Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
213 words
A power amplifier comprising: a power divider coupled to an RF input signal for producing an in-phase signal and a quadrature phase signal from the RF input signal; a carrier amplifier for amplifying the in-phase signal from the power divider, wherein the carrier amplifier has a carrier amplifier bias input; a peaking amplifier for amplifying the quadrature phase signal from the power divider, wherein the peaking amplifier has a peaking amplifier bias input; a combiner coupled to an output of the carrier amplifier and an output of the peaking amplifier, the combiner for combining in additive phase the output of the carrier amplifier and the output of the peaking amplifier; a first bias circuit coupled to the carrier amplifier, wherein the carrier amplifier bias input is provided by the first bias circuit and controlled by a first signal indicative of the magnitude of the RF input signal of the power amplifier; and a second bias circuit coupled to the peaking amplifier, wherein the peaking amplifier bias input is provided by the second bias circuit and controlled by a second signal indicative of the magnitude of the RF input signal of the power amplifier, a level of the carrier amplifier bias input decreased as a level of the peaking amplifier bias input is increased.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
213 words
A power amplifier comprising: a power divider coupled to an RF input signal for producing an in-phase signal and a quadrature phase signal from the RF input signal; a carrier amplifier for amplifying the in-phase signal from the power divider, wherein the carrier amplifier has a carrier amplifier bias input; a peaking amplifier for amplifying the quadrature phase signal from the power divider, wherein the peaking amplifier has a peaking amplifier bias input; a combiner coupled to an output of the carrier amplifier and an output of the peaking amplifier, the combiner for combining in additive phase the output of the carrier amplifier and the output of the peaking amplifier; a first bias circuit coupled to the carrier amplifier, wherein the carrier amplifier bias input is provided by the first bias circuit and controlled by a first signal indicative of the magnitude of the RF input signal of the power amplifier; and a second bias circuit coupled to the peaking amplifier, wherein the peaking amplifier bias input is provided by the second bias circuit and controlled by a second signal indicative of the magnitude of the RF input signal of the power amplifier, a level of the carrier amplifier bias input decreased as a level of the peaking amplifier bias input is increased.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the first signal and the second signal are the same signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the first signal is derived from an output of an envelope detector that is coupled to the RF input signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the second signal is derived from an output of an envelope detector that is coupled to the RF input signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the carrier amplifier draws a current, and the first signal is proportional to the current.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The power amplifier of claim 1, wherein the carrier amplifier draws a current, and the second signal is proportional to the current.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for amplifying an RF input signal using a power amplifier comprising the steps of: dividing the RF input signal into an in-phase signal and a quadrature phase signal; varying a carrier amplifier bias input signal and a peaking amplifier bias input signal relative to a magnitude of the RF input signal, the carrier amplifier bias input signal decreasing as the peakinc amplifier bias input signal increases; amplifying the in-phase signal using a carrier amplifier to produce a first amplified signal; amplifying the quadrature phase signal using a peaking amplifier to produce a second amplified signal; and combining, in phase, the first amplified signal with the second amplified signal to produce an output signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for amplifying an RF input signal using a power amplifier comprising the steps of: dividing the RF input signal into an in-phase signal and a quadrature phase signal; varying a carrier amplifier bias input signal and a peaking amplifier bias input signal relative to a magnitude of the RF input signal, the carrier amplifier bias input signal decreasing as the peakinc amplifier bias input signal increases; amplifying the in-phase signal using a carrier amplifier to produce a first amplified signal; amplifying the quadrature phase signal using a peaking amplifier to produce a second amplified signal; and combining, in phase, the first amplified signal with the second amplified signal to produce an output signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of envelope detecting the RF input signal to derive the magnitude of the RF input signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of determining the magnitude of the RF input signal from a current drawn by the carrier amplifier.