Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including Cartesian-Polar-Cartesian-Polar (CPCP) embodiments

• US 8,280,321 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Gregory S., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US11/599,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20070066251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 455/102, 455/108, 455/109, 455/110, 455/126, 4551271-1275, 455/114.3, 330/10, 330/295, 330/296, 330/297, 330/96, 375/297, 375/266, 375/271
• US Class Current: 455/108
• 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 at least one of power transmission, modulation and amplification, comprising:

first circuitry operable to generate, based on an input signal, a common amplitude control signal, in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals, and in-phase and quadrature phase phase control signals;

second circuitry operable to receive a frequency reference signal and said phase control signals, and to generate a phase angle controlled frequency reference signal;

third circuitry, comprising;

a first branch operable to generate a first substantially constant envelope signal based on the common amplitude control signal, the phase angle controlled frequency reference signal, and the in-phase amplitude control signal; and

a second branch operation to generate a second substantially constant envelope signal based on the common amplitude control signal, the phase angle controlled frequency reference signal, and the quadrature phase amplitude control signal; and

fourth circuitry operable to amplify and combine said first and second substantially constant envelope signals to generate a desired output signal, wherein the desired output signal is an amplified version of the input signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said third circuitry comprises a plurality of vector modulators.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fourth circuitry is a multiple-input single-output (MISO) amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fourth circuitry individually amplifies said first and second substantially constant envelope signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said amplified first and second substantially constant envelope signals are in phase.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

fifth circuitry operable to determine at least one of (a) a desired bias control signal from said input signal and (b) a desired phase difference between said first and second substantially constant envelope signals.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said fourth circuitry is operable to use at least one of (1) said desired bias control signal and (2) said desired phase difference to vary instantaneous signal output power.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input signal is a baseband signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

fifth circuitry operable to compensate for process variations in circuitry of said apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said fifth circuitry comprises one or more process detectors.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said third circuitry is operable to generate said first and second substantially constant envelope signals using a normalized version of a time-varying complex envelope signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

circuitry operable to manipulate at least one of phase and amplitude of said time-varying complex envelope signal to generate said normalized version of said time-varying complex envelope signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said phase angle controlled frequency reference signal has a phase shift angle that is a function of a ratio between said in-phase and quadrature phase phase control signals.

14. A method for amplifying, comprising:

generating, based on an input signal, a common amplitude control signal, in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals, and in-phase and quadrature phase phase control signals;

generating a phase angle controlled frequency reference signal based on a frequency reference signal and said phase control signals;

generating a first substantially constant envelope signal based on the common amplitude control signal, the phase angle controlled frequency reference signal, and the in-phase amplitude control signal;

generating a second substantially constant envelope signal based on the common amplitude control signal, the phase angle controlled frequency reference signal, and the quadrature phase amplitude control signal; and

amplifying and combining said first and second substantially constant envelope signals to generate a desired output signal, wherein the desired output signal is an amplified version of the input signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said amplifying and combining step comprises individually amplifying said first and second substantially constant envelope signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said amplified first and second substantially constant envelope signals are in phase.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining at least one of (a) a desired bias control signal from said input signal and (b) a desired phase difference between said first and second substantially constant envelope signals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said amplifying and combining step comprises:

using at least one of (1) said desired bias control signal and (2) said desired phase difference to vary instantaneous signal output power.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said input signal is a baseband signal.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

compensating for circuitry process variations.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating said first and second substantially constant envelope signals using a normalized version of a time-varying complex envelope signal.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

manipulating at least one of phase and amplitude of said time-varying complex envelope signal to generate said normalized version of said time-varying complex envelope signal.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said phase angle controlled frequency reference signal has a phase shift angle that is a function of a ratio between said in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude control signals.