AMPLIFIER ASSEMBLY HAVING CONTROLLED RETURN OF POWER LOSS

• US 20120229215A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Heid, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/253
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/02 Modifications of amplifiers to raise the efficiency, e.g. gliding Class A stages, use of an auxiliary oscillation
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers

Abstract

An amplifier assembly includes an input signal determiner that determines a first input signal and a second input signal based on an initial signal having an amplitude and an initial frequency. Amplifiers amplify the first and second input signal to form first and second output signals having a phase offset with respect to one another. The first and second amplified output signals are fed to a common coupling element that forms a useful signal and a loss signal, such that a total power of the useful signal and loss signal is independent of the phase offset, the power of the useful signal has a maximum corresponding to a predetermined value of the phase offset, and the partial power of the useful signal decreases with a deviation of the phase offset from the predetermined value. The coupling element feeds the useful signal to a load and the loss signal to a rectifier device that feeds a rectified loss signal to a power supply device, wherein the rectifier device includes active components as rectifier elements, which are controlled synchronously with respect to the initial frequency.

Claims

1. An amplifier assembly for an initial signal having an amplitude and an initial frequency, comprising:

an input signal determiner configured to;

receive the initial signal and determine a first input signal and a second input signal based on the initial signal,

feed the first input signal to a first amplifier that amplifies the first input signal to form a first output signal,

feeds the second input signal to a second amplifier that amplifies the second input signal to form a second output signal,

wherein the first and second output signals have the same amplitudes, and have a phase offset with respect to one another, relative to the initial frequency, which is dependent on the absolute value of the amplitude of the initial signal,

wherein the first and second amplifiers are configured to feed their respective first and second output signals to a common coupling element,

wherein the common coupling element is configured to form a useful signal and a loss signal based on the first and second output signals, such that;

a total power including a partial power of the useful signal and a partial power of the loss signal is independent of the phase offset of the first and second output signals,

the partial power of the useful signal has a maximum corresponding to a predetermined value of the phase offset of the output signals, and

the partial power of the useful signal decreases with a deviation of the phase offset of the first and second output signals from the predetermined value,

wherein the coupling element is further configured to feed the useful signal to a load and feed the loss signal to a rectifier device,

wherein the rectifier device is configured to rectify the loss signal and feed the rectified loss signal to a power supply device of the amplifier assembly, and

wherein the rectifier device includes active components as rectifier elements, wherein the active components are controlled synchronously with respect to the initial frequency.

2. The amplifier assembly of claim 1, wherein the active components are embodied as field effect transistors.

3. The amplifier assembly of claim 2, wherein the field effect transistors are embodied as MOSFETs.

4. The amplifier assembly of claim 1, wherein the phase offset of the first and second output signals is fed to a control device for the rectifier device, and in that the control device takes account of the phase offset when determining control signals for the active components.

5. An operating method for an amplifier assembly, comprising:

an input signal determiner receiving an initial signal having an amplitude and an initial frequency, and determining a first input signal and a second input signal based on the initial signal,

the input signal determiner feeding the first input signal to a first amplifier that amplifies the first input signal to form a first output signal,

the input signal determiner feeding the second input signal to a second amplifier that amplifies the second input signal to form a second output signal,

wherein the first and second output signals have the same amplitude, and have a phase offset with respect to one another, relative to the initial frequency, which is dependent on the absolute value of the amplitude of the initial signal,

the first and second amplifiers feeding their respective first and second output signals to a common coupling element,

the common coupling element forming a useful signal and a loss signal based on the first and second output signals, such that;

a total power including a partial power of the useful signal and a partial power of the loss signal is independent of the phase offset of the first and second output signals,

the partial power of the useful signal has a maximum corresponding to a predetermined value of the phase offset of the output signals, and

the partial power of the useful signal decreases with a deviation of the phase offset of the first and second output signals from the predetermined value,

the coupling element feeding the useful signal to a load and feed the loss signal to a rectifier device, and

the rectifier device rectifying the loss signal and feed the rectified loss signal to a power supply device of the amplifier assembly, wherein the rectifier device includes active components as rectifier elements, wherein the active components are controlled synchronously with respect to the initial frequency.

6. The operating method for an amplifier assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the phase offset of the first and second output signals is fed to a control device for the rectifier device, and in that the control device takes account of the phase offset when determining first and second control signals for the active components.