Patent US2760374A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6128478A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US6128478A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus and method for amplifying a radio frequency signal

Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC
•
Filing: 1998-07-31
•
Granted: 2000-10-03
•
Expires: 2018-07-31
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A communication device employs a method and apparatus for amplifying a radio frequency (RF) signal that eliminates the need for a signal splitter. An RF input signal (202) is coupled to a first RF amplifier stage (206) only. A signal coupler (222) couples an output of the first amplifier stage (206) to an input of a second amplifier stage (208). The input signal (242) for the second RF amplifier stage is an attenuated version of the output signal (240) from the first RF amplifier stage. The outputs of the first and second RF amplifier stages (206, 208) are combined by a signal combiner (234) to produce a combined output signal (246) for transmission.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kevin Kim

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 13:53
CPC Classifications
H; H03; H03F; H03F1/00; H03F1/02; H03F1/0205; H03F1/0288; H03F1/32; H03F1/3223; H03F1/3229; H03F3/00; H03F3/20; H03F3/21; H03F3/211; H03F3/24; H03F3/60; H03F3/602; H04; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/02; H04B1/04; H04B1/0458; H04B1/06; H04B1/16; H04B2001/0408

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
A radio frequency amplifier structure, comprising: a first radio frequency amplifier stage that applies a first gain to a radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; a signal coupler, coupled to an output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage, that couples a portion of the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal; a second radio frequency amplifier stage, coupled to the signal coupler, that applies a second gain to the attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and a signal combiner, coupled to the output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage and an output of the second radio frequency amplifier stage, that combines the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 136 words
A radio frequency amplifier structure, comprising: a first radio frequency amplifier stage that applies a first gain to a radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; a signal coupler, coupled to an output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage, that couples a portion of the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal; a second radio frequency amplifier stage, coupled to the signal coupler, that applies a second gain to the attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and a signal combiner, coupled to the output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage and an output of the second radio frequency amplifier stage, that combines the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 19 words
The radio frequency amplifier structure of claim 1, wherein the first gain is substantially equal to the second gain.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 107 words
The radio frequency amplifier structure of claim 1, further comprising: a second signal coupler, coupled to the output of the second radio frequency amplifier stage, that couples a portion of the second amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated second amplified radio frequency signal; and a third radio frequency amplifier stage, coupled to the second signal coupler and the signal combiner, that applies a third gain to the attenuated second amplified radio frequency signal to produce a third amplified radio frequency signal, wherein the signal combiner combines the first amplified radio frequency signal, the second amplified radio frequency signal, and the third amplified radio frequency signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The radio frequency amplifier structure of claim 3, wherein the first gain, the second gain, and the third gain are all substantially equal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
The radio frequency amplifier structure of claim 1, wherein the signal coupler comprises a directional coupler.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The radio frequency amplifier structure of claim 1, wherein the signal coupler comprises a capacitor.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 83 words
A method for amplifying a radio frequency signal, comprising the steps of: applying a first gain to the radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; attenuating the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first radio frequency signal; applying a second gain to the attenuated first radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and combining the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal to produce an output signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 83 words
A method for amplifying a radio frequency signal, comprising the steps of: applying a first gain to the radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; attenuating the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first radio frequency signal; applying a second gain to the attenuated first radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and combining the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal to produce an output signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 77 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: attenuating the second amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated second radio frequency signal; applying a third gain to the attenuated second radio frequency signal to produce a third amplified radio frequency signal; and wherein the step of combining comprises the step of combining the first amplified radio frequency signal, second amplified radio frequency signal, and third amplified radio frequency signal to produce the output signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 148 words
A communication device, comprising: a transmitter having a radio frequency amplifier structure, the radio frequency amplifier structure comprising: a first radio frequency amplifier stage that applies a first gain to a radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; a signal coupler, coupled to an output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage, that couples a portion of the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal; a second radio frequency amplifier stage, coupled to the signal coupler, that applies a second gain to the attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and a signal combiner, coupled to the output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage and an output of the second radio frequency amplifier stage, that combines the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 148 words
A communication device, comprising: a transmitter having a radio frequency amplifier structure, the radio frequency amplifier structure comprising: a first radio frequency amplifier stage that applies a first gain to a radio frequency signal to produce a first amplified radio frequency signal; a signal coupler, coupled to an output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage, that couples a portion of the first amplified radio frequency signal to produce an attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal; a second radio frequency amplifier stage, coupled to the signal coupler, that applies a second gain to the attenuated first amplified radio frequency signal to produce a second amplified radio frequency signal; and a signal combiner, coupled to the output of the first radio frequency amplifier stage and an output of the second radio frequency amplifier stage, that combines the first amplified radio frequency signal and the second amplified radio frequency signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 17 words
The communication device of claim 9, wherein the first gain is substantially equal to the second gain.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3886470A Cited
US5448771A Cited
US5537080A Cited
US5974041A Cited
US5867064A Cited
US5808512A Cited
US5969572A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-10-03 2004-04-03 2004-10-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-10-03 2008-04-03 2008-10-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-10-03 2012-04-03 2012-10-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag