Feedforward linear amplifier

1. A method for correcting distortion in a feed forward amplifier comprising:

determining an error signal based on an input signal and an amplified version of the input signal;

sampling an output signal to produce an attenuated output signal;

generating a non-offset control signal based on the attenuated output signal;

generating an offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal;

combining the non-offset control signal with the offset voltage to produce a non-zero DC offset control signal; and

adjusting the error signal based on the control signal to produce an adjusted error signal that is capable of reducing distortion in the feed forward amplifier.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a non-offset control signal comprises:

detecting a power of the attenuated output signal to produce a detected signal;

correlating the detected signal with a reference signal to produce a correlated signal; and

integrating the correlated signal to produce a non-offset control signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating an offset voltage comprises determining an offset voltage by reference to stored offset voltages.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating an offset voltage comprises:

sampling the non-offset control signal to produce a sampled non-offset control signal; and

generating an offset voltage based on the sampled non-offset control signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attenuated output signal, the non-offset control voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the method further comprises:

sampling the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal;

generating a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal;

combining the second non-offset control signal with the offset voltage to produce a second control signal; and

readjusting the error sigal based on the second control signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attenuated output signal, to non-offset control voltage, the offset voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, a first offset voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a time period has expired;

when the time period has expired:

sampling the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal;

generating a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal;

generating a second offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal;

combining the second non-offset control signal with the second offset voltage to produce a second non-zero DC offset control signal; and

readjusting the error signal based on the second control signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attenuated output signal, the non-offset control voltage, the offset voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, a first offset voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a time period has expired;

determining whether the offset voltage is approximately equal to zero;

when the time period has expired and the offset voltage is not approximately equal to zero:

sampling the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal;

generating a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal;

generating a second offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) set in a control signal;

combining the second non-offset control signal with the second offset voltage to produce a second non-zero DC offset control signal; and

readjusting the error signal based on the second control signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input signal comprises a first input signal and the control signal comprises a first control signal and wherein the method further comprises steps of:

storing a level of a voltage of the first control signal;

decoupling the first input signal from the feed forward amplifier;

adjusting the offset voltage to maintain a voltage of the first control signal at a level approximately equivalent to the stored control voltage level;

in response to the decoupling of the first input signal, producing a second control signal based on the adjusted offset voltage;

receiving a second input signal;

producing a second error signal based on the second input signal; and

adjusting a gain or a phase of the second error signal based on the second control signal.

9. An apparatus for correcting distortion in a feed forward amplifier, the apparatus comprising a control circuit that receives an attenuated version of an output signal, generates a non-offset control signal based on the attenuated output signal, generates an offset voltage, which offset voltage is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal, combines the non-offset control signal with the offset voltage to produce a nonzero DC offset control signal, and wherein the control signal is capable of causing an adjustment of an error signal to produce an adjusted error signal that is capable of reducing distortion in the feed forward amplifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit comprises a non-offset control signal generator that generates the non-offset control signal by detecting a power of the attenuated output signal to produce a detected signal, correlating the detected signal with a reference signal to produce a correlated signal, and integrating the correlated signal to produce a non-offset control signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit comprises an offset voltage generator that generates the offset voltage based on stored offset voltages.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit comprises an offset voltage generator that generates an offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal by sampling the non-offset control signal to produce a sampled non-offset control signal and generating an offset voltage based on the sampled non-offset control signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the attenuated output signal the non-offset control voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the control circuit further samples the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal, generates a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal, combines the second non-offset control signal with the offset voltage to produce a second control signal, and wherein the second control signal is capable of causing a readjustment of the error signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the attenuated output signal, the non-offset control voltage, the offset voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, a first offset voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the control circuit further determines whether a time period has expired and, when the time period has expired, samples the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal, generates a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal, generates a second offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal, combines the second non-offset control signal with the second offset voltage to produce a second non-zero DC offset control signal, and wherein the second control signal is capable of causing a readjustment of the error signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the attenuated output signal, the non-offset control voltage, the offset voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a first non-offset control voltage, a first offset voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the control circuit further determines whether a time period has expired, determines whether the offset voltage is approximately equal to zero, and, when the time period has expired and the offset voltage is not approximately equal to zero, samples the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal, generates a second non-offset control signal based on the second attenuated output signal, generates a second offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal, combines the second non-offset control signal with the second offset voltage to produce a second non-zero DC offset control signal, and wherein the second control signal is capable of causing a readjustment of the error signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the output signal is based on a first input signal, wherein the control signal comprises a first control sigal, wherein the error signal comprises a first error signal, wherein the apparatus further comprises a feed forward correction circuit that determines the first error signal based on the first input signal and an amplified version of the first input signal and adjusts th first error signal based on the first control signal, wherein the control circuit further stores a level of a voltage of the first control signal, adjusts the offset voltage to maintain a voltage of the first control signal at a level approximately equivalent to the stored control voltage level, in response to a decoupling of the first input signal produces a second control signal based on the adjusted offset voltage, and wherein the feed forward correction circuit further produces a second error signal based on a second input signal and adjusts a gain or a phase of the second error signal based on the second control signal.

17. A communication device having a transmitter that comprises:

a main signal path that receives an input signal, amplifies the input signal to produce an amplified signal, and produces an output signal based on the amplified signal and an adjusted error signal;

a feed forward correction circuit coupled to the main signal path that produces an error signal based on the input signal and the amplified signal;

a control circuit coupled to the main signal path and to the feed forward correction circuit that receives a sampled version of the output signal, generates a non-offset control signal based on the sampled version of the output signal, generates an offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal, and combines the non-offset control signal with the offset voltage to produce a non-zero DC offset control signal; and

wherein the feed forward correction circuit adjusts the error signal based on the control signal to produce the adjusted error signal.

18. The communication device of claim 17 , wherein the control circuit comprises an offset voltage generator that generates the offset voltage based on the stored offset voltages.

19. The communication device of claim 17 , wherein the attenuated output signal, the non-offset control voltage, the offset voltage, and the control signal respectively comprise a first attenuated output signal, a non-offset control voltage, a first offset voltage, and a first control signal, and wherein the control circuit further determines weather a time period has expired and, when the time period has expired, samples the output signal to produce a second attenuated output signal, generates a second non-offset cool signal based on the second attenuated output signal, generates a second offset voltage that is designed to achieve a non-zero direct current (DC) offset in a control signal, combines the second non-offset control signal with the second offset voltage to produce a second non-zero DC offset control signal, and wherein the feed forward correction circuit readjusts the error signal based on the second control signal.

20. The communication device of claim 17 , wherein the output signal is based on a first input signal, wherein the control signal comprises a first control signal, wherein the error signal comprises a first error signal, wherein the feed forward correction circuit wherein the control circuit further stores a level of a voltage of the first control signal, adjusts the offset voltage to maintain a voltage of the first control signal at a level approximately equivalent to the stored control voltage level, in response to a decoupling of the first input signal produces a second control signal based on the adjusted offset voltage, wherein the main signal path receives a second input sigal and amplifies the second input signal to produce a second amplified signal, and wherein the feed forward correction circuit further produces a second error signal based on the second input signal and the second amplified signal and adjusts a gain or a phase of the second error signal based on the second control signal.