Waveforms for envelope tracking transmitter

• US 7,551,688 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kesti, Jarkko, Matero, Jorma
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghayour; Mohammad H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vlahos; Sophia
• Application Number:
  US10/127,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 455/91, 455/127, 455/108, 455/115.1, 455/127.1, 455/126, 455/115, 455/129, 455/136, 455/13.4, 455/63, 455/93, 455/102, 455/117, 455/139, 455/149, 455/256.1, 455/245, 455/127.2, 455/114, 455/114.3, 330/129, 330/149, 330/199, 330/136, 330/285, 330/297, 330/260, 330/100, 330/200, 330/124, 330/151, 330/51, 330/91, 330/127, 375295-297, 375/298, 375/345, 333213-214
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0227 using supply converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/368 adaptive predistortion

Abstract

A method and device for improving the efficiency of an envelope tracking transmitter in which a power amplifier for coupling modulated signals in a carrier frequency to an antenna for transmission. The transmitter comprises a power supply for providing a supply voltage to the power amplifier, and a computation means for providing a waveform indicative of the envelope of the modulated signal to the power supply in order to modify the supply voltage. A lower limit is imposed to the waveform so that the supply voltage to the power supply is always greater than a predetermined value. Moreover, when information is transmitted in times slots which are started and ended by ramp periods, a constant signal, based on the root-mean-square value of the waveform, is used to modify the waveform so that the supply voltage to the power amplifier includes a constant voltage level in the ramp periods.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a modulated signal in a carrier frequency indicative of baseband data;

providing a supply voltage for adjusting the modulated signal for providing a transmission signal for transmission in a transmitter for transmitting information, wherein the baseband data is indicative of the information;

providing a voltage reference level for controlling a gain in said adjusting;

modifying the supply voltage with a waveform indicative of an envelope of the baseband data; and

imposing a lower limit to the waveform prior to providing the waveform for said modifying such that the supply voltage is always greater than a predetermined value, wherein said lower limit is computed at least partly based on transmit power level information, indicative of the voltage reference level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the baseband data is indicative of information transmitted in the carrier frequency in a plurality of time slots, and wherein the time slots are started and ended by ramp periods containing no information in the carrier frequency, said method further comprising

further imposing a substantially constant signal to the waveform such that the supply voltage includes a substantially constant voltage level in the ramp periods.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the substantially constant voltage level is computed based on the waveform prior to said further imposing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein

the substantially constant voltage level comprises a level computed based on a root-mean-square value of the waveform prior to said further imposing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

providing a direct current-offset to the waveform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting comprises a plurality of amplification stages, and wherein

the supply voltage of one or more of the amplification stages is modified by the waveform.

7. A transmitter comprising:

a signal processor for providing baseband data indicative of information for transmission;

a modulating mechanism, responsive to the baseband data, for providing a modulated signal in a carrier frequency indicative of the baseband data;

an amplifier, responsive to the modulated signal, for providing transmission signals for transmission;

a power control module for providing a voltage reference level to the amplifier for controlling a gain of the amplifier and for providing transmit power level information;

a power supply for providing a supply voltage to the amplifier;

a computation module, responsive to the baseband data, for providing a waveform to the power supply for modifying the supply voltage, the waveform indicative of an envelope of the baseband data, wherein a lower limit is imposed to the waveform prior to providing the waveform to the power supply such that the supply voltage to the amplifier is always greater than a predetermined value, and wherein the lower limit is computed at least partly based on the transmit power level information provided by the power control module.

8. The transmitter of claim 7, wherein the information is transmitted in a plurality of time slots, and wherein the time slots are started and ended by ramp periods containing no information in the carrier frequency, wherein the power control module is adapted for modifying the waveform by providing a substantially constant signal thereto such that the supply voltage to the amplifier includes a substantially constant voltage level in the ramp periods.

9. The transmitter of claim 8, wherein

the substantially constant voltage level comprises a level computed based on the waveform prior to said modifying.

10. The transmitter of claim 8, wherein

the substantially constant voltage level comprises a level computed based on a root-mean-square value of the waveform prior to said modifying.

11. The transmitter of claim 7, further comprising a module for providing a direct current-offset to the waveform.

12. The transmitter of claim 7, transmitting the information in a further carrier frequency different from the carrier frequency, wherein

the modulating mechanism is also capable of providing a further modulated signal in the further carrier frequency indicative of the baseband data, said transmitter further comprising a further amplifier, responsive to the further modulated signal, for providing further transmission signals for transmission, wherein

the power supply also provides a further supply voltage to the further amplifier;

and

the computation module, based on the baseband data, also provides a further waveform indicative of an envelope of the baseband data to the power supply for modifying the further supply voltage.

13. The transmitter of claim 12, wherein a further lower limit is imposed to the further waveform prior to providing the further waveform to the power supply such that the further supply voltage to the further amplifier is always greater than a further predetermined value.

14. The transmitter of claim 12, further comprising

a further module, operatively connected to the modulating mechanism, to select between the modulated signal and the further modulated signal for providing either the transmission signals or the further transmission signals for transmission.

15. The transmitter of claim 7, wherein the amplifier comprises a plurality of amplification stages, wherein

the supply voltage of one or more of the amplification states is modified by the waveform.

16. A transmitter for transmitting information comprising:

means, for providing baseband data indicative of the information;

means, responsive to the baseband data, for providing a modulated signal in a carrier frequency indicative of the baseband data;

means for amplifying the modulated signal for providing transmission signals for transmission;

means for controlling a gain of said amplifying means and for providing transmit power level information;

means, for providing a supply voltage to said amplifying means;

means, responsive to the baseband data, for providing a waveform to said voltage supplying means for modifying the supply voltage, the waveform indicative of an envelope of the baseband data, wherein a lower limit is imposed to the waveform prior to providing the waveform to said voltage supplying means such that the supply voltage to said amplifying means is always greater than a predetermined value, and wherein the lower limit is computed at least partly based on the transmit power level information, provided by said controlling means.

17. The transmitter of claim 16, wherein the information is transmitted in a plurality of time slots, and wherein the time slots are started and ended by ramp periods containing no information in the carrier frequency, wherein said controlling means is adapted for modifying the waveform by providing a substantially constant signal thereto such that the supply voltage to said amplifying means includes a substantially constant voltage level in the ramp periods.