Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Konstantinos Mimis

Gavin Tomas Watkins

Souheil Ben Smida

Kevin Andrew Morris

Paolo Enrico De Falco

In one aspect the embodiments relate to amplifier circuitry comprising an outphasing region and envelope tracking region. The outphasing region includes a signal processing block capable of receiving an amplitude and phase modulated input signal that is to be amplified, and processing said signal to separate it into two signals (S, S) of constant amplitude and modulated phase, a first signal Sfor driving a first RF power amplifier RF PAand a second signal Sfor driving a second RF power amplifier RF PA. The output signals from each of the RF PAs are then provided to a power combiner (PC) for obtaining an output amplified signal (RF output). The envelope tracking region () includes a linear amplifier (Env Amp) capable of receiving an input representing an envelope of the input signal that to be amplified, a charge storage device Ccoupled to said amplifier for providing an amplified envelope signal for driving the RF PAs, said amplifier () and charge storage device Cbeing arranged to receive a supply voltage V+. The amplifier circuitry is configured such that when the first signal Sand the second signal Sin the outphasing circuitare in phase, an input voltage Vbased on the voltage of the received envelope signal is provided to the amplifier in the envelope tracking region to enable the charge storage device Cto supply a voltage Vabove the supply voltage V+ such that the output voltage of the RF PAs driven by the amplifier () is increased by Vabove the supply voltage V+.

Amplifier circuitry and method for amplifying a signal using said amplifier circuitry

In one embodiment an amplifier circuit is disclosed. The amplifier circuit comprises an amplifying device configured to amplify a radiofrequency signal, the amplifying device having an output dynamic range; a supply modulator configured to modulate a supply voltage supplied to the amplifying device when an output of the amplifying device is within a first region of the output dynamic range; a tuneable matching network coupled to an output of the amplifying device; and a load controller configured to control the tuneable matching network, when the output of the amplifying device is within a second region of the output dynamic range, and thereby modulate the load to which the output of the amplifying device is applied.

Amplifier

An embodiment provides an amplifier system with multiple amplification paths connected to a combiner for combination of signals amplified in the amplification paths, each amplification path comprising an amplifier and a matching network provided between the amplifier and the combiner, wherein the individual amplifiers can interact through the combiner, causing an active load-pull effect. The matching networks of the paths comprise harmonic terminations configured to one or more of reduce an overlap between the voltage and current waveforms within the amplifier connected to the matching network and improve the linearity of one or more of the amplifiers.

Harmonically tuned load modulated amplifier

In one embodiment a transmitter is disclosed. The transmitter comprises an envelope tracking amplifier circuit comprising a power amplifier; a radiofrequency path configured to couple a radiofrequency component of an input signal to an input of the power amplifier; an envelope path configured to modulate a supply voltage of the power amplifier with an envelope signal, the envelope path comprising an envelope shaping module configured to shape an envelope of the input signal using an envelope shaping function to obtain the envelope signal; and a delay block configured to vary the relative timing alignment of the radiofrequency path and the envelope path; storage for an indication of the envelope shaping function to be used by the envelope shaping module; and a processor operable to, iteratively search for a value of a first parameter of a generic envelope shaping function, by applying a test signal to the envelope tracking amplifier circuit and controlling the delay block over a sweep of the relative timing alignments between the radiofrequency path and the envelope path; determining an average measure of distortion of output of the envelope tracking amplifier circuit for the sweep of relative timing alignments; comparing the average measure of distortion of output of the envelope tracking amplifier circuit with an average measure of distortion of the output of the envelope tracking amplifier circuit for a previous iteration; and selecting for the envelope shaping function the value of the first parameter from the previous iteration if the average measure of distortion of the output of the envelope tracking amplifier circuit for the previous iteration is lower than the average measure of distortion of the output of the envelope tracking amplifier circuit determined; and storing an indication of the envelope shaping function with the selected value for the first parameter in the storage.

Timing alignment sensitivity for envelope tracking

A power amplifier comprising an amplifying element for amplifying a signal input to the amplifier, a matching network for varying the reactance presented to the output of the amplifying element at the fundamental frequency of the input signal, the matching network being switchable between first and second operating configurations, wherein in the first operating configuration, a net inductive reactance is presented to the output at the fundamental frequency and in the second operating configuration, a net capacitive reactance is presented to the output at the fundamental frequency.

Power amplifier

In an embodiment an amplifier circuit comprises an amplifying element configured to amplify a radiofrequency input signal; a bias modulator configured to provide a bias voltage to the amplifying element, the bias voltage depending on a bias control signal; and a tuneable matching network configured to modulate the load to which the output of the amplifying element is applied.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Konstantinos Mimis