Electromagnetic wave transmitter, receiver and transceiver systems, methods and articles of manufacture

• US 7,751,496 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.), M/S Com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pine Valley Investments, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Walid Khairy Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sam K
• Application Number:
  US10/606,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20050226340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 375/295, 375/296, 375/297, 330/254, 330/295, 330/84, 330/88, 330/124.R, 330/125, 330/133, 330/200, 455/114.3, 455/127.3, 455/253.2
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/361 Modulation using a single or unspecified number of carriers, e.g. with separate stages of phase and amplitude modulation

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for electromagnetic processing of an input wave involving the steps of receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent the input wave when combined; and regulating the modified signal using a digital signal containing at least one characteristic of the two or more signals. Embodiments of the invention may utilize in-phase and quadrature phase signals, where the magnitude portion of the signals may be used for regulating the modified signal. The modified signal may be created by modulating a characteristic of the I, Q signals, such as their sign, with an RF or other frequency carrier wave.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting an input wave comprising the steps of:

generating two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined;

modulating a carrier wave with at least one characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals to generate a modulated signal;

modulating a phase shifted carrier wave with a characteristic of another of said two or more signals to generate a phase shifted modulated signal;

inputting said modulated signal and said phase shifted modulated signal into an amplifier having at least two amplifying segments;

controlling at least one of said amplifying segments with a digital control signal containing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined to generate at least one segment output;

controlling at least another of said amplifying segments with another digital control signal containing a characteristic of another of said two or more digital signals that represent said input wave when combined to generate at least one other segment output;

transmitting an output signal based upon said at least one segment output and said at least one other segment output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said two or more signals comprise an in-phase and a quadrature signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic used to generate said digital control signals is magnitude.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said characteristic used to modulate said carrier wave is sign.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said carrier wave is a radio frequency (RF) signal.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one segment amplifies power.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one segment is a current source.

8. An apparatus for electromagnetic processing of an input wave comprising:

an amplifier having at least two amplifying segments for receiving a modified signal derived from two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined; and

a control circuit for regulating said modified signal across one amplifying segment using a digital signal containing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals, and for regulating said modified signal across another of said amplifying segments using another digital signal containing a characteristic of another of said two or more signals.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said two or more signals are in quadrature with each other.

10. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said characteristic used to regulate said modified signal is magnitude.

11. An apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising an output circuit for generating an output signal from said regulating of said modified signal.

12. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein one or more of said segments comprises a power amplifier.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12, further comprising a combining circuit for combining an output from one or more of said segments, wherein said combining circuit comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of power transformers, quarter-wave transmission lines, discrete LC components, and Pi-networks.

14. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein one or more of said segments is a current source that contributes current to the output signal.

15. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said received modified signal contains only one of said two or more signals used to derive said modified signal.

16. An apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

a source of a carrier wave;

a phase shifter for phase shifting said carrier wave to generate a phase shifted carrier wave;

a mixer for mixing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said carrier wave; and

another mixer for mixing a characteristic of another of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined with said phase shifted carrier wave.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said carrier wave is a radio frequency (RF) signal.

18. An apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said carrier wave and said phase shifted carrier wave have a relative phase difference of 90°

.

19. An apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a signal generator for generating said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising a signal processor for processing one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

21. An apparatus as in claim 20, wherein said signal processor is programmed to do one or more selected from the group consisting of performing correction of an amplitude characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, correction of a phase characteristic of a carrier wave used in said derivation of said modified signal, and filtering of one or more of said two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined.

22. An apparatus for transmitting an input wave comprising:

a signal generator for generating two or more signals that represent said input wave when combined;

a signal modulator for modulating a carrier wave with a characteristic of at least one of said two or more signals to generate a modulated signal and for modulating a phase shifted carrier wave with a characteristic of another of said two or more signals to generate a phase shifted modulated signal;

an amplifier having at least one amplifying segment for receiving said modulated signal and at least one other amplifying segment for receiving said phase shifted modulated signal;

a controller for controlling said at least one amplifying segment with a digital signal containing a characteristic of one of said two or more signals and for controlling said at least one other amplifying segment with another digital signal containing a characteristic of another of said two or more signals to generate at least one segment output; and

an output circuit for transmitting an output signal based upon said at least one output segment.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said two or more signals comprise an in-phase and a quadrature signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said characteristic used to generate said control signal is magnitude.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said characteristic used to modulate said carrier wave is sign.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said carrier wave is a radio frequency (RF) signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said at least one segment is a power amplifier.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said at least one segment is a current source.