Apparatus for controlling a switching amplifier
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the output of an amplifier which is effective for amplifying a signal to be imposed onto a power line, said amplifier controlling apparatus comprising:
- means for generating a message signal having a plurality of information bits contained therein and a preselected frequency and phase associated therewith;
means for dividing said message signal into at least two signals wherein a first one of said at least two signals is delayed in time by a preselected period of time and a second one of said at least two signals is a synchronized doubled signal having a frequency of two times said message;
means for generating a second delayed signal by delaying said time delayed first signal by a delay time at least equal to the duration of said synchronized doubled signal;
means for generating first and second logic signals as a function of said first and second delayed signals respectively; and
,means for summing said first and second logic signals such that, the magnitude of said amplifier output is controlled as a function of the relative delay times between said first and second delayed signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the output of a switching amplifier includes a signal dividing circuit which generates a delayed replica of the carrier signal and a doubled signal having twice the carrier frequency. The doubled signal is effective for establishing a second time delayed signal relative to the first time delayed signal. The first and second time delayed signals are logically operated on so that a three state output representing the carrier signal is attained. A summing amplifier utilizes the two time delayed signals to generate this three state output whereby if the two time delayed signals are out-of-phase, a zero voltage is connected to the drive portion of the switching amplifier thereby limiting the output of the switching amplifier.
50 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the output of an amplifier which is effective for amplifying a signal to be imposed onto a power line, said amplifier controlling apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a message signal having a plurality of information bits contained therein and a preselected frequency and phase associated therewith; means for dividing said message signal into at least two signals wherein a first one of said at least two signals is delayed in time by a preselected period of time and a second one of said at least two signals is a synchronized doubled signal having a frequency of two times said message; means for generating a second delayed signal by delaying said time delayed first signal by a delay time at least equal to the duration of said synchronized doubled signal; means for generating first and second logic signals as a function of said first and second delayed signals respectively; and
,means for summing said first and second logic signals such that, the magnitude of said amplifier output is controlled as a function of the relative delay times between said first and second delayed signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus for controlling the output of an amplifier which is effective for amplifying a signal to be imposed onto a power line, said amplifier controlling apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a message signal having a plurality of information bits contained therein and having a preselected frequency and phase associated therewith; means for dividing said message signal into at least two signals wherein a first one of said at least two signals is delayed in time by a preselected period of time and a second one of said at least two signals is a synchronized doubled signal having a frequency of two times said message signal; means for generating a second delayed signal by delaying said first delayed signal by a preselectable delay time at least equal to the duration of said synchronized doubled signal; means for generating an enable signal and a disable signal said enable signal representative of an absence of an overcurrent condition on the power line, said disable signal representative of the occurrence of such overcurrent condition; means for combining said disable signal with said first and second delayed signals so as to produce first and second logic signals which are out of phase with one another; and means for summing said first and second out of phase logic signals such that the output of said amplifier is disabled thereby. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for controlling the output of an amplifier which is effective for amplifying a signal to be imposed onto a power line, said amplifier controlling apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a message signal having a plurality of information bits contained therein and having a preselected frequency and phase associated therewith; means for dividing said message signal into at least two signals wherein a first one of said at least two signals is delayed in time by a preselected period of time and a second one of said at least two signals is a synchronized doubled signal having a frequency of two times said message signal; means for generating a second delayed signal by delaying said first delayed signal by a preselectable delay time at least equal to the duration of said synchronized doubled signal; means for generating an enable signal representative of the expiration of a power-up time delay, said enable signal acting as a disable signal until such time as said power-up time delay expires; means for combining said disable signal with said first and second delayed signals so as to produce first and second logic signals which are out of phase with one another; and means for summing said first and second out of phase logic signals such that the output of said amplifier is disabled thereby. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A switching amplifier and amplifier control apparatus for use on a power line communication system, comprising:
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means for generating a message signal for transmission over said power line communication system, said message signal containing a plurality of information bits and having a preselected frequency and phase associated therewith, said message generating means further generating a message enabling signal in conjunction with said message signal; means for amplifying said message signal; means for driving said amplified message signal into said power line communication system; logic means in electrical communication with said message signal and being effective upon reception of said message enabing signal, for conditioning said message signal such that under normal operating conditions, said message signal can be communicated to said amplifying means; means for sensing an overcurrent condition at said driving means and generating a current limit signal in response thereto; means for limiting current through said driving means until the expiration of a power up time delay value, such power up time delay value having a duration which is preselected to a value that allows for component settling; means for measuring said power up time delay value and generating a power up time delay signal until said power up time delay value has expired; and means for generating an enable signal and a disable signal, generating said enable signal upon sensing the absence of said current limit signal and the absence of said power up time delay signal, said enable and disable signal generating means further being effective such that, upon sensing at least one of said limit current signal and said power up time delay signal, said enable and disable signal generating means generates said disable signal such that said driving means is prevented from communicating said message signal to said power line communication system.
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Specification