Amplifier with varying supply voltage and input attenuation based upon supply voltage
First Claim
1. A radio frequency amplifier module, comprising:
- a voltage monitor that monitors an input supply voltage of an input power supply;
an adjustable attenuator that attenuates an input signal used to produce a radio frequency signal, the radio frequency signal having a time varying power envelope;
an adjustable power supply that produces, from the input power supply, an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage;
an amplifier, supplied by the adjustable power supply output, that linearly amplifies a radio frequency signal, the amplifier producing an amplified radio frequency signal having an output power level; and
an output controller, communicatively coupled to the voltage monitor, the adjustable attenuator, and the adjustable power supply, wherein the output controllerdetermines, based on a level of the input supply voltage, a reduced power level that is a difference between a desired radio frequency output power level and a power cutback level, the power cutback level being based upon the level of the input supply voltage, andadjusts, in response to the level of the input supply voltage, the output power level of the amplified radio frequency signal to the reduced power level by adjusting the adjustable attenuator and by adjusting the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output to an adjusted voltage so as to cause the amplifier to linearly operate at the reduced power level that is substantially at a pre-determined output power compression level.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A radio frequency amplifier module (500) has a voltage monitor (546) that monitors an input supply voltage of an input power supply (534) and an adjustable power supply (512) that accepts power from the input power supply (534) and produces an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage. The radio frequency amplifier module (500) further has an amplifier (402) that is supplied by the adjustable power supply output and that amplifies a radio frequency signal. The radio frequency amplifier module (500) also has an output controller (546) that is communicatively coupled to the voltage monitor and the adjustable power supply (512). The output controller (546) controls, in response to the input source voltage, the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output.
109 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A radio frequency amplifier module, comprising:
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a voltage monitor that monitors an input supply voltage of an input power supply; an adjustable attenuator that attenuates an input signal used to produce a radio frequency signal, the radio frequency signal having a time varying power envelope; an adjustable power supply that produces, from the input power supply, an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage; an amplifier, supplied by the adjustable power supply output, that linearly amplifies a radio frequency signal, the amplifier producing an amplified radio frequency signal having an output power level; and an output controller, communicatively coupled to the voltage monitor, the adjustable attenuator, and the adjustable power supply, wherein the output controller determines, based on a level of the input supply voltage, a reduced power level that is a difference between a desired radio frequency output power level and a power cutback level, the power cutback level being based upon the level of the input supply voltage, and adjusts, in response to the level of the input supply voltage, the output power level of the amplified radio frequency signal to the reduced power level by adjusting the adjustable attenuator and by adjusting the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output to an adjusted voltage so as to cause the amplifier to linearly operate at the reduced power level that is substantially at a pre-determined output power compression level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for controlling an amplifier, the method comprising:
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monitoring an input supply voltage of an input power supply; producing, from the input power supply, an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage; linearly amplifying a radio frequency signal with an amplifier supplied by the adjustable power supply output to produce an amplified radio frequency signal having an output power level, the radio frequency signal having a time varying power envelope; determining, based on a level of the input supply voltage, a reduced power level that is a difference between a desired radio frequency output power level and a power cutback level, the power cutback level being based upon the level of the input supply voltage, and adjusting, in response to the level of the input source supply voltage, the output power level of the amplified radio frequency signal to the reduced power level, the adjusting comprising; adjusting an adjustable attenuator that attenuates an input signal used to produce the radio frequency signal; and adjusting the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output to an adjusted voltage so as to cause the amplifier to linearly operate at the reduced power level that is substantially at a pre-determined output power compression level. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer program product for controlling an amplifier, the computer program product comprising:
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a machine readable medium storing machine readable instructions adapted to be read and executed by a processing circuit for performing a method comrprising; monitoring an input supply voltage of an input power supply; producing, from the input power supply, an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage; linearly amplifying a radio frequency signal with an amplifier supplied by the adjustable power supply output to produce an amplified radio frequency signal having an output power level, the radio frequency signal having a time varying power envelope; determining, based on a level of the input supply voltage, a reduced power level that is a difference between a desired radio frequency output power level and a power cutback level, the power cutback level being based upon the level of the input supply voltage, and adjusting, in response to the level of the input source supply voltage, the output power level of the amplified radio frequency signal to the reduced power level, the adjusting comprising; adjusting an adjustable attenuator that attenuates an input signal used to produce the radio frequency signal; and adjusting the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output to an adjusted voltage so as to cause the amplifier to linearly operate at the reduced power level that is substantially at a pre-determined output power compression level.
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17. A wireless communication device, comprising:
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an antenna; an input power supply; a circuit supporting substrate; and a radio frequency amplifier circuit disposed on the circuit supporting substrate and electrically coupled to the antenna, and wherein the radio frequency amplifier circuit comprising; a voltage monitor that monitors an input supply voltage of an input power supply; an adjustable attenuator that attenuates an input signal used to produce a radio frequency signal, the radio frequency signal having a time varying power envelope; an adjustable power supply that produces, from the input power supply, an adjustable power supply output that has a controllable voltage; an amplifier, supplied by the adjustable power supply output, that linearly amplifies a radio frequency signal, the amplifier producing an amplified radio frequency signal having an output power level; and an output controller, communicatively coupled to the voltage monitor, the adjustable attenuator, and the adjustable power supply, wherein the output controller determines, based on a level of the input supply voltage, a reduced power level that is a difference between a desired radio frequency output power level and a power cutback level, the power cutback level being based upon the level of the input supply voltage, and adjusts, in response to the level of the input supply voltage, the output power level of the amplified radio frequency signal to the reduced power level by adjusting the adjustable attenuator and by adjusting the controllable voltage of the adjustable power supply output to an adjusted voltage so as to cause the amplifier to linearly operate at the reduced power level that is substantially at a pre-determined output power compression level. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification