Apparatus and method of correcting output characteristics in a power combination apparatus

• US 9,264,024 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Shin, Kwan-Ho, Im, Yong-Sik, Cho, Young-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, CASSANDRA F
• Application Number:
  US14/430,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2200/153 Feedback used to stabilise the amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 2203/21106 An input signal being distributed in parallel over the inputs of a plurality of power amplifiers
• 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: H03K 2005/00013 Delay, i.e. output pulse is delayed after input pulse and pulse length of output pulse is dependent on pulse length of input pulse
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2005/00286 Phase shifter, i.e. the delay between the output and input pulse is dependent on the frequency, and such that a phase difference is obtained independent of the frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/01 Shaping pulses discrimination against noise or interference H03K5/125

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of correcting output characteristics in a power combination apparatus are provided. The method includes synchronizing Digital UpConverters (DUCs) included in a plurality of power amplifiers, adjusting a fine delay between signals outputted by the DUCs based on a Frequency Assignment (FA), combining fine delay-compensated signals output from the plurality of power amplifiers, and outputting the combined signal.

Claims

1. A method of correcting output characteristics in a power combination apparatus, the method comprising:

synchronizing digital up-converters (DUCs) included in a plurality of power amplifiers;

adjusting a fine delay between signals outputted from the DUCs based on a frequency assignment (FA);

combining fine delay-compensated signals output from the plurality of power amplifiers; and

outputting the combined signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a combination gain acquired from the combined signal does not satisfy a predetermined threshold, shifting a phase of an output signal of a master power amplifier being one of the plurality of power amplifiers by a predetermined value, the output signal of the master power amplifier being a signal processed by crest factor reduction to amplify the fine delay-adjusted signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of each of the plurality of power amplifiers and shifting a phase of an output signal of a master power amplifier being one of the plurality of power amplifiers using a value mapped to the monitored VSWRs in a look-up table, the output signal of the master power amplifier being a signal processed by crest factor reduction to amplify the fine delay-adjusted signal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising fine-adjusting phases of crest factor-reduced output signals until the VSWR of each of the output signals of the plurality of power amplifiers reaches a target level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fine delay adjustment comprises adjusting the fine delay by buffering the signals processed based on the FA by the DUCs.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, upon generation of a predetermined event based on monitoring of the VSWRs of the plurality of power amplifiers, performing at least one of a phase shifting operating using the look-up table and the fine-phase adjustment after the fine delay is compensated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the event is generated when at least one of the VSWRs of the plurality of power amplifiers is kept at or below a threshold level for a predetermined time.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising fine-adjusting phases of crest factor-reduced output signals until the VSWR of each of the output signals of the plurality of power amplifiers reaches a target level.

9. A power combination apparatus comprising:

a plurality of power amplifiers;

a combiner configured to combine signals output from the plurality of power amplifiers and to output the combined signal; and

a controller configured to control the plurality of power amplifiers to synchronize digital up-converters (DUCs) included the plurality of power amplifiers and adjust a fine delay between signals outputted by the DUCs based on a frequency assignment (FA).

10. The power combination apparatus of claim 9, wherein if a combination gain acquired from the combined signal does not satisfy a predetermined threshold, the controller controls a master power amplifier being one of the plurality of power amplifiers to shift a phase of an output signal of the master power amplifier by a predetermined value, the output signal of the master power amplifier being a signal processed by crest factor reduction to amplify the fine delay-adjusted signal.

11. The power combination apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller monitors a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of each of the plurality of power amplifiers and controls a master power amplifier being one of the plurality of power amplifiers to shift a phase of an output signal of the master power amplifier using a value mapped to the monitored VSWRs in a look-up table, the output signal of the master power amplifier being a signal processed by crest factor reduction to amplify the fine delay-adjusted signal.

12. The power combination apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls the plurality of power amplifiers to fine-adjust phases of crest factor-reduced output signals until the VSWRs of output signals of the plurality of power amplifiers reach a target level.

13. The power combination apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of power amplifiers comprises:

a buffer configured to buffer a signal processed based on an FA by a DUC of the power amplifier under control of the controller, for the fine delay compensation; and

a phase rotator configured to shift the phase of a crest factor-reduced output signal or to fine-adjust the phase of the crest factor-reduced output signal under control of the controller.

16. The power combination apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller controls the plurality of power amplifiers to fine-adjust phases of crest factor-reduced output signals until the VSWRs of output signals of the plurality of power amplifiers reach a target level.

14. The power combination apparatus of 12, wherein upon generation of a predetermined event based on monitoring of the VSWRs of the plurality of power amplifiers, the controller controls the plurality of power amplifiers to perform at least one of a phase shifting operating using the look-up table and the fine-phase adjustment after the fine delay is compensated.

15. The power combination apparatus of claim 14, wherein the event is generated when at least one of the VSWRs of the plurality of power amplifiers is kept at or below a threshold level for a predetermined time.