Cross-differential amplifier

• US 7,646,249 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hajimiri, Seyed-Ali, Aoki, Ichiro, Kee, Scott D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOE, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US12/075,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 330/297, 330/146, 330/51, 330/296, 330/285, 330/298
• US Class Current: 330/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/507 A switch being used for switching on or off a supply or supplying circuit in an IC-block amplifier circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/537 A transformer being used as coupling element between two amplifying stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/541 Transformer coupled at the output of an amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45464 the CSC comprising one or more coils
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45704 the LC comprising one or more parallel resonance circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/45731 the LC comprising a transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/04 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/191 Tuned amplifiers H03F3/193, H03F3/195 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/217 Class D power amplifiers; Switching amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45475 using IC blocks as the active amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/605 Distributed amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/68 Combinations of amplifiers, e.g. multi-channel amplifiers for stereophonics power amplifiers using a combination of several semiconductor amplifiers H03F3/211; combinations of amplifiers using coupling networks with distributed constants H03F3/602

Abstract

A cross-differential amplifier is provided. The cross-differential amplifier includes an inductor connected to a direct current power source at a first terminal. A first and second switch, such as transistors, are connected to the inductor at a second terminal. A first and second amplifier are connected at their supply terminals to the first and second switch. The first and second switches are operated to commutate the inductor between the amplifiers so as to provide an amplified signal while limiting the ripple voltage on the inductor and thus limiting the maximum voltage imposed across the amplifiers and switches.

Claims

1. A device for amplifying a signal amplifier comprising:

an inductor connected to a power source at a first terminal;

two or more amplifiers for providing power to a load connected to an output; and

two or more switches, each connected between one of the amplifiers and the inductor for commutating the inductor between the two or more amplifiers, wherein the two or more amplifiers are for providing power to the load in a first mode of operation and are for commutating the inductor between the two or more switches in a second mode of operation, and the two or more switches are for commutating the inductor between the two or more amplifiers in the first mode of operation and are for providing power the load in the second mode of operation.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a class inverse F load coupled to the output.

3. The device of claim 1 comprising a class D load coupled to the output.

4. The device of claim 1 comprising a class E/F_XX load coupled to the output.

5. The device of claim 1 comprising a class E/F_odd load coupled to the output.

6. The device of claim 1 comprising a class E load coupled to the output.

7. The device of claim 1 comprising a class E/F_XX load coupled to the output.

8. A method for operating an amplifier comprising:

operating a first device and a second device to amplify an input signal to generate an output;

operating a third device and a fourth device to commutate an inductor between the first device and the second device;

operating the first device and the second device to generate the output in a first mode of operation;

operating the third device and the fourth device to commutate the inductor between the first device and the second device in the first mode of operation;

operating the first device and the second device to commutate the inductor between the third device and the fourth device in a second mode of operation; and

operating the third device and the fourth device to generate the output in the second mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising operating the amplifier at a radio frequency of operation.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising operating the third device and the fourth device as switches.

11. The method of claim 8 comprising operating the third device and the fourth device as switches in an alternating manner to reduce a voltage ripple on an inductor.