REDUCED BANDWITH OF SIGNAL IN AN ENVELOPE PATH FOR ENVELOPE TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20150123735A1
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nujira Limited (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wimpenny, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 9,350,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 330/295
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• 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 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/102 A non-specified detector of a signal envelope being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/111 the amplifier being a dual or triple band amplifier, e.g. 900 and 1800 MHz, e.g. switched or not switched, simultaneously or not
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3206 Multiple channels are combined and amplified by only one amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21181 the supply current of a power amplifier being continuously controlled, e.g. by controlling current sources or resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21184 the supply current of a power amplifier being continuously measured, e.g. by a resistor, a current mirror, to produce a controlling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21193 the supply voltage of a power amplifier being continuously controlled, e.g. by an active potentiometer
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/005 using switched capacitors, e.g. dynamic amplifiers; using switched capacitors as resistors in differential amplifiers H03F3/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/189 High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/21 with semiconductor devices only H03F3/245 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only

Abstract

An envelope tracking power amplifier system comprising an RF input path and an envelope path for providing a modulated power amplifier supply, further comprising a plurality of envelope detectors for detecting the envelope of a plurality of frequency bands of an input signal and each generating an output signal, and a combiner for combining the output of the envelope detectors.

Claims

1. An envelope tracking power amplifier system comprising an RF path and an envelope path, the envelope path comprising:

a plurality of envelope detectors for detecting the envelope of a plurality of frequency bands of an input signal and each generating an output signal; and

a combiner for combining the output of the envelope detectors.

2. The envelope tracking power amplifier of claim 1 wherein the plurality of frequency bands are contiguous frequency bands.

3. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 wherein the envelope path further comprises a corresponding plurality of filters each adapted to receive the input signal and for generating inputs to the envelope detectors of a specific frequency band.

4. The envelope tracking power amplifier system of claim 1 wherein each envelope detector is adapted to receive an input signal of a specific frequency band.

5. The envelope tracking power amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the input signal provides an input to an RF amplifier, and further comprising envelope processing circuitry, including an envelope shaping block, for providing an input to a modulator providing a modulated power supply to the RF amplifier based on the combined output of the envelope detectors.

6. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 1 further comprising a digital pre-distortion block provided in the input path and arranged to receive a signal representative of a power amplifier input and a signal representative of the power amplifier supply voltage and to provide an input to the power amplifier.

7. The envelope tracking power amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

envelope processing circuitry for providing an input to a modulator providing a modulated power supply to the RF amplifier based on the combined output of the envelope detectors.

8. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 7 wherein the envelope processing circuitry includes an envelope shaping block and in which the digital pre-distortion entity receives a shaped composite envelope signal and the input signal.

9. The envelope tracking power amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of input paths each for receiving an input signal of a particular frequency; and

a combiner for combining the signals on the inputs paths and for providing the combined input signals to the digital pre-distortion block.

10. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 9 further comprising a delay block, for applying a delay to the signal in the input path, and for aligning the power amplifier supply voltage and the power amplifier input voltage.

11. The envelope tracking power amplifier of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of input paths each for receiving an input signal of a particular frequency;

a plurality of digital pre-distortion blocks arranged to receive a signal representative of a power amplifier input in the respective input path and the signal representative of the power amplifier supply voltage; and

a plurality of power amplifiers each for receiving an input signal in the respective input path;

wherein the power supply for each of the plurality of power amplifiers is provided in dependence on the composite envelope signal.

12. The envelope tracking power supply of claim 11 further comprising a delay block in each of the plurality of input paths for aligning the power amplifier supply voltage and the respective power amplifier input voltage in each input path.

13. A method for an envelope tracking power amplifier system comprising an RF path and an envelope path, the method comprising:

detecting the envelope of a plurality of contiguous frequency bands of an input signal in a plurality of envelope detectors, each generating an output signal; and

combining the output of the envelope detectors.

14. The method claim 13 wherein the envelope path further comprises a corresponding plurality of filters each adapted to receive the input signal and the method further comprises generating inputs to the envelope detectors of a specific frequency band, each envelope detector receiving an input signal of a specific frequency band.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising applying digital pre-distortion in the input path, arranged to receive a signal representative of a power amplifier input and a signal representative of the power amplifier supply voltage, and adapting the digital pre-distortion to provide an input to the power amplifier.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising applying a delay to the signal in the input path and aligning the power amplifier supply voltage and the power amplifier input voltage.

17. A method for an envelope tracking power amplifier system comprising an RF input path and an envelope path for providing a modulated power amplifier supply, the method comprising:

detecting the envelope of a plurality of frequency bands of an input signal in a plurality of envelope detectors, each generating an output signal; and

combining the output of the envelope detectors to provide a composite envelope signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

digitally pre-distorting a signal by receiving a signal representative of a power amplifier input and a signal representative of the power amplifier supply voltage, wherein the digital pre-distortion is applied in the input path and provides an input to the power amplifier, the method further comprising providing an input to a modulator providing a modulated power supply to the RF amplifier based on the composite envelope signal, further comprising envelope shaping, the digital pre-distortion entity receiving a shaped composite envelope signal and the input signal.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving in a plurality of input paths each for an input signal of a particular frequency; and

combining the signals on the inputs paths and for providing the combined input signals to the digital pre-distortion block.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving an input signal of a particular frequency in a plurality of input paths;

digitally pre-distorting a signal representative of a power amplifier input in the respective input path and the signal representative of the power amplifier supply voltage; and

a plurality of power amplifiers each for receiving an input signal in the respective input path;

wherein the power supply for each of the plurality of power amplifiers is provided in dependence on the composite envelope signal.