Granted Patent B1

US 7,054,384 · App. 09/631,885 · Granted May 30, 2006

Abstract

Claims (133)

1. A method for amplifying at least a first diversity-encoded signal and second diversity-encoded signal, each of which represents information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and for amplifying a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity, comprising the steps of:

sharing the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals between at least two amplifiers;

sharing the amplification of the second signal between the at least two amplifiers; and

forming each of at least first and second composite signals as a function of the second signal,

wherein the second sharing step includes:

amplifying the first composite signal; and

amplifying the second composite signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sharing steps are carried out concurrently.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

forming each of at least first and second composite signals as a function of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals,

wherein the first sharing step includes:

amplifying the first composite signal in a first amplifier; and

amplifying the second composite signal in a second amplifier.

4. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein

amplifying the first composite signal is in a first amplifier; and

amplifying the second composite signal is in a second amplifier.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of forming the at least first and second composite signals is performed in a digital domain.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:

pre-distorting the first composite signal; and

pre-distorting the second composite signal,

wherein the steps of amplifying the first and second composite signals further include amplifying the pre-distorted first composite signal and the pre-distorted second composite signal.

7. A method for processing at least a first diversity-encoded signal and a second diversity-encoded signal, each of which represents information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity, comprising the steps of:

forming at least a first composite signal and a second composite signal as a function of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals;

amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

forming amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals as functions of at least the amplified first and amplified second composite signals, in which

the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between at least two amplifiers.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

forming a phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal and a phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal, wherein

the amplified first diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal; and

the amplified second diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

forming a phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal and a phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal, wherein

the first composite signal is a function of a combination of the first diversity-encoded signal with the phase-shifted version of the second diversity-encoded signal, and

the second composite signal is a function of a combination of the second diversity-encoded signal with the phase-shifted version of the first diversity-encoded signal.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

forming a phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal and a phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal, wherein

the amplified first diversity-encoded signal is a function of a combination of the amplified first composite signal with the phase-shifted version of the amplified second composite signal, and

the amplified second diversity-encoded signal is a function of a combination of the amplified second composite signal with the phase-shifted version of the amplified first composite signal.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein

the first composite signal is a function of a sum of the first diversity-encoded signal and the second diversity-encoded signal; and

the second composite signal is a function of a difference between the first diversity-encoded signal and the second diversity-encoded signal.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein

the amplified first diversity-encoded signal is a function of a sum of the amplified first composite signal and the amplified second composite signal; and

the amplified second diversity-encoded signal is a function of a difference between the amplified first composite signal and the amplified second composite signal.

13. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the amplified first diversity-encoded signal over a first antenna; and

transmitting the amplified second diversity-encoded signal over a second antenna.

14. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of: forming the at least first and second composite signals as a function of a second signal; and

forming an amplified second signal as a function of at least the amplified first and second composite signals.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of forming the at least first and second composite signals is performed in a digital domain.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:

pre-distorting the first composite signal; and

pre-distorting the second composite signal,

wherein the steps of amplifying the first and second composite signals further include amplifying the pre-distorted first and second composite signals.

17. A transmitter, comprising:

a first device for forming at least a first composite signal and a second composite signal as functions of at least first and second diversity-encoded signals, the first and second diversity-encoded signals representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity,

a first amplifier having an input coupled to the first device, the first amplifier amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

a second amplifier having an input coupled to the first device, the second amplifier amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

a second device having a first input coupled to an output of the first amplifier and a second input coupled to an output of the second amplifier, the second device forms amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals as functions of at least the amplified first and second composite signals, in which the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between the first and second amplifiers.

18. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein the first device includes:

channel processing circuitry; and

at least one radio for forming the first and second composite signals.

19. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein

the first device includes:

channel processing circuitry;

at least one radio; and

a first hybrid combiner having an input coupled to an output of the radio, a first output coupled to the first amplifier, and a second output coupled to the second amplifier, the first hybrid combiner forming the first and second composite signals; and

the second device includes a second hybrid combiner having a first input coupled to the first amplifier and a second input coupled to the second amplifier.

20. The transmitter of claim 19 , wherein the first and second hybrid combiners are embodied as 90° hybrid combiners.

21. The transmitter of claim 17 , wherein

the first device further includes a digital predistorter having an output coupled to the first and second amplifiers, the digital predistorter pre-distorts the first composite signal and the second composite signal,

the first amplifier amplifies the pre-distorted first composite signal to produce the amplified first composite signal, and

the second amplifier amplifies the pre-distorted second composite signal to produce the amplified second composite signal.

22. The transmitter of claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:

forming a phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal and a phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal, wherein

the amplified first diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal, and

the amplified second diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one or more antenna; and

a transmitter coupled to at least one of the at least one or more antennas, the transmitter comprising:

a first device for forming at least a first composite signal and a second composite signal as functions of at least first and second diversity-encoded signals, the first and second diversity-encoded signals representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity;

a first amplifier having an input coupled to the first device, the first amplifier amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

a second amplifier having an input coupled to the first device, the second amplifier amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

a second device having a first input coupled to an output of the first amplifier and having a second input coupled to an output of the second amplifier, the second device forms amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals as functions of at least the amplified first and second composite signals, in which the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between the first and second amplifiers.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the first device includes:

channel processing circuitry; and

at least one radio for forming the first and second composite signals.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein

the first device includes:

channel processing circuitry;

at least one radio; and

a first hybrid combiner having an input coupled to an output the radio, a first output coupled to the first amplifier, and a second output coupled to the second amplifier, the first hybrid combiner forming the first and second composite signals, wherein

the second device includes a second hybrid combiner having a first input coupled to the first amplifier, and a second input coupled to the second amplifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first and second hybrid combiners are embodied as 90° hybrid combiners.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein

the first device further includes a digital predistorter having an output coupled to the first and second amplifiers, the digital predistorter pre-distorts the first composite signal and the second composite signal;

the first amplifier amplifies the pre-distorted first composite signal to produce the amplified first composite signal; and

the second amplifier amplifies the pre-distorted second composite signal to produce the amplified second composite signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein

the amplified first diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal, and

the amplified second diversity-encoded signal further includes an amplified phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the apparatus includes at least two antennas and the transmitter is coupled to at least two of the antennas.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising a receiver coupled to at least one of the antennas.

31. A method for amplifying at least a first diversity-encoded signal and a second diversity-encoded signal, each representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and for amplifying a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity, comprising:

sharing the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals between at least two amplifiers, concurrently;

sharing the amplification of the second signal between the at least two amplifiers; and

forming each of at least first and second composite signals as a function of the second signal,

wherein the second sharing step includes:

amplifying the first composite signal; and

amplifying the second composite signal.

32. A method for processing at least a first diversity-encoded signal and a second diversity-encoded signal, each representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity, comprising:

forming a phase-shifted first diversity-encoded signal and a phase-shifted second diversity-encoded signal;

forming at least a first composite signal based on a combination of the first diversity-encoded signal with the phase-shifted version of the second diversity-encoded signal;

forming a second composite signal based on a combination of the second diversity-encoded signal with the phase-shifted version of the first diversity-encoded signal;

amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

forming amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals based on the amplified first and second composite signals, in which the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between at least two amplifiers.

33. A transmitter, comprising:

at least one radio;

a first hybrid combiner coupled to the radio, the first hybrid combiner forming at least first and second composite signals based on at least first and second diversity-encoded signals, the first and second diversity-encoded signals representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity;

a first amplifier coupled to the first hybrid combiner, the first amplifier amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

a second amplifier coupled to the first hybrid combiner, the second amplifier amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

a second hybrid combiner coupled to the first amplifier and to the second amplifier for forming amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals based on the amplified first and second composite signals, in which the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between the first and second amplifiers.

34. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one or more antennas; and

a transmitter coupled to at least one of the at least one or more antennas, the transmitter comprising:

at least one radio;

a first hybrid combiner coupled to the radio, the first hybrid combiner forming at least first and second composite signals based on at least first and second diversity-encoded signals, the first and second diversity-encoded signals representing information of a first signal to be transmitted using transmit diversity, and a second signal to be transmitted without using transmit diversity;

a first amplifier coupled to the first hybrid combiner, the first amplifier amplifying the first composite signal to produce an amplified first composite signal;

a second amplifier coupled to the first hybrid combiner, the second amplifier amplifying the second composite signal to produce an amplified second composite signal; and

a second hybrid combiner coupled to the first amplifier and to the second amplifier for forming amplified first and second diversity-encoded signals based on the amplified first and second composite signals, in which the amplification of the at least first and second diversity-encoded signals is shared between the first and second amplifiers.

Assignments (10)