Granted Patent B2

US 8,314,654 · App. 12/801,014 · Granted Nov 20, 2012

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. An amplifying structure, comprising:

a main amplifier configured to amplify a first signal;

a peak amplifier configured to amplify a second signal;

a tunable impedance inverter configured to perform impedance inversion to modulate a load impedance of the main amplifier, the tunable impedance inverter including a tuner configured to tune the impedance inversion over at least one broad frequency band;

a controller, including a processor, configured to control the tunable impedance inverter by adjusting values of the tuner; and

a combining node configured to receive the amplified second signal from the peak amplifier and an output of the tunable impedance inverter and combine the amplified second signal and the output of the tunable impedance inverter.

2. The amplifying structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

power splitter configured to receive an input signal having the at least one frequency band and split the input signal into the first signal and the second signal.

3. The amplifying structure of claim 1 , wherein the tunable impedance inverter further includes:

a circulator connected to the tuner configured to split the amplified first signal into incident signals and reflected signals, wherein the tuner adjusts a phase of the reflected signals for destructive combining at an input of the tunable impedance inverter.

4. The amplifying structure of claim 1 , wherein the tuner is (i) at least one capacitor, (i) at least one varactor, or (ii) at least one open stub shunted by a diode.

5. The amplifying structure of claim 1 , wherein the tunable impedance inverter includes a first hybrid coupler connected to the tuner.

6. An amplifying structure, comprising:

a main amplifier configured to amplify a first signal;

a peak amplifier configured to amplify a second signal; and

a tunable impedance inverter configured to perform impedance inversion to modulate a load impedance of the main amplifier, the tunable impedance inverter including a circulator configured to split the amplified first signal into incident signals and reflected signals and a tuner configured to adjust a phase of the reflected signals at an input of the impedance inverter;

a controller, including a processor, configured to control the tunable impedance inverter by adjusting values of the tuner; and

a combining node configured to receive the amplified second signal from the peak amplifier and an output of the tunable impedance inverter and combine the amplified second signal and the output of the tunable impedance inverter.

7. The amplifying structure of claim 6 , wherein the tuner is a capacitor, varactor, or an open stub shunted by a diode.

8. The amplifying structure of claim 6 , wherein the circulator includes:

a first port connected to an output terminal of the main amplifier;

a second port connected to the combining node; and

a third port connected to the tuner.

9. An amplifying structure, comprising:

a main amplifier configured to amplify a first signal;

a peak amplifier configured to amplify a second signal;

a tunable impedance inverter configured to perform impedance inversion to modulate a load impedance of the main amplifier, the tunable impedance inverter including a first hybrid coupler and a tuner, the tuner being configured to tune the impedance inversion over at least one broad frequency band;

a controller, including a processor, configured to control the tunable impedance inverter by adjusting values of the tuner; and

a combining node configured to receive the amplified second signal from the peak amplifier and an output of the first hybrid coupler and combine the amplified second signal and the output of the first hybrid coupler.

10. The amplifying structure of claim 9 , wherein the tuner includes two tuning elements and each of the two tuning elements is connected to a respective output port of the first hybrid coupler.

11. The amplifying structure of claim 9 , wherein the two tuning elements are (i) capacitors, (ii) varactors, or (iii) open stubs shunted by diodes.

12. The amplifying structure of claim 9 , further comprising:

a first offset line and a second offset line, the first offset line and the second offset line providing connectivity between the first hybrid coupler and the main amplifier if selected, the first offset line having a length tuned for a first frequency band, the second offset line having a length tuned for a second frequency band.

13. The amplifying structure of claim 12 , wherein one of the first offset line and the second offset line is selected based on manually moving a DC block capacitor of the main amplifier.

14. The amplifying structure of claim 12 , further comprising:

a first selector configured to select between the first offset line and the second offset line.

15. The amplifying structure of claim 12 , further comprising:

a third offset line and a fourth offset line, the third offset line and the fourth offset line providing connectivity between the first hybrid coupler and the peak amplifier if selected, the third offset line having a length tuned for the first frequency band, the fourth offset line having a length tuned for the second frequency band.

16. The amplifying structure of claim 15 , wherein one of the third offset line and the fourth offset line is selected based on manually moving a DC block capacitor of the peak amplifier.

17. The amplifying structure of claim 15 , further comprising:

a second selector configured to select between the third offset line and the fourth offset line.

18. The amplifying structure of claim 9 , further comprising:

a second hybrid coupler connected between the main amplifier and the first hybrid coupler;

a third hybrid coupler connected between the combining node and the peak amplifier.

19. The amplifying structure of claim 18 , wherein output ports of the first and second hybrid couplers are connected to tuning elements.

20. The amplifying structure of claim 19 , wherein the tuning elements of the second and third hybrid couplers are (i) capacitors, (ii) varactors, or (iii) open stubs shunted by diodes.

21. A Doherty amplifier, comprising:

a tunable impedance inverter configured to tune impedance inversion to a center frequency of a signal for amplification; and

a controller, including a processor, configured to control the tunable impedance inverter.

Assignments (9)