Electromagnetic wave transmitter systems, methods and articles of manufacture

• US 20040247040A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Yongwen, Bengtson, David, Dennis, Anthony, Ahmed, Walid, Husseini, Radwan
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/361 Modulation using a single or unspecified number of carriers, e.g. with separate stages of phase and amplitude modulation

Abstract

A transmitter comprises a baseband processor, a wideband phase modulator and an amplitude modulated amplifier. A signal is provided through the baseband processor and is converted into polar coordinates, comprised of amplitude and phase components, with the amplitude component being transmitted to the amplitude modulated amplifier. The amplitude modulated amplifier being comprised of independently controllable current sources, and with the phase component being transmitted to the wideband phase modulator, for modulation upon a carrier wave, and subsequent transmission to the amplitude modulated amplifier for amplification according to control imposed by the amplitude component upon the current sources.

Claims

1. A transmitter comprising:

a baseband processor;

a wideband phase modulator; and

,

an amplitude modulated amplifier;

wherein when a signal is provided through said baseband processor, said signal is translated into polar coordinates, comprised of amplitude and phase components, with said amplitude component being transmitted to said amplitude modulated amplifier, comprised of independently controllable current sources, and with said phase component being transmitted to said wideband phase modulator, for modulation upon a carrier wave and subsequent transmission to said amplitude modulated amplifier for amplification according to control imposed by said amplitude component upon said current sources.

2. A transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said baseband processor comprises:

a pulse processing component for shaping the signal; and

,

a polar processing component for translating the signal into polar coordinates comprising amplitude and phase components.

3. A transmitter according to claim 2, further comprising a second baseband processor, which provides said signal to said baseband processor.

4. A transmitter according to claim 2, wherein said pulse processing component comprises at least one filter.

5. A transmitter according to claim 4, wherein said at least one filter comprises a plurality of FIR filters.

6. A transmitter according to claim 2, wherein said polar processing component translates the signal into polar coordinates comprising amplitude and phase components via a CORDIC algorithm.

7. A transmitter according to claim 2 further comprising:

an amplitude correction component;

a synchronization adjustment component for maintaining synchronization of the amplitude component with the phase component of the signal;

a segmentation component for converting the amplitude component of the signal into a plurality of digital pulses;

a spectral shaping component for receiving the plurality of digital pulses from the segmentation component for spectral shaping; and

a segment driver bank receiving the plurality of digital pulses from the spectral shaping component for amplification of the amplitude component of the signal.

8. A transmitter according to claim 2 further comprising:

a phase correction component;

a dθ

/dt component for translating data from the phase component into a derivative of a phase or frequency representation;

a data scaling processor for scaling the gain of the phase component;

an adaptive phase realigment component for calibrating said phase component;

a phase-frequency detector for modulating discrepancies identified in the calibration of the phase component;

a control logic and memory component for establishing a desired frequency; and

a channel calculation component receiving the desired frequency from the control logic and memory component for determining a center frequency about which a given signal is to be modulated.

9. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the channel calculation component outputs a number that comprises an integer part and a fractional part, the fractional part passing through the data scaling processor for scaling gain;

wherein the transmitter further comprises a combiner for receiving the fractional part from the data scaling processor and a phase signal output from the phase-frequency detector.

10. A transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the wideband phase modulator comprises:

a sigma delta modulator for generating phase component information;

a divider, receiving a feedback carrier signal and the phase component information from the sigma delta modulator, for dithering the divider between a range of divider values, to modulate the phase component information onto the feedback carrier signal;

a phase-frequency detector for receiving and comparing the modulated feedback carrier signal from the divider with a reference signal from a reference source to generate a comparison result;

a low-pass loop filter receiving the comparison result and generating a filtered output;

an equalizer for modulation compensation of the signal; and

,

a voltage control oscillator for generating a phase-modulated carrier wave in response to the filtered output from the low-pass loop filter, wherein the phase-modulated carrier wave further comprises the feedback carrier signal received by the divider.

11. A transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the wideband phase modulator comprises:

a sigma delta modulator receiving the phase component of the signal and generating a modulated phase component signal;

a combiner receiving the modulated phase component information from the sigma delta modulator and an integer portion generated by a channel calculation component, and generating a combined output signal;

a divider receiving the combined output signal for dithering the divider between a range of divider values, to modulate the combined output signal onto a feedback carrier signal;

a phase-frequency detector for receiving and comparing the relative phases of the modulated feedback carrier signal from the divider with a reference signal from a reference source to generate a comparison result;

a low-pass loop filter receiving the comparison result and generating a filtered output; and

a carrier wave oscillator responsive to the filtered output for generating a phase-modulated carrier wave, wherein the phase-modulated carrier wave further comprises the feedback carrier signal received by the divider.

12. A transmitter according to claim 11, wherein the sigma delta modulator receives a fractional portion generated by the channel calculation component combined with the phase component of the signal.

13. A transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a power control interface for providing one or more power control signals to said baseband processor.

14. A transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a power control interface for providing one or more power control signals to said wideband phase modulator.

15. A transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a power control interface for providing one or more power control signals to said amplitude modulated amplifier.

16. A transmitter according to claim 1, further comprising a power management module for managing power within said transmitter.

17. A method of signal transmission comprising:

processing a signal thorugh translation into polar coordinates, comprised of amplitude and phase components, via a baseband processor;

transmitting said amplitude component to a amplitude modulated amplifier, comprised of independently controllable current sources;

transmitting said phase component to a wideband phase modulator, for modulation upon a carrier wave, and, subsequent transmission to said amplitude modulated amplifier for amplification according to control imposed by said amplitude component upon said current sources.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said baseband processor comprises a pulse processing component for shaping the signal;

and, a polar processing component for translating the signal into polar coordinates comprising amplitude and phase components.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing, via a second baseband processor, said signal to said baseband processor.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein said pulse processing component comprises at least one filter.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said at least one filter comprises a plurality of FIR filters.

22. A method according to claim 17 wherein said processing a signal thorugh translation into polar coordinates, comprised of amplitude and phase components, further comprises processing a signal thorugh translation into polar coordinates, comprised of amplitude and phase components, through a CORDIC algorithm.

23. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of processing said signal further comprises:

providing correction in the amplitude component of the signal;

maintaining synchronization of the amplitude component with the phase component of the signal;

converting the amplitude component of the signal into a plurality of digital pulses;

shaping of the plurality of digital pulses; and

generating the plurality of digital pulses.

24. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of processing said signal further comprises:

providing correction of the phase component;

translating data from the phase component into a derivative of a phase or frequency representation;

scaling the gain of the phase component;

calibrating said phase component;

modulating discrepancies identified in the calibration of the phase component;

establishing a desired frequency; and

determining a center frequency about which a given signal is to be modulated in response to the desired frequency.

25. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of processing the signal further comprises:

generating phase component information;

dithering a divider between a range of divider values, to modulate the phase component information onto a feedback carrier signal;

comparing the modulated feedback carrier signal with a reference signal to generate a comparison result; and

generating a phase-modulated carrier wave in response to the comparison result, wherein the phase-modulated carrier wave further comprises the feedback carrier signal.

26. A method according to claim 17, wherein the step of processing the signal further comprises:

receiving the phase component of the signal and generating a modulated phase component signal;

combining the modulated phase component information and an integer portion generated by a channel calculation component, and generating a combined output signal;

receiving the combined output signal for dithering a divider between a range of divider values, to modulate the combined output signal onto a feedback carrier signal;

comparing the relative phases of the modulated feedback carrier signal with a reference signal to generate a comparison result; and

generating a phase-modulated carrier wave in response to the comparison result, wherein the phase-modulated carrier signal further comprises the feedback carrier signal.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of receiving the phase component of the signal and generating a modulated phase component signal further comprises receiving and combining a fractional portion generated by the channel calculation component with the phase component of the signal.

28. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing one or more power control signals to said baseband processor.

29. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing one or more power control signals to said wideband phase modulator.

30. A method according to claim 17, further comprising providing one or more power control signals to said amplitude modulated amplifier.

31. A method according to claim 17, further comprising generating one or more power control signals to one or more segments of said amplitude modulated amplifier.

32. A method according to claim 17, further comprising managing power within said transmitter.