Systems and methods of RF power transmission, modulation, and amplification, including embodiments for error correction

• US 9,106,500 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Rawlins, Gregory S., Rawlins, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Zewdu
• Application Number:
  US13/613,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 375/345, 375/316, 330/185
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0205 in transistor amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0261 with control of the polarisation voltage or current, e.g. gliding Class A
• 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 1/32 Modifications of amplifiers to reduce non-linear distortion by negative feedback H03F1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/3241 using predistortion circuits H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take 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 2203/21142 Output signals of a plurality of power amplifiers are parallel combined to a common output
• 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: 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: H04L 27/361 Modulation using a single or unspecified number of carriers, e.g. with separate stages of phase and amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/366 Arrangements for compensating undesirable properties of the transmission path between the modulator and the demodulator

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 for error correction, the method comprising:

receiving, with a receiver, a radio frequency (RF) output signal from a multiple input single output (MISO) device;

scaling an amplitude of the RF output signal to generate a scaled analog signal;

sampling the scaled analog signal to generate a sampled representation of the scaled analog signal;

converting the sampled representation of the scaled analog signal to a digital signal;

calculating a delay between one or more input signals to the MISO device and the RF output signal from the MISO device based on the digital signal; and

adjusting one or more operational parameters of the MISO device based on the delay.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering the sampled representation of the scaled analog signal prior to converting the sampled representation of the scaled analog signal to the digital signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises adjusting one or more operational parameters of the MISO device based on a desired gain for the receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scaling comprises scaling the amplitude of the RF output signal from the MISO device to a dynamic range of an analog-to-digital converter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sampling comprises sampling I and Q data components of the RF output signal from the MISO device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting at least one of a gain balance control, an output stage autobias, a driver stage autobias, or a combination thereof of the MISO device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises aligning I and Q signal inputs to the MISO device based on sampled I and Q data components of the RF output signal from the MISO device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting comprises operating the MISO device in one or more classes of operation.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises coupling the receiver to an output of the MISO device.

7. A system for error correction, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) output signal from a multiple input single output (MISO) device;

an automatic gain controller (AGC) configured to scale the RF output signal to generate a scaled analog signal;

a sample-and-hold (S/H) circuit configured to sample the scaled analog signal to generate a sampled representation of the scaled analog signal;

an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to convert the sampled representation of the scaled analog signal from the S/H circuit to a digital signal; and

a digital control module configured to;

calculate a delay between one or more input signals to the MISO device and the RF output signal from the MISO device based on the digital signal; and

adjust one or more operational parameters of the MISO device based on the delay.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an interpolation filter configured to filter the sampled representation of the scaled analog signal from the S/H circuit prior to conversion to the digital signal by the ADC.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the digital control module is configured to adjust the one or more operational parameters of the MISO device based on a desired gain for the receiver.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the AGC is configured to scale the amplitude of the RF output signal from the MISO device to a dynamic range of the ADC.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the RF output signal from the MISO device varies based on a class of operation of the MISO device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the RF output signal from the MISO device comprises I and Q data components, and wherein the S/H circuit is configured to sample I and Q data components of the RF output signal from the MISO device.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more operational parameters of the MISO device comprise at least one of a gain balance control, an output stage autobias, a driver stage autobias, or a combination thereof.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the MISO device, AGC, S/H circuit, or a combination thereof is operable within a predetermined band of frequencies.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver is coupled to an output of the MISO device.