| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20110298280 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VARIABLE VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION - Apparatus and methods for providing regulated voltages are disclosed. Using a single voltage regulator, a plurality of regulated voltages can be generated with a voltage distribution function. In addition, variable voltage control elements can be used to adjust a regulated voltage, thereby providing a variable regulated voltage. Together, voltage distribution and variable voltage control can create variable voltage distribution of regulated voltages. These regulated voltages can be used in a variety of applications, for example, as a bias voltage for a power amplifier. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298435 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION - Apparatus and methods for providing regulated voltages are disclosed. Using a single voltage regulator, a plurality of regulated voltages can be generated with a voltage distribution function. These regulated voltages can be used in a variety of applications, for example, as a bias voltage for a power amplifier. In addition, the distributed regulated voltages can implement a variety of functions, such as selectively enabling or disabling power amplifiers. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298444 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DIFFUSION SENSING - Apparatuses and methods for diffusion sensing are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) switch and a switch sense block. The switch includes a gate, a drain, a source, and a well. The source and drain are formed in the well. The gate is formed adjacent the well between the source and drain, and the source is configured to receive a bias voltage from a power amplifier. The switch sense block is configured to measure a signal indicative of the voltage of at least one of the source or drain voltage of the switch and to generate an output signal based on the measurement. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298523 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WELL BUFFERING - Apparatuses and methods for well buffering are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) switch having a gate, a drain, a source, and a well. The source and drain are formed in the well, and the gate is formed adjacent the well between the source and drain. The source is configured to receive a bias voltage from a power amplifier. The apparatus further includes a gate bias control block for biasing the gate voltage of the switch, a well bias control block for biasing the well voltage of the switch, and a buffer circuit for increasing the impedance between the well bias control block and the well of the switch. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298526 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISABLING WELL BIAS - Apparatuses and methods for disabling well bias are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) switch having a gate, a drain, a source, and a well. The source and drain are formed in the well. The gate is formed adjacent the well between the source and drain, and the source is configured to receive a bias voltage from a power amplifier. The apparatus further includes a well bias control block for biasing the well voltage of the first switch and a disable circuit for disabling the well bias control block so as to prevent the well bias control block from biasing the well. The well bias control block can bias the well voltage of the first switch to at least two voltage levels. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298537 | VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION FOR CONTROLLING CMOS RF SWITCH - Disclosed are voltage distribution device and method for controlling CMOS-based devices for switching radio frequency (RF) signals. In certain RF devices such as mobile phones, providing different amplification modes can yield performance advantages. For example, a capability to transmit at low and high power modes typically results in an extended battery life, since the high power mode can be activated only when needed. Switching between such amplification modes can be facilitated by one or more switches formed in an integrated circuit and configured to route RF signal to different amplification paths. In certain embodiments, such RF switches can be formed as CMOS devices, and can be based on triple-well structures. In certain embodiments, various bias voltages applied to such a CMOS RF switch can be facilitated by a voltage distribution component. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298559 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DIRECTIONAL COUPLING - Apparatuses and methods for directional coupling are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a directional coupler, a termination impedance, a switch, and a control block. The directional coupler includes a power input terminal, a power output terminal, a couple terminal and a terminate terminal. The power input terminal can receive a radio frequency signal from a power amplifier, and the power output terminal can be electrically connected to a load. The switch has an ON state and an OFF state, and includes an input electrically connected to the terminate terminal and an output electrically connected to the termination impedance. The switch is configured to provide a relatively low impedance path between the input and the output when in the ON state and to provide a relatively high impedance path between the input and the output when in the OFF state. The control block can set the state of the switch. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110300898 | HIGH LINEARITY CMOS RF SWITCH PASSING LARGE SIGNAL AND QUIESCENT POWER AMPLIFIER CURRENT - Disclosed are high linearity CMOS-based devices capable of passing large signal and quiescent power amplifier current for switching radio frequency (RF) signals, and methods for biasing such devices. In certain RF devices such as mobile phones, providing different amplification modes can yield performance advantages. For example, a capability to transmit at low and high power modes typically results in an extended battery life, since the high power mode can be activated only when needed. Switching between such amplification modes can be facilitated by one or more switches formed in an integrated circuit and configured to route RF signal to different amplification paths. In certain embodiments, such RF switches can be formed as CMOS devices, and can be based on triple-well structures. In certain embodiments, a bias voltage applied to an isolated well of such a triple-well structure can be substantially tied to a source voltage coupled to source and drain, so as to yield desired performance features such as high amplification linearity even when the source voltage changes. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110300899 | CMOS RF SWITCH DEVICE AND METHOD FOR BIASING THE SAME - Disclosed are CMOS-based devices for switching radio frequency (RF) signals and methods for biasing such devices. In certain RF devices such as mobile phones, providing different amplification modes can yield performance advantages. For example, a capability to transmit at low and high power modes typically results in an extended battery life, since the high power mode can be activated only when needed. Switching between such amplification modes can be facilitated by one or more switches formed in an integrated circuit and configured to route RF signal to different amplification paths. In certain embodiments, such RF switches can be formed as CMOS devices, and can be based on triple-well structures. In certain embodiments, an isolated well of such a triple-well structure can be provided with different bias voltages for on and off states of the switch to yield desired performance features during switching of amplification modes. | 12-08-2011 |
