Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including architectural embodiments of same

• US 7,885,682 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Rawlins, Gregory S., Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/725,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/127.4, 455/143, 455/275, 455/303, 455/43, 455/130, 330/2, 330/69, 330/258
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03D 7/165 at least two frequency changers being located in different paths, e.g. in two paths with carriers in quadrature combined with amplitude demodulation H03D1/2245, combined with angle demodulation H03D3/007; N-path filters H03H19/002
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/30 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce influence of variations of temperature or supply voltage or other physical parameters in differential amplifiers H03F3/45479
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 17/08 Networks for phase shifting
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/21 providing two or more phase shifted output signals, e.g. n-phase output
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 Transmitters with multiple parallel paths

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. An apparatus for RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, comprising:

a digital control module; and

analog circuitry coupled to said digital control module;

wherein said digital control module comprises;

an input interface;

an output interface; and

a state machine;

wherein said analog circuitry comprises;

a plurality of transmission paths, each of said transmission paths enabling RF transmission in a respective frequency band;

wherein each of said transmission paths comprises a plurality of output paths, each of said output paths enabling RF transmission according to a respective technology mode; and

a receiver-based feedback path, including a receiver that receives an active output of one of said output paths, generates in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) information from said active output, and provides said I and Q information to said digital control module, wherein said receiver-based feedback path includes a first band path and a second band path, each of said first band path and second band path including an automatic gain controller, I and Q sample-and-hold circuitry, and switching circuitry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of transmission paths supports both TDD (Time Division Duplexing) and FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) technology modes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiver-based feedback path includes a switch, controlled by said digital control module, that couples either the first band path or the second band path to the digital control module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital control module controls said switching circuitry to alternately couple said I and Q information to the digital control module.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of transmission paths include a lower band transmission path and an upper band transmission path.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein only one said plurality of transmission paths is active based on a selected frequency band of operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the analog circuitry includes power supply circuitry that control and deliver power to components of the analog circuitry.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the digital control module controls the power supply circuitry of the analog circuitry to turn on active portions of the analog circuitry and to turn off inactive portions of the analog circuitry.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of transmission paths includes an input stage that receives data signals from the digital control module and a vector modulation stage that generates substantially constant envelope signals from said data signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the input stage includes interpolation filter circuitry.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the vector modulation stage includes a plurality of vector modulators.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of frequency synthesizers that generate radio frequencies in a lower frequency band range and an upper frequency band range.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said plurality of frequency synthesizers provide respective clock signals to said vector modulation stage.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said vector modulation stage modulates said data signals with appropriately derived versions of said respective clock signals to generate said substantially constant envelope signals.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the digital control module selectively turns on one of said plurality of frequency synthesizers according to a selected frequency band of operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the digital control module controls said vector modulation stage using a phase balance control signal to cause a change in phase in said substantially constant envelope signals.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, each of said plurality of transmission paths further includes at least one power amplification stage, including a multiple-input-single-output (MISO) amplifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the digital control module controls said at least one power amplification stage using a gain balance control signal to cause a change in gain in the MISO amplifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of transmission paths includes a respective switch that couples an output of said MISO amplifier to said active output of said plurality of output paths based on a selected technology mode of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the digital control module controls said respective switch using a set of output select signals.