RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including cartesian 4-branch embodiments
First Claim
1. A method of power amplification, comprising:
- receiving information;
receiving a frequency reference signal in accordance with a desired output signal frequency;
generating in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals using said received information;
generating in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal;
generating first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals;
providing said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals to a MISO (multiple input single output) amplifier comprising two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal of said MISO amplifier.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
105 Claims
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1. A method of power amplification, comprising:
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receiving information; receiving a frequency reference signal in accordance with a desired output signal frequency; generating in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals using said received information; generating in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal; generating first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals; providing said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals to a MISO (multiple input single output) amplifier comprising two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal of said MISO amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:
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input circuitry that receives information, and that generates in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals from said received information; signal generation circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that receives said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and a frequency reference signal, that generates in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal, and that generates first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals; and power amplification circuitry, coupled to said signal generation circuitry, that comprises two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:
input circuitry that includes digital control circuitry and one or more digital-to-analog converters, and that generates in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals from information; vector modulation circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that includes one or more vector modulators, that generates in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals relative to a received frequency reference signal, and that generates first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals; and power amplification circuitry, coupled to said vector modulation circuitry, that includes one or more transistors, wherein outputs of said vector modulation circuitry are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal of said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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96. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:
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input circuitry that receives information, and that generates in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals from said received information; mixer circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that receives said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and a frequency reference signal, that generates in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal, and that generates first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals; and power amplification circuitry, coupled to said mixer circuitry, that comprises two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98, 99)
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100. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:
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input circuitry that receives information, and that generates in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals from said received information; phase shifter circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that receives said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and a frequency reference signal, that generates in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal, and that generates first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals; and power amplification circuitry, coupled to phase shifter circuitry, that comprises two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal. - View Dependent Claims (101, 102, 103)
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104. A method of power amplification, comprising:
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receiving information; receiving a frequency reference signal in accordance with a desired output signal frequency; generating in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals using said received information; generating in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal; generating an even number of substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary frequency reference signals; providing said substantially constant envelope signals to a MISO (multiple input single output) amplifier comprising two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal of said MISO amplifier.
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105. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:
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input circuitry that receives information, and that generates in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals from said received information; signal generation circuitry, coupled to said input circuitry, that receives said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals and a frequency reference signal, that generates in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals relative to said frequency reference signal, and that generates an even number of substantially constant envelope signals using said in-phase and quadrature phase secondary reference signals and said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals; and power amplification circuitry, coupled to said signal generation circuitry, that comprises two or more circuit branches each comprising one or more transistors, wherein said substantially constant envelope signals are amplified and combined to create a desired output signal.
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Specification