Systems and Methods of RF Power Transmissions, Modulation, and Amplification, Including Cartesian 4-Branch Embodiments

• US 20130120064A1
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: SORRELLS, David F., RAWLINS, Gregory S., RAWLINS, Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US13/734,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/252
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 5/00 Amplitude modulation and angle modulation produced simultaneously or at will by the same modulating signal H03C7/00 takes precedence
• 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 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0233 by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3205 in field-effect transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3223 using feed-forward H03F1/3211 takes 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 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3215 To increase the output power or efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• 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: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45071 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 : Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/045 : with means for improving efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0491 : with frequency synthesizers, frequency converters or modulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/20 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/36 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 : Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence

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 amplification, comprising:

determining an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component of a desired output signal based on a reference signal;

generating first and second signals having a desired output signal frequency from the received I component;

generating third and fourth signals having the desired output signal frequency from the received Q component;

amplifying each of the first, second, third, and fourth signals individually; and

generating the desired output signal by summing the amplified first, second, third, and fourth signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second signals have substantially constant and equal magnitude envelopes and a sum equal to the I component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third and fourth signals have substantially constant and equal magnitude envelopes and a sum equal to the Q component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a clock signal set according to the desired output signal frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amplifying comprises amplifying the first, second, third, and fourth signals substantially equally according to a desired power level of the desired output signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a relative phase angle and magnitude of the I and Q components.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a set of I and Q phase control signals based on the determined relative phase angle and magnitude of the I and Q components.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining comprises determining a phase shift relative to the reference signal and determining a complex envelope.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a first phase shift angle using the complex envelope, wherein the first phase shift angle is the phase difference between the first and second substantially constant envelope signals.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a second phase shift angle using the complex envelope, wherein the second phase shift angle is the phase difference between the third and fourth substantially constant envelope signals.

11. A vector power amplifier, comprising:

one or more phase splitters configured to determine an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature (Q) component of a desired output signal based on a reference signal;

one or more vector modulators configured to generate first and second signals having a desired output signal frequency from the received I component;

one or more vector modulators configured to generate third and fourth signals having the desired output signal frequency from the received Q component;

one or more amplifiers configured to amplify each of the first, second, third, and fourth signals individually; and

a summer configured to generate the desired output signal by summing the amplified first, second, third, and fourth signals.

12. The amplifier of claim 11, wherein the one or more vector modulators are configured to generate the first and second signals so that they have substantially constant and equal magnitude envelopes and a sum equal to the I component.

13. The amplifier of claim 11, wherein the one or more vector modulators are configured to generate the third and fourth signals so that they have substantially constant and equal magnitude envelopes and a sum equal to the Q component.

14. The amplifier of claim 11, further comprising a clock configured to generate a clock signal according to the desired output signal frequency.

15. The amplifier of claim 11, wherein the one or more amplifiers are configured to amplify the first, second, third, and fourth signals substantially equally according to a desired power level of the desired output signal.

16. The amplifier of claim 11, further comprising determining a relative phase angle and magnitude of the I and Q components.

17. The amplifier of claim 11, wherein the one or more amplifiers comprise one or more multiple input single output (MISO) amplifiers.