Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including waveform distortion compensation embodiments

• US 7,945,224 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• 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): Le; Lana N
• Application Number:
  US11/509,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20070026822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.3, 4551271-1275, 4551141-1143, 330/10, 330/295, 330/296, 330/297, 330/96
• US Class Current: 455/127.1
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 5/00 Amplitude modulation and angle modulation produced simultaneously or at will by the same modulating signal H03C7/00 takes precedence
• 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 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0233 by using a signal derived from the output signal, e.g. bootstrapping the voltage supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3205 in field-effect transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3223 using feed-forward H03F1/3211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/336 A I/Q, i.e. phase quadrature, modulator or demodulator being used in an amplifying circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/387 A circuit being added at the output of an amplifier to adapt the output impedance of the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/451 the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2201/3215 To increase the output power or efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/193 with field-effect devices H03F3/195 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/45071 with semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/3042 in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers transmission power control in bidirectional transmission systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0483 : Transmitters with multiple parallel paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/045 : with means for improving efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0491 : with frequency synthesizers, frequency converters or modulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/20 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/36 : Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• 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. An apparatus for power amplification, comprising:

input circuitry that generates a plurality of control signals;

modulation circuitry that receives said control signals and a frequency reference signal, and that generates a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals using said frequency reference signal and said control signals; and

a plurality of multiple-input single-output (MISO) amplifiers each amplifying and combining a subset of said substantially constant envelope signals to generate an output signal;

wherein said input circuitry compensates for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal by adjusting a magnitude to phase shift transform of a transfer function of said input circuitry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input circuitry factors in said estimate waveform distortion in generating said plurality of control signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said MISO amplifiers support different output frequency bands.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said MISO amplifiers support different output technology modes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input circuitry compensates for said estimated waveform distortion in said output signal by tuning said plurality of control signals prior to being received by said modulation circuitry.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a SiGe MISO amplifier, and at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a GaAs MISO amplifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a CMOS MISO amplifier, and at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a GaAs MISO amplifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a CMOS MISO amplifier, and at least one of said MISO amplifiers comprises a SiGe MISO amplifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said modulation circuitry compensates for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal by magnitude tuning said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said modulation circuitry compensates for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal by phase shift tuning said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said modulation circuitry compensates for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal by waveshaping said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

12. A method of power amplification, comprising:

generating a plurality of control signals;

generating a plurality of substantially constant envelope signals using a frequency reference signal and said control signals; and

amplifying and combining said substantially constant envelope signals by one of a plurality of MISO amplifiers to generate an output signal;

wherein generating said plurality of control signals comprises compensating for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal;

wherein said compensating for estimated waveform distortion comprises adjusting a magnitude to phase shift transform of a transfer function used in generating said plurality of control signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said MISO amplifiers support different output frequency bands.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said MISO amplifiers support different output technology modes.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein compensating for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal comprises magnitude tuning said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein compensating for estimated waveform distortion in said output signal comprises phase shift tuning said plurality of substantially constant envelope signals.