Systems and methods of RF tower transmission, modulation, and amplification, including embodiments for compensating for waveform distortion

• US 20070249300A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Rawlins, Gregory S., Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,031,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/114.200
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/30 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce influence of variations of temperature or supply voltage or other physical parameters in differential amplifiers H03F3/45479
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21142 Output signals of a plurality of power amplifiers are parallel combined to a common output
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 17/08 Networks for phase shifting
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/21 providing two or more phase shifted output signals, e.g. n-phase output
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/366 Arrangements for compensating undesirable properties of the transmission path between the modulator and the demodulator

Abstract

Methods and systems for vector combining power amplification are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of signals are individually amplified, then summed to form a desired time-varying complex envelope signal. Phase and/or frequency characteristics of one or more of the signals are controlled to provide the desired phase, frequency, and/or amplitude characteristics of the desired time-varying complex envelope signal. In another embodiment, a time-varying complex envelope signal is decomposed into a plurality of constant envelope constituent signals. The constituent signals are amplified equally or substantially equally, and then summed to construct an amplified version of the original time-varying envelope signal. Embodiments also perform frequency up-conversion.

Claims

1. A method of power transmission, modulation, and amplification including output waveform distortion compensation, comprising:

receiving a frequency reference signal;

receiving information;

generating a plurality of control signals from said received information;

generating a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals using said frequency reference signal and said control signals;

amplifying and combining said substantially constant envelope signals to create an output signal; and

reducing waveform distortion in said output signal by reducing phase and amplitude errors in said output signal relative to a desired output signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises:

generating phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said step of generating phase and amplitude error values comprises one or more of:

measuring said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal;

calculating said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal; and

estimating said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises reducing phase and amplitude errors in said output signal due to one or more of:

(a) circuitry process variations;

(b) circuitry temperature variations;

(c) IC package variations;

(d) circuit board variations;

(e) said step of generating a plurality of control signals;

(f) said step of generating a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals;

(g) amplifying said substantially constant envelope signals; and

(h) combining said amplified substantially constant envelope signals at a single power amplifier node.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein phase and amplitude errors due to one or more of (a)-(h) are estimated at system manufacture time.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein phase and amplitude errors due to one or more of (a)-(h) are at least one of measured, calculated, and estimated during real-time system operation.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein said phase and amplitude errors due to (e) are caused by vector modulation circuitry that performs said step of generating a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein said phase and amplitude errors due to (g) result in gain and phase imbalances between power amplifier branches.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step is performed when output waveform distortion at least satisfies system design requirements.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step is performed to ensure that phase and amplitude errors in said output signal remain within a specified system error tolerance.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step is performed by pre-compensating for said phase and amplitude errors in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises feedforward error compensation that includes pre-compensating for said estimated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal.

13. The method according to claim 3, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises feedback error correction that includes correcting for said measured/calculated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises hybrid feedforward/feedback error compensation that includes at least one of pre-compensating for estimated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal and correcting for measured/calculated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises adjusting transfer functions that are used to generate said plurality of control signals.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said transfer functions are implemented in a digital control module.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises adjusting control inputs used to generate said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said control inputs comprise control voltages of vector modulation circuitry that generate said substantially constant envelope signals.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reducing waveform distortion step comprises applying error pre-compensation to said received information.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

generating expected phase and amplitude error values in said output signal; and

adjusting said received information to correct for said generated expected phase and amplitude error values.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

generating an error table or function, said error table or function defining expected phase and amplitude errors for a representative range of said received information.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said step of generating expected phase and amplitude error values is performed during a system test and characterization process.

23. An apparatus for power transmission, modulation, and amplification, comprising:

input circuitry that receives information, and that generates a plurality of control signals from said received information;

vector modulation circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that receives said control signals and a frequency reference signal, and that generates a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals using said frequency reference signal and said control signals;

a power amplifier that receives said substantially constant envelope signals and amplifies and combines said substantially constant envelope signals to create an output signal; and

means for reducing waveform distortion in said output signal by reducing phase and amplitude errors in said output signal relative to a desired output signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises:

means for generating phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for generating phase and amplitude error values comprises one or more of:

means for measuring said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal;

means for calculating said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal; and

means for estimating said phase and amplitude error values in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for reducing phase and amplitude errors in said output signal due to one or more of:

(a) circuitry process variations;

(b) circuitry temperature variations;

(c) IC package variations;

(d) circuit board variations;

(e) said input circuitry;

(f) said vector modulation circuitry;

(g) said power amplifier;

(h) amplifying said substantially constant envelope signals using said power amplifier; and

(i) combining outputs of said power amplifier at a single circuit node of said power amplifier.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for estimating phase and amplitude errors due to one or more of (a)-(i), at system manufacture time.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for at least one of measuring, calculating, and estimating phase and amplitude errors due to one or more of (a)-(i), during real-time system operation.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for reducing gain and phase imbalances between branches of said power amplifier.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for monitoring said phase and amplitude errors in said output signal relative to said desired output signal; and

means for triggering said means for reducing waveform distortion when said phase and amplitude errors at least satisfy system design requirements.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said means for monitoring said phase and amplitude errors comprises differential branch phase and differential branch amplitude measurement circuitry.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for pre-compensating for said phase and amplitude errors in said output signal relative to said desired output signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a feedforward error compensation module configured to pre-compensate for said estimated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a feedback error compensation module configured to correct for said measured/calculated phase and amplitude error values in said output signal.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a hybrid feedforward/feedback error compensation module configured to compensate for said estimated phase and amplitude error values and to correct for said measured/calculated phase and amplitude error values.

36. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for adjusting transfer functions of a digital control module of said input circuitry.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for adjusting said control signals according to said phase and amplitude errors.

38. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for adjusting control inputs of said vector modulation circuitry.

39. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for applying offset voltages to said vector modulation circuitry.

40. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said means for reducing waveform distortion comprises means for pre-compensating said received information for said phase and amplitude errors.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said means for pre-compensating said received information comprises:

means for generating expected phase and amplitude error values in said output signal; and

means for adjusting said received information to correct for said expected phase and amplitude error values.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said means for pre-compensating said received information further comprises:

an error table or function, wherein said error table or function defines expected phase and amplitude errors for a representative range of said received information.