The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 03, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1999
Donald Brian Eidson, San Diego, CA (US);
Mats Lindstrom, San Diego, CA (US);
Robert Edmund Grange, San Diego, CA (US);
Conexant Systems, Inc., Newport Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A power amplifier that amplifies an electrical signal that is passed through a power amplification array. The power amplifier is employed in various applications including cellular telephones, radio frequency signal transmission, and other electrical signal applications requiring power amplification. The power amplifier contains a number of power amplifiers arranged in a power amplifier array. To reproduce a particular envelope profile, a selected number of the power amplifiers of the power amplifier array is switched ON, whereas another selected number of the power amplifiers of the power amplifier array are switched OFF. All elements are fed with an RF signal containing phase information as well. The amplified, output signal provided after the power amplifier array is fed to an antenna for signal transmission. Impedance matching circuitry is employed between the power amplifier array and the antenna to provide efficiency for those applications having low power budgets or seeking to operate with extremely high efficiency. The present invention provides a solution that is extremely energy efficient, making it ideally suited for applications having low available power budgets such as battery operated devices such as cellular telephones. From one perspective, the power amplifier array is operated as if it were a digital device. For example, each of the individual power amplifiers of the power amplifier array is either switched ON or switched OFF, as described above, and a selected number of the power amplifiers provides the desired level for the specific application.