Electromagnetic wave transmitter, receiver and transceiver systems, methods and articles of manufacture

• US 7,151,913 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: M/A Com, Inc. (MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Walid Khairy Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M.
• Application Number:
  US10/610,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 455/114.2, 455/114.3, 455/114.4, 455/102, 455/108, 455/110, 455/126, 4551271-1274, 455/232.1, 455/234.2, 455/235.1, 375295-298, 375/300, 375/302, 375/303, 375/308, 330/10, 330/136, 330/149, 332/103, 332/105
• US Class Current: 455/91
• 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 3/602 Combinations of several amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/361 Modulation using a single or unspecified number of carriers, e.g. with separate stages of phase and amplitude modulation

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for electromagnetic processing of an input wave involving receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent the input wave when combined; and regulating the modified signal using at least one characteristic of the two or more signals. Embodiments of the invention may utilize in-phase and quadrature phase signals, where the magnitude portion of the signals may be used for regulating the modified signal. The modified signal may be created by modulating a characteristic of the I, Q signals, such as their sign, with an RF or other frequency carrier wave.

Claims

1. A method for electromagnetic processing of an input wave comprising the steps of:

receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined, said modified signal being a carrier wave modulated by a characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined; and

regulating said modified signal using a comparison of at least one characteristic of one of said two or more signals with said at least one characteristic of another of said two or more signals.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said two or more signals are in quadrature with each other.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said characteristic used to regulate said modified signal is magnitude.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said modified signal is regulated using a digital signal containing said characteristic of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating an output signal from said regulation of said modified signal.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of regulating said modified signal is performed using a plurality of segments.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein one or more of said segments is independently controlled as a power amplifier by a portion of said two or more signals that represent said input wave to contribute power to an output signal.

8. A method as in claim 7, further comprising the step of generating an output signal by combining power outputted from one or more of said segments.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said step of generating an output signal by combining power is accomplished using one or more selected from the group consisting of power transformers, quarter-wave transmission lines, discrete LC components, and a Pi-network.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein one or more of said segments is independently controlled as a current source by said portion of said two or more signals that represent said input wave to contribute current to an output signal.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein said received modified signal contains only one of said two or more signals used to derive said modified signal.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein said received modified signal is derived from a sign characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

13. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating said modified signal.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said step of generating said modified signal comprises phase shifting a carrier wave to generate a phase shifted carrier wave, mixing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said carrier wave, and mixing a characteristic of another of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said phase shifted carrier wave.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein said carrier wave and said phase shifted carrier wave have a relative phase difference of 90 °

.

16. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of generating said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising the step of processing one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said step of processing comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of performing correction of an amplitude characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, correction of a phase characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, and filtering of one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

19. A method as in claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic processing of said input wave comprises RF modulation.

20. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of regulating said modified signal comprises:

comparing a portion of one of said at least two signals that represent said input wave when combined with at least another of said two signals to generate a digital control signal; and

regulating said modified signal using said digital control signal.

21. A method for transmitting an input wave comprising the steps of:

generating two or more digital signals that represent said input wave when combined;

modulating a carrier wave with at least one characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals to generate a modulated signal;

modulating a phase shifted carrier wave with a characteristic of another of said two or more signals to generate a phase shifted modulated signal;

inputting said modulated signal and said phase shifted modulated signal into an amplifier having at least one amplifying segment;

comparing another characteristic of one or more of said two or more digital signals that represent said input wave when combined with said characteristic of another of said two or more digital signals to generate at least one digital control signal;

controlling said at least one amplifying segment with said at least one digital control signal to generate at least one segment output; and

transmitting an output signal based upon said at least one output segment.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said two or more digital signals comprise an in-phase and a quadrature signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said characteristic used to generate said control signal is magnitude.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said characteristic used to modulate said carrier wave is sign.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said carrier wave is an RF signal.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said segment amplifies power.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said segment is a current source.

28. An apparatus for electromagnetic processing of an input wave comprising:

an amplifier having at least one amplifying segment for receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined; and

a control circuit for regulating said modified signal across said amplifying segment using a comparison of at least one characteristic of one of said two or more signals with said at least one characteristic of at least another of said two or more signals.

29. An apparatus as in claim 28, wherein said two or more signals are in quadrature with each other.

30. An apparatus as in claim 28, wherein said characteristic used to regulate said modified signal is magnitude.

31. An apparatus as in claim 28, wherein said modified signal is regulated using a digital signal containing said characteristic of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

32. An apparatus as in claim 28, further comprising an output circuit for generating an output signal from said regulation of said modified signal.

33. An apparatus as in claim 28, wherein said amplifier comprises a plurality of segments.

34. An apparatus as in claim 33, wherein one or more of said segments comprises a power amplifier.

35. An apparatus as in claim 34, further comprising a combining circuit for combining an output from one or more of said segments, wherein said combining circuit comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of power transformers, quarter-wave transmission lines, discrete LC components, and a Pi-network.

36. An apparatus as in claim 33, wherein one or more of said segments is a current source that contributes current to an output signal.

37. An apparatus as in claim 28, wherein said received modified signal contains only one of said two or more signals used to derive said modified signal.

38. An apparatus as in claim 28, further comprising:

a source of a carrier wave;

a phase shifter for phase shifting said carrier wave to generate a phase shifted carrier wave;

a mixer for mixing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said carrier wave; and

another mixer for mixing a characteristic of another of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said phase shifted carrier wave.

39. An apparatus as in claim 38, wherein said carrier wave is an RF signal.

40. An apparatus as in claim 38, wherein said carrier wave and said phase shifted carrier wave have a relative phase difference of 90 °

.

41. An apparatus as in claim 28, further comprising a signal generator for generating said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

42. An apparatus as in claim 41, further comprising a signal processor for processing one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

43. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein said signal processor is programmed to do one or more selected from the group consisting of performing correction of an amplitude characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, correction of a phase characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, and filtering of one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

44. An apparatus for electromagnetic processing of an input wave comprising:

an amplifier having at least one amplifying segment for receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined;

a comparator for comparing said characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said characteristic of at least another of said two or more signals to generate a digital control signal; and

a control circuit for regulating said modified signal across said at least one amplifying segment using said digital control signal.

45. An apparatus as in claim 44, wherein said characteristics of each of said two or more signals have at least two states that signify on and off, and wherein said comparator comprises a logic circuit that passes an on signal to said amplifying segment if any of said characteristic of said two or more signals is in an on state.

46. An apparatus as in claim 45, further comprising:

a switching circuit for receiving said characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined, and a portion of said modified signal derived from said one of said two or more signals, wherein said switching circuit is configured to output said portion of said modified signal if said characteristic of said one signal is in said on state;

another switching circuit for receiving said characteristic of said another of said two or more signals and another portion of said modified signal derived from said another of said two or more signals, wherein said another switching circuit is configured to output said another portion of said modified signal if said characteristic of said another signal is in said on state; and

a combiner circuit for combining said output from said switching circuit and said another switching circuit for inputting into said amplifying segment.

47. An apparatus for transmitting an input wave comprising:

a signal generator for generating two or more digital signals that represent said input wave when combined;

a signal modulator for modulating a carrier wave with a characteristic of at least one of said two or more digital signals to generate a modulated signal and for modulating a phase shifted carrier wave with a characteristic of another of said two or more digital signals to generate a phase shifted modulated signal;

a comparator for comparing at least another characteristic of said two or more digital signals that represent said input wave when combined with said characteristic of another of said two or more digital signals to generate at least one digital control signal;

an amplifier having at least one amplifying segment for receiving said modulated signal and said phase shifted modulated signal;

a controller for controlling said at least one amplifying segment with said at least one digital control signal to generate at least one segment output; and

an output circuit for transmitting an output signal based upon said at least one output segment.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said two or more digital signals comprise an in-phase and a quadrature signal.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said characteristic used to generate said control signal is magnitude.

50. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said characteristic used to modulate said carrier wave is sign.

51. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said carrier wave is an RF signal.

52. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said segment is a power amplifier.

53. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein said segment is a current source.

54. A method for electromagnetic processing of an input wave comprising the steps of:

receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent an input wave when combined; and

regulating said modified signal via a plurality of segments using a comparison of at least one characteristic of one of said two or more signals with said at least one characteristic of another of said two or more signals, wherein one or more of the segments is independently controlled as a power amplifier by a portion of the two or more signals that represent the input wave to contribute power to an output signal.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein one or more of the segments is independently controlled as a current source by said portion of the two or more signals that represent the input wave to contribute current to an output signal.