Method and apparatus to match output impedance of combined outphasing power amplifiers

• US 20050073374A1
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Korol, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,030,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/124
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21139 An impedance adaptation circuit being added at the output of a power amplifier stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/28 Impedance matching networks

Abstract

Briefly, an apparatus having a first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter operably coupled to a second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter. The first and second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter may combine a first and second signals of first and second outphasing power amplifiers and may provide a matched output impedance to a desired load.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a combiner having a first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter operably coupled to a second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter to combine first and second signals of first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively, and to provide a matched output impedance to a load.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a first capacitor, a first inductor and a shared capacitor, and wherein the second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a second capacitor, a second inductor and said shared capacitor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the shared capacitor combines the first and second signals of the first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the first capacitor is different from the capacitance of the shared capacitor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second outphasing power amplifiers comprise transistors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transistors are bipolar transistors.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter to filter out a second harmonic of the first and second signals.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a dipole antenna operably coupled to an outphasing transmitter with reactive termination having a combiner that includes a first capacitor-indicator-capacitor impedance converter operably coupled to a second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter to combine first and second signals of first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively, and to provide a matched output impedance to the dipole antenna.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a first capacitor, a first inductor and a shared capacitor, and wherein the second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a second capacitor, a second inductor and said shared capacitor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the shared capacitor combines the first and second signals of the first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the capacitance of the first capacitor is different from the capacitance of the shared capacitor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second outphasing power amplifiers comprise transistors.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transistors are bipolar transistors.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a filter to filter out a second harmonic of first and second signals.

15. A method comprising:

providing impedance matching between a combination of first and second power amplifiers and a desired load by assigning first and second capacitance values to first and second capacitors, respectively, associated with said combination.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising assigning different capacitance values to the first and second capacitors.

17. The method of claim 15 comprising filtering out a second harmonic of first and second signals provided by the first and second power amplifiers, respectively.

18. A wireless communication system comprising:

a mobile station having an outphasing transmitter with reactive termination that include a combiner having a first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter operably coupled to a second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter to combine first and second signals of first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively, and to provide a matched output impedance to an antenna.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a first capacitor, a first inductor and a shared capacitor, and wherein the second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a second capacitor, a second inductor and said shared capacitor.

20. The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein the shared capacitor combines the first and second signals of the first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively.

21. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the first capacitor is different from the capacitance of the shared capacitor.

22. The wireless communication system of claim 21, wherein the first and second outphasing power amplifiers comprise transistors.

23. A wireless communication system comprising:

a base station having an outphasing transmitter with reactive termination that include a combiner having a first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter operably coupled to a second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter to combine first and second signals of first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively, and to provide a matched output impedance to an antenna.

24. The wireless communication system of claim 23, wherein the first capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a first capacitor, a first inductor and a shared capacitor, and wherein the second capacitor-inductor-capacitor impedance converter comprises a second capacitor, a second inductor and said shared capacitor.

25. The wireless communication system of claim 24, the shared capacitor combines the first and second signals of the first and second outphasing power amplifiers, respectively.

26. The wireless communication system of claim 23, wherein the first capacitor is different from the capacitance of the shared capacitor.