Digital outphasing transmitter architecture

• US 20080075194A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Palaskas, Yorgos, Ravi, Ashoke, Nicholls, Richard B., Somasekhar, Dinesh, Soumyanath, Krishnamurthy, Elmala, Mostafa A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,729,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/297
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0294 using vector summing of two or more constant amplitude phase-modulated signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/211 using a combination of several amplifiers H03F3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/245 with semiconductor devices only
• 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 27/368 adaptive predistortion

Abstract

Architectures including digital outphasing transmitters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing digital amplitude modulation and digital phase modulation on a plurality of base-band sinusoid signals to generate corresponding digital modulated signals;

driving a plurality of power amplifiers with the first digital modulated signals; and

combining output signals from the power amplifiers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting the phase of the modulated signals with one or more semi-digital DAC/filters.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprises two base-band sinusoid signals and the plurality of power amplifiers comprises two power amplifiers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of power amplifiers comprises N power amplifiers where N is an even number greater than 2.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the combined output signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the modulation is performed by a digital delta-sigma modulator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprise two anti-phase signals, the method further comprising:

determining an error in response to the combined output signal from the power amplifiers;

using the error to modify generation of subsequent base-band sinusoid signals.

8. An apparatus comprising:

digital signal generation circuitry to generate at least two base-band sinusoid signals;

bandpass modulation circuitry coupled to receive the base-band sinusoid signals and to generate at least two modulated digital signals;

at least two power amplifiers coupled to receive the at least two modulated digital signals to amplify the modulated digital signals; and

circuitry to combine amplified digital signals for transmission.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising one or more semi-digital DAC/filters coupled to adjust the phase of the modulated signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the modulation is performed by a digital delta-sigma modulator.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising one or more antenna coupled with the circuitry to combine the digital signals to transmit the combined amplified signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprise two anti-phase signals, the apparatus further comprising:

an error determination circuit coupled power amplifiers, the error determination circuit to determine an error in response to the combined output signal from the power amplifiers; and

feedback circuitry coupled with the error determination circuit to utilize the error to modify generation of subsequent base-band sinusoid signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprises two base-band sinusoid signals and the plurality of power amplifiers comprises two power amplifiers.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the plurality of power amplifiers comprises N power amplifiers where N is an even number greater than 2.

15. A system comprising:

digital signal generation circuitry to generate at least two base-band sinusoid signals;

bandpass modulation circuitry coupled to receive the base-band sinusoid signals and to generate at least two modulated digital signals;

at least two power amplifiers coupled to receive the at least two modulated digital signals to amplify the modulated digital signals;

circuitry to combine amplified digital signals for transmission; and

one or more substantially omnidirectional antenna coupled to transmit the combined amplified digital signals.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising one or more semi-digital DAC/filters coupled to adjust the phase of the modulated signals.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the modulation is performed by a digital delta-sigma modulator.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprise two anti-phase signals, the apparatus further comprising:

an error determination circuit coupled power amplifiers, the error determination circuit to determine an error in response to the combined output signal from the power amplifiers; and

feedback circuitry coupled with the error determination circuit to utilize the error to modify generation of subsequent base-band sinusoid signals.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of base-band sinusoid signals comprises two base-band sinusoid signals and the plurality of power amplifiers comprises two power amplifiers.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of power amplifiers comprises N power amplifiers where N is an even number greater than 2.