Amplifier for a wireless receiver

1. An amplifier for a wireless receiver, the amplifier comprising:

a detection circuit configured to detect a risky intermodulation scenario in which the wireless receiver may be desensitized;

a voltage amplifier module having a voltage gain switchable between a first voltage gain value and a second voltage gain value higher than the first gain value; and

a resistance module having a resistance switchable between a first resistance value and a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value;

wherein an output of the voltage amplifier module is connected to an input of the resistance module;

wherein the combination of the voltage amplifier module and the resistance module comprises a set of switches configured to set the voltage gain value and the resistance value; and

wherein the amplifier is operable in:

a nominal mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the second voltage gain value and the resistance value is set to the second resistance value to have a nominal mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value; and

a high linearity mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the first voltage gain value to improve linearity of the amplifier, and the resistance value is set to the first resistance value to have a high linearity mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value similar to the nominal mode ratio with less than a 5% difference between the ratios;

wherein the amplifier is configured to activate the high linearity mode of operation when the risky intermodulation scenario is detected.

2. An amplifier for a wireless receiver, the amplifier comprising:

a voltage amplifier module having a voltage gain switchable between a first voltage gain value and a second voltage gain value higher than the first gain value, wherein the voltage amplifier module comprises a fixed gain part with a fixed voltage gain and a commutable gain part with a commutable voltage gain;

a resistance module having a resistance switchable between a first resistance value and a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, wherein the resistance module comprises a first resistance in parallel with a second resistance;

wherein an output of the voltage amplifier module is connected to an input of the resistance module;

wherein the combination of the voltage amplifier module and the resistance module comprises a set of switches configured to set the voltage gain value and the resistance value, wherein the set of switches comprises:

a first switch disposed in parallel with the commutable gain part;

a second switch disposed between the output of the commutable gain part and the input of the resistance module; and

a third switch disposed between the input of the resistance module or output of the resistance module and the first resistance, the first and third switches being open in a nominal mode of operation and closed in a high linearity mode of operation, the second switch being closed in the nominal mode of operation and open in the high linearity mode of operation; and

wherein the amplifier is operable in:

the nominal mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the second voltage gain value and the resistance value is set to the second resistance value to have a nominal mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value; and

the high linearity mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the first voltage gain value to improve linearity of the amplifier, and the resistance value is set to the first resistance value to have a high linearity mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value similar to the nominal mode ratio with less than a 5% difference between the ratios.

3. The amplifier according to claim 2 , configured to be connected to a detection circuit configured to detect a risky intermodulation scenario in which the wireless receiver may be desensitized, and wherein the amplifier is configured to activate the high linearity mode of operation when a risky intermodulation scenario is detected.

4. The amplifier according to claim 2 , wherein the set of switches comprises a fourth switch disposed between the input of the resistance module or output of the resistance module and the second resistance, the fourth switch being closed in the nominal mode of operation and open in the high linearity mode of operation.

5. An amplifier for a wireless receiver, the amplifier comprising:

a voltage amplifier module having a voltage gain switchable between a first voltage gain value and a second voltage gain value higher than the first gain value, wherein the voltage amplifier module comprises a first fixed resistance in parallel with a first commutable resistance;

a resistance module having a resistance switchable between a first resistance value and a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, wherein the resistance module comprises a second fixed resistance in parallel with a second commutable resistance; and

wherein an output of the voltage amplifier module is connected to an input of the resistance module;

wherein the combination of the voltage amplifier module and the resistance module comprises a set of switches configured to set the voltage gain value and the resistance value, wherein the set of switches comprises:

a first switch disposed between an input of the voltage amplifier module and the first commutable resistance; and

a second switch disposed between the input of the resistance module or output of the resistance module and the second commutable resistance, the first and second switches being open in a nominal mode of operation and closed in a high linearity mode of operation; and

wherein the amplifier is operable in:

the nominal mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the second voltage gain value and the resistance value is set to the second resistance value to have a nominal mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value; and

the high linearity mode of operation in which the voltage gain value is set to the first voltage gain value to improve linearity of the amplifier, and the resistance value is set to the first resistance value to have a high linearity mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value similar to the nominal mode ratio with less than a 5% difference between the ratios.

6. A method for controlling an amplifier of a wireless receiver, the amplifier comprising a voltage amplifier module having a voltage gain switchable between a first voltage gain value and a second voltage gain value higher than the first gain value, and a resistance module having a resistance switchable between a first resistance value and a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, an output of the voltage amplifier module being connected to an input of the resistance module, the combination of the voltage amplifier module and the resistance module comprising a set of switches configured to set the voltage gain value and the resistance value, the method comprising:

determining whether a risky intermodulation scenario, in which the wireless receiver may be desensitized, is detected;

if no risky intermodulation scenario is detected, activating a nominal mode of operation by setting the voltage gain value to the second voltage gain value, and by setting the resistance value to the second resistance value to have a nominal mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value; and

if the risky intermodulation scenario is detected, activating a high linearity mode of operation by setting the voltage gain value to the first voltage gain value to improve linearity of the amplifier, and by setting the resistance value to the first resistance value to have a high linearity mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value similar to the nominal mode ratio with less than a 5% difference between the ratios.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the voltage amplifier module comprises a fixed gain part with a fixed voltage gain and a commutable gain part with a commutable voltage gain, the resistance module comprises a first resistance in parallel with a second resistance, and the set of switches comprises a first switch disposed in parallel with the commutable gain part, a second switch disposed between the output of the commutable gain part and the input of the resistance module, and a third switch disposed between the input of the resistance module and the first resistance, wherein:

activating the nominal mode of operation comprises opening the first and third switches and closing the second switch; and

activating the high linearity mode of operation comprises closing the first and third switches and opening the second switch.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the set of switches comprises a fourth switch disposed between the input of the resistance module and the second resistance, wherein activating the nominal mode of operation further comprises closing the fourth switch, and wherein activating the high linearity mode of operation further comprises opening the fourth switch.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the voltage amplifier module comprises a first fixed resistance in parallel with a first commutable resistance, the resistance module comprises a second fixed resistance in parallel with a second commutable resistance, and the set of switches comprises a first switch disposed between an input of the voltage amplifier module and the first commutable resistance, and a second switch disposed between the input of the resistance module and the second commutable resistance, wherein:

activating the nominal mode of operation comprises opening the first and second switches; and

activating the high linearity mode of operation comprises closing the first and second switches.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the wireless receiver is part of a radio frequency (RF) transmission-reception system of a user equipment, the user equipment further comprising a radio engine, and wherein determining whether a risky intermodulation scenario is detected comprises:

testing whether a risky RF band is selected; and

if a risky RF band is selected, testing whether the radio engine is activated.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein determining whether a risky intermodulation scenario is detected further comprises testing whether the transmission signal power is above a predetermined threshold.

12. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling data-processing unit, the computer program product having a computer program comprising program instructions, which when run on the data-processing unit cause the data-processing unit to control an amplifier of a wireless receiver, the amplifier comprising a voltage amplifier module having a voltage gain switchable between a first voltage gain value and a second voltage gain value higher than the first gain value, and a resistance module having a resistance switchable between a first resistance value and a second resistance value higher than the first resistance value, an output of the voltage amplifier module being connected to an input of the resistance module, the combination of the voltage amplifier module and the resistance module comprising a set of switches configured to set the voltage gain value and the resistance value, the program instructions when run on the data processing unit causing the data processing unit to:

determine whether a risky intermodulation scenario, in which the wireless receiver may be desensitized, is detected;

if no risky intermodulation scenario is detected, activate a nominal mode of operation by setting the voltage gain value to the second voltage gain value, and by setting the resistance value to the second resistance value to have a nominal mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value; and

if the risky intermodulation scenario is detected, activate a high linearity mode of operation by setting the voltage gain value to the first voltage gain value to improve linearity of the amplifier, and by setting the resistance value to the first resistance value to have a high linearity mode ratio of the voltage gain value to the resistance value similar to the nominal mode ratio with less than 5% difference between the ratios.

13. The amplifier according to claim 5 , configured to be connected to a detection circuit configured to detect a risky intermodulation scenario in which the wireless receiver may be desensitized, and wherein the amplifier is configured to activate the high linearity mode of operation when a risky intermodulation scenario is detected.