Patent · US Expired

Digital control of a linc linear power amplifier

US6054894A · kind A · utility

117Cited by
41References
41Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 19, 1998
Grant dateApr 25, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 19, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03F2201/3233
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The inventive LINC amplifier provides substantially linear amplification from two nonlinear amplifiers by decomposing the original signal into two constant amplitude envelope, phase varying signals, which, when combined, constructively and destructively interfere to re-form the original signal. The output of the LINC amplifier, which is to be transmitted via an antenna, is an amplified form of the original signal. The inventive LINC amplifier utilizes a digital control mechanism to control and adapt a digital compensation network that directly compensates for the imperfections of the analog RF environment, including the amplifiers. The mechanism monitors the combined amplifier output and adjusts the signal components in order to precisely compensate for any differences in the characteristics of the separate signal paths which would cause the combination not to accurately represent the original signal. The mechanism also corrects the component signals using information which can be applied to the amplifiers independent of the signal to be transmitted.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.