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

• US 7,937,106 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US11/508,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20070249388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/143, 455/146, 455/255, 455/275, 455/276.1, 455/303, 455/304, 455/306, 330/260, 330/273, 330/291
• 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 circuit signal paths, each of said circuit signal paths enabling RF transmission in a respective frequency band;

wherein each of said circuit signal paths comprises;

one or more output paths, each of said output paths enabling RF transmission according to a respective technology mode;

an input stage for receiving data from said digital control module;

vector modulation circuitry; and

one or more amplification stages.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output paths comprise output paths for Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) based technology modes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output paths comprise output paths for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) based technology modes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output paths comprise output paths for one or more of:

(a) GSM;

(b) EDGE;

(c) WCDMA; and

(d) CDMA 2000.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more digital-to-analog converters to couple said digital control module to said analog circuitry.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input stage of said analog circuitry further comprises one or more of:

one or more interpolation filters;

one or more anti-aliasing filters; and

one or more switches to couple said input stage to said vector modulation circuitry.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of vector modulators.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of mixers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vector modulation circuitry comprises a plurality of phase shifters.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said amplification stages comprises one or more of:

(i) a pre-driver amplification stage;

(ii) a driver amplification stage; and

(iii) a power amplification (PA) stage.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said analog circuitry further comprises one or more of:

power supply circuitry configured to control and deliver power to circuitry of said analog circuitry;

amplification stage protection circuitry;

feedback circuitry configured to generate and provide feedback signals to said digital control module;

amplification stage bias circuitry; and

an output switching circuitry, said output switching circuitry configured to couple an active circuit signal path of said analog circuitry to a desired output path of said analog circuitry.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said power supply circuitry comprises one or more of:

(a) power supply circuitry configured to control power of active circuit signal paths of said analog circuitry;

(b) driver amplification stage power supply circuitry configured to control power of active driver amplification stages of said analog circuitry;

(c) output stage power supply circuitry configured to control power of active power amplifications stage of said analog circuitry; and

(d) vector modulation power supply circuitry configured to control power of active vector modulation circuitry of said analog circuitry.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said power supply circuitry comprises voltage controlled power supply circuitry.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry comprises Voltage-Standing-Wave-Ratio (VSWR) protection circuitry.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry is coupled to inputs of said power amplification stage.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stage protection circuitry enable an isolator-free WCDMA output path in said analog circuitry.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said feedback circuitry comprises one or more of:

error correction and/or compensation feedback circuitry configured to measure phase and amplitude errors between branches of said PA stage and provide said measured errors to said digital control module; and

output power feedback circuitry configured to measure output power of said apparatus and provide said measured output power to said digital control module.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said error correction and/or compensation circuitry comprises a differential branch phase measurement circuitry and a differential branch amplitude measurement circuitry, coupled to inputs of said PA stage.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stage bias circuitry comprises one or more of:

driver stage autobias circuitry coupled to inputs of said driver amplification stage; and

output stage autobias circuitry coupled to inputs of said power amplification stage.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stages, said output switching circuitry, said amplification stage protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe).

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stages are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) and said output switching circuitry is fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs).

22. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said power amplification (PA) stage and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and said pre-driver amplification stage, said driver amplification stage, said amplification stage protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Gen ianium (SiGe).

23. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said power amplification (PA) stage, said driver amplification stage, and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs) and said pre-driver amplification stage, said amplification protection circuitry, and portions of said feedback circuitry are fabricated using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe).

24. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said amplification stages and said output switching circuitry are fabricated using Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs).

25. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein portions of said analog circuitry are fabricated using (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) CMOS material.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said amplification stages comprise a multiple input single output (MISO) amplifier.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein portions of each of said circuit signal paths of said analog circuitry are fabricated using one or more of:

(a) Silicon-Germanium (SiGe);

(b) Gallium-Arsenide (GaAs); and

(c) (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) CMOS material.