Feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands

• US 20060273853A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Narahashi, Shoichi, Suzuki, Yasunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/151
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3229 using a loop for error extraction and another loop for error subtraction

Abstract

The present invention has for its object to provide, in an environment where plural radio systems coexist, a feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands, capable of adaptively selecting the frequency band which is used.

The feed forward amplifier of the present invention comprises a distortion detection circuit and a distortion elimination circuit and has first and second variable frequency band extractors 25a and 25b provided in series with respective vector adjustment paths 21a and 21b. Also, the feed forward amplifier comprises a frequency band controller which varies the frequency band of variable frequency band extractors 25a and 25b and has been designed, by changing the frequency band of first and second variable frequency band extractors 25a and 25b in response to a frequency switching request from the outside, to be able to adaptively control the frequency band in which distortion is compensated.

Claims

1. A feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands, having a distortion detection circuit and a distortion elimination circuit,

wherein

said distortion detection circuit comprises:

a first linear signal path constituted by a first delay means;

N first vector adjustment paths;

a first dividing part dividing an input signal into said first linear signal path and said N first vector adjustment paths;

N first variable frequency band extractors provided respectively for each said first vector adjustment path, and extracting signals of mutually discrete frequency bands;

N first vector adjusters provided respectively for each said first vector adjustment path, and adjusting the phase and the amplitude thereof;

a first multiple frequency band amplifying part amplifying the output of each first vector adjuster of said first vector adjustment paths; and

a combiner/divider outputting the additive component and the differential component of the output of said first linear signal path and the output of said first multiple frequency band amplifying part;

wherein

said distortion elimination circuit comprises;

a second linear signal path, constituted by a second delay means, into which said additive component is input;

N second vector adjustment paths into which said differential component is input;

N second variable frequency band extractors, respectively provided for each said second vector adjustment path, extracting the signals of respectively the same frequency bands as said N first variable frequency band extractors;

N second vector adjusters, respectively provided for each said second vector adjustment path, and adjusting the phase and the amplitude thereof;

a second multiple frequency band amplifying part amplifying the outputs of the second vector adjusters of said second vector adjustment paths; and

a second combining part combining and outputting the output of said second linear signal path and the output of said second multiple frequency band amplifying part;

N being an integer equal to or greater than 2;

and comprising;

a frequency band controller controlling said N first variable-frequency band extractors and said N second variable frequency band extractors.

2. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said first multiple frequency band amplifying part includes N first amplifiers respectively amplifying individually the output of each first vector adjuster of said N first vector adjustment paths, and a first output combiner combining the outputs of said N first amplifiers and taking the combined output to be the output of said first multiple frequency band amplifying part; and

said second multiple frequency band amplifying part includes N second amplifiers respectively amplifying individually the output of each second vector adjuster of said N second vector adjustment paths, and a second output combiner combining the outputs of said N second amplifiers and taking the combined output to be the output of said second multiple frequency band amplifying part.

3. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said first multiple frequency band amplifying part includes a first output combiner combining the outputs of each first vector adjuster of said N first vector adjustment paths, and a common first amplifier amplifying the output of said first output combiner and taking the combined output to be the output of said first multiple frequency band amplifying part; and

said second multiple frequency band amplifying part includes N second amplifiers respectively amplifying individually the output of each second vector adjuster of said N second vector adjustment paths, and a second output combiner combining the outputs of said N second amplifiers and taking the combined output to be the output of said second multiple frequency band amplifying part.

4. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said first multiple frequency band amplifying part includes N first amplifiers respectively amplifying individually the output of each first vector adjuster of said N first vector adjustment paths, and a first output combiner combining the outputs of said N first amplifiers and taking the combined output to be the output of said first multiple frequency band amplifying part; and

said second multiple frequency band amplifying part includes a second output combiner combining the outputs of each second vector adjuster of said N second vector adjustment paths, and a common second amplifier amplifying the output of said second output combiner and taking the combined output to be the output of said second multiple frequency band amplifying part.

5. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said first multiple frequency band amplifying part includes a first output combiner combining the outputs of each first vector adjuster of said N first vector adjustment paths, and a common first amplifier amplifying the output of said first output combiner and taking the combined output to be the output of said first multiple frequency band amplifying part; and

said second multiple frequency band amplifying part includes a second output combiner combining the outputs of each second vector adjuster of said N second vector adjustment paths, and a common second amplifier amplifying the output of said second output combiner and taking the combined output to be the output of said second multiple frequency band amplifying part.

6. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 1,

further comprising:

a band detector; and

wherein

said first dividing part distributes a portion of the input signal to said band detector as well; and

wherein

said band detector comprises

a local oscillator;

a local oscillator frequency controlling part controlling the frequency of said local oscillator;

a mixer multiplying the input signal from said first dividing part and the signal from said local oscillator;

a low band pass filter letting through only the low-frequency component of the output of said mixer; and

an analyzing part detecting the signal by which said local oscillator frequency controlling part controls the local oscillator, and the frequency band of said input signal from the output signal of said low band pass filter.

7. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 2,

further comprising:

a band detector; and

wherein

said first dividing part distributes a portion of the input signal to said band detector as well; and

wherein

said band detector comprises

a local oscillator;

a local oscillator frequency controlling part controlling the frequency of said local oscillator;

a mixer multiplying the input signal from said first dividing part and the signal from said local oscillator;

a low band pass filter letting through only the low-frequency component of the output of said mixer; and

an analyzing part detecting the signal by which said local oscillator frequency controlling part controls the local oscillator, and the frequency band of said input signal from the output signal of said low band pass filter.

8. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 3,

further comprising:

a band detector; and

wherein

said first dividing part distributes a portion of the input signal to said band detector as well; and

wherein

said band detector comprises

a local oscillator;

a local oscillator frequency controlling part controlling the frequency of said local oscillator;

a mixer multiplying the input signal from said first dividing part and the signal from said local oscillator;

a low band pass filter letting through only the low-frequency component of the output of said mixer; and

an analyzing part detecting the signal by which said local oscillator frequency controlling part controls the local oscillator, and the frequency band of said input signal from the output signal of said low band pass filter.

9. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 4,

further comprising:

a band detector; and

wherein

said first dividing part distributes a portion of the input signal to said band detector as well; and

wherein

said band detector comprises

a local oscillator;

a local oscillator frequency controlling part controlling the frequency of said local oscillator;

a mixer multiplying the input signal from said first dividing part and the signal from said local oscillator;

a low band pass filter letting through only the low-frequency component of the output of said mixer; and

an analyzing part detecting the signal by which said local oscillator frequency controlling part controls the local oscillator, and the frequency band of said input signal from the output signal of said low band pass filter.

10. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to claim 5,

further comprising:

a band detector; and

wherein

said first dividing part distributes a portion of the input signal to said band detector as well; and

wherein

said band detector comprises

a local oscillator;

a local oscillator frequency controlling part controlling the frequency of said local oscillator;

a mixer multiplying the input signal from said first dividing part and the signal from said local oscillator;

a low band pass filter letting through only the low-frequency component of the output of said mixer; and

an analyzing part detecting the signal by which said local oscillator frequency controlling part controls the local oscillator, and the frequency band of said input signal from the output signal of said low band pass filter.

11. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that:

each of said N first variable frequency band extractors is composed of N−

1 first variable frequency band elimination filters, connected in cascade, respectively eliminating the respective extracted frequency bands of the remaining N−

1 first variable frequency band extractors; and

each of said N second variable frequency band extractors is composed of N−

1 second variable frequency band elimination filters, connected in cascade, respectively eliminating the respective extracted frequency bands of the remaining N−

1 second variable frequency band extractors.

12. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that:

said N first variable frequency band extractors are composed of first variable frequency band pass filters taking the center frequencies of the respective extracted frequency bands as the center frequencies; and

said N second variable frequency band extractors are composed of second variable frequency band pass filters taking the center frequencies of the respective extracted frequency bands as the center frequencies.

13. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that:

each of said N first variable frequency band extractors or each of said N second variable frequency band extractors has respective center frequencies controlled by said frequency band controller.

14. The feed forward amplifier for multiple frequency bands according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that:

each of said N first variable frequency band extractors or each of said N second variable frequency band extractors has respective bandwidths controlled by said frequency band controller.