Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including cartesian 4-branch embodiments

• US 8,351,870 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Gregory S., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US11/599,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 455/102, 455/108, 455/110
• US Class Current: 455/102
• 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. A method comprising:

phase splitting a reference data signal to generate first and second sets of in-phase and quadrature phase signals;

generating, using vector modulators, first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals based on the first and second sets of in-phase and quadrature phase signals;

amplifying, using an amplifier, the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals; and

generating, using a summing device, an output signal based summing the amplified first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals,

wherein the generating the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals further comprises;

determining relative phase angle and magnitude; and

processing the determined relative phase angle and magnitude to generate the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase control signals;

wherein the determining step comprises;

determining a phase shift relative to the reference signal; and

determining a complex envelope;

wherein the processing further comprises;

determining first and second phase shift angles using the complex envelope,

wherein the first phase shift angle is equal to a phase difference between the first and second substantially constant envelope signals, and

wherein the second phase shift angle is equal to a phase difference between the third and fourth substantially constant envelope signals; and

using the phase shift and the phase shift angles to generate the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reference signal is based on one or more analog or digital baseband information signals, analog or digital in-phase and quadrature phase baseband information signals, time-varying radio frequency (RF) signals, or in-phase and quadrature phase radio frequency (RF) signals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second phase shift angles are determined respectively according to:

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals are generated according to:

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second phase shift angles are determined respectively according to:

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals are, generated according to:

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals further comprises:

converting from digital to analog the first set of generated in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals further comprises:

interpolation filtering the generated first set of in-phase and quadrature phase amplitude signals.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating the first set of in-phase and quadrature phase signals comprises:

using transfer functions generated to allow simultaneous amplification and combination of the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

controlling biasing of one or more power amplification stages of the amplifier.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a bias control function to control one or more of output power efficiency, output linearity, and amplification stage protection of the amplifier.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

non-linearly power amplifying the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

harmonically shaping the output signal.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals are combined using one or more biasing control functions.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

combining the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals with substantially no electrical or magnetic isolation or substantially no resistive, inductive, or capacitive components between the substantially constant envelope signals.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier comprises:

combining the first, second, third, and fourth substantially constant envelope signals by connecting collector or emitter terminals of two or more transistors of the amplifier or by connecting drain or source terminals of two or more transistors of the amplifier.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amplifying comprises:

dynamically controlling transistors of circuit branches of the amplifier to thereby transition operation of the transistors along an operational range that includes switching amplifier operation and current source amplifier operation.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amplifying comprises:

simultaneously controlling an input differential phase and a bias of transistors in the amplifier based on requirements of a desired output signal.