RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including embodiments for generating vector modulation control signals

• US 7,620,129 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Rawlins, Michael W, Rawlins, Gregory S, Sorrells, David F
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khai
• Application Number:
  US12/173,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 375/341, 375/329, 375/316, 375/294, 375/295, 375/261, 375/130, 375/344, 375/320, 375/312, 455/110, 455/330, 455/310, 455/127.3, 455/323, 330/52, 330/151, 330/149
• US Class Current: 375/341
• 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 1/3223 using feed-forward H03F1/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence

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.

Claims

1. A method for generating control signals, comprising:

a) receiving an in-phase data component and a quadrature phase data component of a time-varying complex envelope signal;

b) calculating a first phase shift angle between first and second substantially constant envelope constituents of said in-phase data component;

c) calculating a second phase shift angle between first and second substantially constant envelope constituents of said quadrature phase data component;

d) calculating in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals associated with said first and second constant envelope constituents of said in-phase data component;

e) calculating in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals associated with said first and second constant envelope constituents of said quadrature phase data component; and

f) outputting said in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals for said in-phase and quadraturephase data components to a vector modulation stage,

wherein said vector modulation stage uses said in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals for said in-phase and quadrature phase data components to generate substantially constant envelope constituents of said time-varying complex envelope signal.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising converting said amplitude control signals for said in-phase and quadrature data components from digital to analog.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein steps b) and c) are performed in parallel.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein steps d) and e) are performed in parallel.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a combination of steps b) and d) is performed in parallel with a combination of steps c) and e).

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

g) determining a magnitude of said in-phase data component; and

h) determining a magnitude of said quadrature data component.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein said first and second phase shift angles are calculated using said magnitudes of said in-phase and quadrature data components.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein steps g) and h) are performed in parallel.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein a combination of steps b), d), and g) is performed in parallel with a combination of steps c), e), and h).

10. An apparatus for generating control signals from a time-varying complex envelope signal, comprising:

an input interface including a digital input/output (I/O) bus configured to receive an in-phase data component and a quadrature phase data component;

a first phase shift generation module configured to generate a first phase shift angle between first and second substantially constant envelope constituents of said in-phase data component;

a second phase shift generation module configured to generate a second phase shift angle between first and second substantially constant envelope constituents of said quadrature phase data component;

a first signal generation module configured to generate in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals based on said first phase shift angle;

a second signal generation module configured to generate in-phase and quadrature amplitude control signals based on said second phase shift angle; and

an output interface configured to output said generated control signals to a vector modulation stage,

wherein said vector modulation stage uses said control signals to generate substantially constant envelope constituents of said time-varying complex envelope signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a DAC conversion module configured to convert said amplitude control signals for said in-phase and quadrature data components from digital to analog.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a first magnitude generation module configured to determine the magnitude of said in-phase data component; and

a second magnitude generation module configured to determine the magnitude of said quadrature data component.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said first and second phase shift angles are calculated using said magnitudes of said in-phase and quadrature data components.