Multi-mode multi-band self-realigning power amplifier

• US 10,355,722 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera AVX Components San Diego Inc (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ethertronics, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Desclos, Laurent, Dupuy, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Rui M
• Application Number:
  US14/953,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 4551271-1275, 4555521, 4555531, 455125
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0277 Selecting one or more amplifiers from a plurality of amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/565 using inductive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/318 A matching circuit being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/378 A variable capacitor being added in the output circuit, e.g. collector, drain, of an amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/408 the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising three power stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/423 Amplifier output adaptation especially for transmission line coupling purposes, e.g. impedance adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/543 A transmission line being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/006 using switches for selecting the desired band H04B1/0057 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A power amplifier (PA) system is provided for multi-mode multi-band operations. The PA system includes one or more amplifying modules, each amplifying module including one or more banks, each bank comprising one or more transistors; and a plurality of matching modules, each matching module being configured to be adjusted to provide impedances corresponding to frequency bands and conditions. A controller dynamically controls an input terminal of each bank and adjusts the matching modules to provide a signal path to meet specifications on properties associated with signals during each time interval.

Claims

1. A transmit (Tx) system configured to operate for a plurality of modes and for a plurality of frequency bands, comprising:

a plurality of input ports for inputting signals;

a plurality of Tx modules coupled to the plurality of input ports, respectively, each of the plurality of Tx modules comprising a PA system and a filter system; and

a controller coupled to each of the PA systems and filter systems of the plurality of Tx modules;

wherein the controller is configured to receive information associated with a change in condition and to control each PA system and a filter system of each of the plurality of Tx modules based at least in part on a frequency band selected from the plurality of frequency bands, a mode selected from the plurality of modes and information associated with the change in condition during a time interval, wherein the controller controls each of the plurality of Tx modules variably with time as the information varies during each time interval;

wherein each PA system comprises a plurality of amplifying modules and a plurality of matching modules, the plurality of amplifying modules and the plurality of matching modules being alternatively coupled in series, each of the plurality of amplifying modules comprising a plurality of banks, each of the plurality of banks comprising one or more transistors, wherein the controller is configured to control each PA system by controlling a signal path through the plurality of amplifying modules and the plurality of matching modules by selecting one bank of the plurality of banks in each of the amplifying modules as part of the signal path;

wherein a first bank of the plurality of banks of one of the plurality of amplifying modules comprises a first number of transistors and a second bank of the plurality of banks of the one of the plurality of amplifying modules comprises a second number of transistors, the second number of transistors being different from the first number of transistors.

2. The Tx system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of antennas coupled to the plurality of Tx modules, respectively, for transmitting out the signals, each of the plurality of antennas coupled to the controller.

3. The Tx system of claim 2, wherein a change in condition affects one of the plurality of antennas.

4. The Tx system of claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of antennas are tunable antennas that are configured to be controlled by the controller.

5. The Tx system of claim 2, wherein the change in condition is caused by a head, a hand, a metal object or other interference-causing objects placed in the proximity of one of the plurality of antennas.

6. The Tx system of claim 2, wherein the change in condition is caused by a head, a hand, a metal object or other interference-causing objects-placed in the proximity of the antenna.

7. The Tx system of claim 1, further comprising an antenna coupled to the plurality of Tx modules and to the controller.

8. The Tx system of claim 7, wherein the antenna is a tunable antenna that is configured to be controlled by the controller.

9. The Tx system of claim 1, wherein the change in condition comprises a change in distance to a base station, and based on the information the controller is configured to control each of the plurality of Tx modules to have less output power than nominal output power when the distance is shorter than a nominal distance and more output power than the nominal output power when the distance is longer than the nominal distance.

10. The Tx system of claim 1, wherein the change in condition causes a shift in frequency, and based on the information the controller is configured to controls each of the Tx modules to provide the frequency band during the time interval.

11. The Tx system of claim 1, wherein the change in condition causes a shift in impedance, and based on the information the controller is configured to control each of the Tx modules to provide an impedance corresponding to the frequency band and the change in condition during the time interval.

12. The Tx system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Tx modules comprise a first Tx module for processing voice signals and a second Tx module for processing data signals during the time interval.