Device and method for conditioning signals

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by two inputs of a first coupling stage having a 90° power divider, a power input signal;

dividing, by the first coupling stage, the power input signal into two divided power input signals;

amplifying, by respective variable-gain power amplifiers, the two divided power input signals;

receiving, by two respective inputs of a second coupling stage having a 90° power combiner, the two amplified power input signals;

combining, by the second coupling stage, the two amplified power input signals into two combined power input signals;

transmitting, by respective different antennas, the two combined power input signals to provide two transmitted signals; and

controlling, by a controller, gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers in accordance with characteristics of the power input signal, characteristics of the two transmitted signals, and characteristics of the first and second coupling stages.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the power input signal comprise an amplitude and a phase shift of the power input signal, and the characteristics of the two transmitted signals comprise amplitudes and phase shifts of the two transmitted signals with respect to a reference signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of the first and second coupling stages comprise a loss coefficient for each of the first and second coupling stages.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling, by the controller, at least one phase shifter coupled to at least one input of the first coupling stage.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising controlling a gain of the phase shifter in accordance with the characteristics of the power input signal, the characteristics of the transmitted signals, and the characteristics of the first and second coupling stages.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

a first transmission path comprises the first coupling stage, the respective variable-gain power amplifiers, and the second coupling stage;

the first transmission path is connected to the respective different antennas; and

the method further comprises:

identically setting, by the controller, the gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers such that the two transmit signals are identical and together form a reference signal;

receiving, by at least one second transmission path, the power input signal; and

at least one adjusting, by the controller, second gains on the at least one second transmission path that is connected to two second antennas each transmitting a respective second transmit signal that is phase-shifted with respect to the reference signal.

7. An electronic device comprising:

two antennas for transmitting transmit signals;

a transmission path comprising:

a first coupling stage including two inputs, a 90° power divider, and two outputs, wherein the two inputs of the first coupling stage are configured to receive a power input signal;

two variable-gain power amplifiers; and

a second coupling stage including two inputs, a 90° power combiner, and two outputs, wherein each output of the first coupling stage is connected to a different input of the second coupling stage via the variable-gain power amplifiers, and wherein each output of the second coupling stage is connected to a different antenna; and

a controller coupled to the variable-gain power amplifiers, and configured to control gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers in accordance with characteristics of the power input signal, characteristics of the transmitted signals, and characteristics of the first and second coupling stages.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the characteristics of the power input signal comprise an amplitude and a phase shift of the power input signal, and wherein the characteristics of the transmitted signals comprise amplitudes and phase shifts of the transmitted signals with respect to a reference signal.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the characteristics of the first and second coupling stages comprise a loss coefficient for each coupling stage.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein at least one input of the first coupling stage comprises a phase shifter that is controlled by the controller.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is coupled to the phase shifter, and configured to control a gain of the phase shifter in accordance with the characteristics of the power input signal, the characteristics of the transmitted signals, and the characteristics of the first and second coupling stages.

12. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the variable-gain power amplifiers are passive amplifiers.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12 , wherein the passive amplifiers each comprises at least one array of transistors.

14. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the variable-gain power amplifiers are active amplifiers.

15. A wireless communication device comprising:

four antennas for transmitting transmit signals;

first and second transmission paths, each transmission path comprising:

a first coupling stage including two inputs, a 90° power divider, and two outputs, wherein the two inputs of the first coupling stage are configured to receive a power input signal;

two variable-gain power amplifiers; and

a second coupling stage including two inputs, a 90° power combiner, and two outputs, wherein each output of the first coupling stage is connected to a different input of the second coupling stage via the variable-gain power amplifiers, and wherein each output of the second coupling stage is connected to a different antenna; and

a controller coupled to the variable-gain power amplifiers of the first and second transmission paths, wherein the controller is configured to control gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers of the first and second transmission paths in accordance with characteristics of the power input signal, characteristics of the respective transmitted signals, and characteristics of the respective first and second coupling stages.

16. The wireless communication device according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:

identically set the gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers of the first transmission path such that the transmit signals associated with the first transmission path are identical and together form a reference signal; and

adjust the gains of the variable-gain power amplifiers of the second transmission path such that the transmit signals associated with the second transmission path are phase-shifted with respect to the reference signal.

17. The wireless communication device according to claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the power input signal comprise an amplitude and a phase shift of the power input signal, and wherein the characteristics of the transmitted signals comprise amplitudes and phase shifts of the transmitted signals with respect to a reference signal.

18. The wireless communication device according to claim 15 , wherein the characteristics of the first and second coupling stages comprise a loss coefficient for each coupling stage.

19. The wireless communication device according to claim 15 , wherein at least one input of at least one first coupling stage comprises a phase shifter that is controlled by the controller.

20. The wireless communication device according to claim 19 , wherein the controller is coupled to the phase shifter, and configured to control a gain of the phase shifter in accordance with the characteristics of the power input signal, the characteristics of the respective transmitted signals, and the characteristics of the respective first and second coupling stages.