Amplifying Apparatus

• US 20100033243A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: ONO, Takashi, MAEDA, Hiroaki, OKAZAKI, Yousuke, SHIZAWA, Yoshinobu, HONDA, Hirotake
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/124.R
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0288 using a main and one or several auxiliary peaking amplifiers whereby the load is connected to the main amplifier using an impedance inverter, e.g. Doherty amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/56 Modifications of input or output impedances, not otherwise provided for
• 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 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/465 Power sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers

Abstract

The amplifying apparatus includes an amplifier having a circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation; power detecting unit which detects an output electricity from the amplifier; and controlling unit which controls the circuit constant in accordance with the output power detected by the power detecting unit.

Claims

1. An amplifying apparatus comprising:

a Doherty amplifying circuit comprising a first amplifier having a first circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, and a second amplifier having a second circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, the second amplifier being activated, when an input signal into the first amplifier has a power equal to or larger than a specified value, to amplify the input signal;

a combining unit which combines outputs from the first amplifier and the second amplifier;

power detecting unit which detects an output power from the combining unit; and

controlling unit which controls at least the first circuit constant in accordance with the output power detected by the power detecting unit such that an amplifying efficiency of the Doherty amplifying circuit is not reduced.

3. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit controls the first circuit constant and the second circuit constant in accordance with the output power detected by the power detecting unit.

4. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controlling unit regards an output power from the combining unit when the second amplifier is activated in response to an increase in power of the input signal as a power threshold, and decreases the first circuit constant in accordance with an increase of the output power detected by the power detecting unit in a range equal to or more than the power threshold.

5. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controlling unit controls, when the output power detected by power detecting unit is less than the power threshold, the first circuit constant to be constant.

2. An amplifying apparatus comprising:

a Doherty amplifying circuit comprising a first amplifier having a first circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, and a second amplifier having a second circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, the second amplifier being activated, when an input signal into the first amplifier has a power larger than a specified value, to amplify the input signal;

a combining unit which combines outputs from the first amplifier and the second amplifier;

power detecting unit which detects an output power from the first amplifier; and

controlling unit which controls at least the first circuit constant in accordance with the output power detected by the power detecting unit such that an amplifying efficiency of the Doherty amplifying circuit is not reduced.

6. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controlling unit regards an output power from the first amplifier when the second amplifier is activated in response to an increase in power of the input signal as a power threshold, and decreases the first circuit constant in accordance with an increase of the output power detected by the power detecting unit in a range equal to or more than the power threshold.

10. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 2, the power detecting unit comprising a directional coupler which branches a part of an output signal from the first amplifier, and a power detecting circuit which detects the power through detecting a signal from the directional coupler, wherein

the directional coupler has a passing phase characteristic determined such that the combining unit combines signals output from the first amplifier and the second amplifier at the same phase.

7. An amplifying apparatus comprising:

a Doherty amplifying circuit comprising a first amplifier having a first circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, and a second amplifier having a second circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, the second amplifier being activated, when an input signal into the first amplifier has a power larger equal to or than a specified value, to amplify the input signal;

a combining unit which combines outputs from the first amplifier and the second amplifier;

first power detecting unit which detects a first output power from the first amplifier;

second power detecting unit which detects a second output power from the second amplifier; and

first controlling unit which controls the first circuit constant in accordance with the first output power detected by the first power detecting unit such that an amplifying efficiency of the Doherty amplifying circuit is not reduced; and

second controlling unit which controls the second circuit constant in accordance with the second output power detected by the second power detecting unit such that an amplifying efficiency of the Doherty amplifying circuit is not reduced.

8. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first controlling unit regards an output power from the first amplifier when the second amplifier is activated in response to an increase in power of the input signal as a power threshold, and decreases the first circuit constant in accordance with an increase of the first output power detected by the first power detecting unit in a range equal to or more than the power threshold.

9. The amplifying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second controlling unit decreases the second circuit constant in accordance with an increase of the second output power detected by the second power detecting unit.

11. A method for controlling a Doherty amplifying circuit comprising a first amplifier having a first circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, and a second amplifier having a second circuit constant determined so as to satisfy a condition for E-class operation, the second amplifier being activated, when an input signal into the first amplifier has a power equal to or larger than a specified value, to amplify the input signal, said method comprising:

coupling outputs from the first amplifier and the second amplifier;

detecting an output power obtained by the coupling; and

controlling at least the first circuit constant in accordance with the output power detected such that an amplifying efficiency of the Doherty amplifying circuit is not reduced.