the voltage pullup circuit is further configured to automatically shut off when the voltage reaches a pullup target that is higher than a present level of the voltage but lower than the target voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue increasing the voltage from the pullup target to the target voltage.

4. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein: the voltage pulldown circuit is further configured to automatically shut off when the voltage is reduced to a pulldown target that is lower than a present level of the voltage but higher than the target voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue reducing the voltage from the pulldown target to the target voltage.

5. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein: the voltage pulldown circuit is further configured to be shut off when: the voltage is reduced to a pulldown target that is lower than a present level of the voltage but higher than the target voltage; and a residual energy buildup results during transition of the voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue reducing the voltage from the pulldown target to the target voltage.

6. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage pulldown circuit is coupled to the voltage output, a ground, and an offset capacitor.

7. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage pulldown circuit is coupled directly to the voltage output and a ground.

8. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage pu Hup circuit is coupled to the primary voltage circuit to receive a supply voltage that is equal to two times the battery voltage.

9. The power management circuit of claim 1 , wherein the multi-function control circuit is further configured to: generate a first control signal to thereby cause the primary voltage circuit to generate the voltage; generate a second control signal to thereby activate the voltage pullup circuit when the target voltage indicates the increase of the voltage at the voltage output; and generate a third control signal to thereby activate the voltage pulldown circuit when the target voltage indicates the decrease of the voltage at the voltage output.

10. The power management circuit of claim 9, wherein the multi-function control circuit comprises: a pulse-width modulation (PWM) loop controller configured to generate the first control signal based on the target voltage and a feedback voltage indicating the voltage at the voltage output; a pullup error amplifier configured to: compare the feedback voltage against a pullup target that is lower than the target voltage; generate the second control signal when the feedback voltage is lower than the pullup target; and remove the second control signal when the feedback voltage is equal to the pullup target; and a pulldown error amplifier configured to: compare the feedback voltage against a pulldown target that is higher than the target voltage; generate the third control signal when the feedback voltage is higher than the pu Hup target; and remove the third control signal when the feedback voltage is equal to the pulldown target.

1 1 . The power management circuit of claim 9, wherein the multi-function control circuit comprises: a pulse-width modulation (PWM) loop controller configured to generate the first control signal based on the target voltage and a feedback voltage indicating the voltage at the voltage output; a pullup controller configured to generate the second control signal when the feedback voltage is lower than a pullup target that is lower than the target voltage; and a pulldown controller configured to generate the third control signal when the feedback voltage is higher than a pulldown target that is higher than the target voltage.

12. A wireless device comprising a power management circuit, the power management circuit comprises: a primary voltage circuit configured to generate a voltage at a voltage output based on a battery voltage; a voltage pullup circuit configured to accelerate an increase of the voltage at the voltage output; a voltage pulldown circuit configured to accelerate a decrease of the voltage at the voltage output; and a multi-function control circuit configured to: receive a target voltage indicating a change of the voltage at the voltage output; control the primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage; activate the voltage pu Hup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates an increase of the voltage; and activate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates a decrease of the voltage.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the multi-function control circuit is further configured to: deactivate the voltage pullup circuit to accelerate the increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the decrease of the voltage; and deactivate the voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate the decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the increase of the voltage.

14. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein: the voltage pullup circuit is further configured to automatically shut off when the voltage reaches a pullup target that is higher than a present level of the voltage but lower than the target voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue increasing the voltage from the pullup target to the target voltage.

15. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein: the voltage pulldown circuit is further configured to automatically shut off when the voltage is reduced to a pulldown target that is lower than a present level of the voltage but higher than the target voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue reducing the voltage from the pulldown target to the target voltage.

16. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein: the voltage pulldown circuit is further configured to be shut off when: the voltage is reduced to a pulldown target that is lower than a present level of the voltage but higher than the target voltage; and a residual energy buildup results during transition of the voltage; and the primary voltage circuit is further configured to continue reducing the voltage from the pulldown target to the target voltage.

17. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the voltage pu Hup circuit is coupled to the primary voltage circuit to receive a supply voltage that is equal to two times the battery voltage.

18. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the multi-function control circuit is further configured to: generate a first control signal to thereby cause the primary voltage circuit to generate the voltage; generate a second control signal to thereby activate the voltage pullup circuit when the target voltage indicates the increase of the voltage at the voltage output; and generate a third control signal to thereby activate the voltage pulldown circuit when the target voltage indicates the decrease of the voltage at the voltage output.

19. A method for supporting fast voltage change in a power management circuit comprising: receiving a target voltage indicating a change of a voltage at a voltage output; controlling a primary voltage circuit to drive the voltage toward the target voltage; activating a voltage pullup circuit to accelerate an increase of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the voltage is going to increase; and activating a voltage pulldown circuit to accelerate a decrease of the voltage when the target voltage indicates the voltage is going to decrease.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: automatically shutting off the voltage pullup circuit when the voltage reaches a pullup target that is higher than a present level of the voltage but lower than the target voltage; and automatically shutting off the voltage pulldown circuit when the voltage is reduced to a pulldown target that is lower than the present level of the voltage but higher than the target voltage.