System and method for noise and spurious suppression in power amplifier systems
First Claim
1. An amplifier system, comprising:
- a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal;
a phase noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and an interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of a focusing electrode of the electron source and a grid of the electron source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An amplifier system, including a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal, and a phase noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and an interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier. The amplifier system may also, or alternatively, include an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of a focusing electrode of the electron source and a grid of the electron source.
81 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal;
a phase noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and an interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of a focusing electrode of the electron source and a grid of the electron source. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
a phase detector having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is connected to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the phase detector, and the output terminal is coupled to one of the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and the interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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39. The amplifier system of claim 38 wherein the controller includes a low noise amplifier.
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2. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal;
a phase noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and an interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a supplemental noise suppression circuit coupled to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 33)
a phase detector having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is connected to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the phase detector, and the output terminal is coupled to one of the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and the interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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6. The amplifier system of claim 5, wherein the controller includes a low noise amplifier.
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33. The amplifier system of claim 2 further comprising an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of a focusing electrode of the electron source and a grid of the electron source.
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7. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal and an output signal terminal;
a phase noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to one of an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and an interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier, and wherein the phase noise suppression circuit includes;
a phase detector having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is connected to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the phase detector, and the output terminal is coupled to one of the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier and the interaction region of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 34, 44)
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13. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, an electron source;
a phase noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal for controlling a kinetic energy of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier to suppress phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
an amplitude noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier to suppress amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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14. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, an electron source;
a phase noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal for controlling a kinetic energy of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier to suppress phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a supplemental noise suppression circuit coupled to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (15, 40, 43, 45)
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16. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an electron source;
means for controlling a kinetic energy of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on a phase difference between an input signal to vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
means for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on an amplitude difference between an input signal to vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier.
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17. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an electron source;
means for controlling a kinetic energy of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on a phase difference between an input signal to vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
means for canceling noise distortion components at one of an input and an output of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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18. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, and an electron source; and
an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier, and wherein the output terminal of the amplitude noise suppression circuit is connected to one of a focusing electrode of the electron source and a grid of the electron source. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
an amplitude comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplitude comparator, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source.
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49. The amplifier system of claim 48, wherein the controller includes a low noise amplifier.
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50. The amplifier system of claim 48, wherein the output terminal of the controller is coupled to the electron source via a transformer.
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19. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, and an electron source;
an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a supplemental noise suppression circuit coupled to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
an amplitude comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplitude comparator, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source.
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22. The amplifier system of claim 21, wherein the controller includes a low noise amplifier.
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23. The amplifier system of claim 21, wherein the output terminal of the controller is coupled to the electron source via a transformer.
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24. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, and an electron source; and
an amplitude noise suppression circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier, and wherein the amplitude noise suppression circuit includes;
an amplitude comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the input signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier, and the second input terminal is coupled to the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a controller having an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the amplitude comparator, and the output terminal is coupled to the electron source. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an input signal terminal, an output signal terminal, an electron source;
an amplitude noise suppression circuit responsive to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier to suppress amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
a supplemental noise suppression circuit coupled to both the input signal terminal and the output signal terminal of the vacuum tube amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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31. An amplifier system, comprising:
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a vacuum tube amplifier having an electron source;
means for controlling an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on a amplitude difference between an input signal to vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal of the vacuum tube amplifier to compensate for amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
means for canceling noise distortion components at one of an input and an output of the vacuum tube amplifier.
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32. A method for suppressing noise introduced by a vacuum tube amplifier, comprising:
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detecting a phase difference between an input signal to the vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal from the vacuum tube amplifier indicative of phase noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier;
adjusting a kinetic energy of electrons emitted by an electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on the detected phase difference;
detecting an amplitude difference between an input signal to the vacuum tube amplifier and an output signal from the vacuum tube amplifier indicative of amplitude noise introduced by the vacuum tube amplifier; and
adjusting an amount of electrons emitted by the electron source of the vacuum tube amplifier based on the detected amplitude difference.
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Specification