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:
Aug. 24, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2001
Victor E. Steel, Oak Ridge, NC (US);
Jon D. Jorgenson, Greensboro, NC (US);
Khoi Tam Vu, Jamestown, NC (US);
RF Micro Devices, Inc., Greensboro, NC (US);
Abstract
An amplifier provides two or more selectively enabled amplifier segments allowing a source signal to be amplified with a selectable output power. A bias circuit responsive to a bias control signal enables selectable combinations of one or more amplifier segments, thus allowing selection of a desired output power. Selecting a desired output signal power via the bias control signal corresponds to selecting an overall amplifier quiescent current that decreases with decreasing output signal power. Thus, the amplifier permits a controlling system, such as a mobile terminal (e.g., cellular telephone) to amplify a transmit signal with a selectable transmit signal output power and corresponding level of amplifier quiescent power consumption. Preferably, each segment comprises one or more transistor amplification stages which, when enabled by the bias circuit, are biased to permit maximum power linear amplification for the transmit signal.