Power amplifier spurious cancellation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9444415-B2
Application number	US-201414202493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure relates generally to power amplification devices and methods of operating the same. The power amplification devices are capable of reducing (and possibly cancelling) modulation of a ripple variation of a supply voltage level of a supply voltage onto a radio frequency (RF) signal. In one embodiment, a power amplification device includes a power amplification circuit configured to amplify an RF signal with a supply voltage such that a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage is modulated onto the RF signal in accordance with a conversion gain. However, the power amplification device also includes a plurality of ripple rejection circuits. The plurality of ripple rejection circuits is configured to produce phase shifts and one or more amplitude shifts in the RF signal so as to reduce the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power amplification device comprising:
a power amplification circuit having a conversion gain and configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal with a supply voltage such that a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage is modulated onto the RF signal in accordance with the conversion gain; and
a plurality of ripple rejection circuits configured to produce phase shifts and one or more amplitude shifts in the RF signal so as to reduce the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit, wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits comprises a phase modulator configured to receive the RF signal and produce a first phase shift of the phase shifts.

2. The power amplification device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits is configured to produce the phase shifts and the one or more amplitude shifts in the RF signal so as to reduce the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit such that the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit is substantially eliminated.

3. The power amplification device of claim 2 wherein modulation of ripple variation in the supply voltage level of the supply voltage onto the RF signal is substantially rejected as a result of the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit being substantially eliminated.

4. The power amplification device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits is further configured to produce each of the phase shifts and the one or more amplitude shifts based on the supply voltage level of the supply voltage and a plurality of scaling parameters.

5. The power amplification device of claim 4 wherein each of the phase shifts and the one or more amplitude shifts are each based on the supply voltage level of the supply voltage and a corresponding one of the plurality of scaling parameters.

6. The power amplification device of claim 1 wherein the power amplification circuit comprises an initial amplifier stage and a final amplifier stage having a supply voltage input terminus operable to receive the supply voltage.

7. The power amplification device of claim 6 comprising a plurality of input termini that includes the supply voltage input terminus, wherein each of the plurality of ripple correction circuits is coupled to a corresponding one of the input termini other than the supply voltage input terminus.

8. The power amplification device of claim 1 wherein the power amplification circuit further comprises an amplifier input terminus, and wherein the phase modulator is coupled to the amplifier input terminus.

9. The power amplification device of claim 8 further comprising an RF input terminus wherein:
the power amplification device is operable to receive the RF signal at the RF input terminus; and
the phase modulator is coupled between the RF input terminus and the amplifier input terminus such that the phase modulator produces the first phase shift in the RF signal at the amplifier input terminus.

10. The power amplification device of claim 8 further comprising a first input terminus for receiving an input signal, and wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits further comprises a ripple correction circuit configured to produce a first amplitude shift of the one or more amplitude shifts and a second phase shift of the phase shifts.

11. The power amplification device of claim 10 further comprising the first input terminus for receiving the input signal and the ripple correction circuit further configured to generate a ripple correction signal and produce the first amplitude shift of the one or more amplitude shifts and the second phase shift of the phase shifts by applying the ripple correction signal to the input signal.

12. The power amplification device of claim 11 wherein:
the first input terminus is a bias voltage input terminus; and
the input signal is a bias voltage.

13. The power amplification device of claim 11 wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits consists of the phase modulator and the ripple correction circuit.

14. The power amplification device of claim 13 wherein the power amplification circuit comprises an initial amplifier stage and a final amplifier stage having a supply voltage input terminus operable to receive the supply voltage.

15. The power amplification device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits comprises a first ripple correction circuit configured to produce a first amplitude shift of the one or more amplitude shifts and a first phase shift of the phase shifts.

16. A power amplification device comprising:
a power amplification circuit having a conversion gain and configured to amplify a radio frequency (RF) signal with a supply voltage such that a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage is modulated onto the RF signal in accordance with the conversion gain; and
a plurality of ripple rejection circuits configured to produce phase shifts and amplitude shifts in the RF signal so as to reduce the conversion gain of the power amplification circuit, wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits comprises a first ripple correction circuit configured to produce a first amplitude shift of the amplitude shifts and a first phase shift of the phase shifts, and a second ripple correction circuit configured to produce a second amplitude shift of the amplitude shifts and a second phase shift of the phase shifts.

17. The power amplification device of claim 16 further comprising a first input terminus for receiving a first input signal and a second input terminus for receiving a second input signal wherein:
the first ripple correction circuit is further configured to generate a first ripple correction signal and produce the first amplitude shift of the one or more amplitude shifts and the first phase shift of the phase shifts by applying the first ripple correction signal to the first input signal; and
the second ripple correction circuit is further configured to generate a second ripple correction signal and produce the second amplitude shift of the one or more amplitude shifts and the second phase shift of the phase shifts by applying the second ripple correction signal to the second input signal.

18. The power amplification device of claim 17 wherein the power amplification circuit comprises:
the bias voltage input terminus as the first input terminus and operable to receive a bias voltage as the first input signal;
an initial amplifier stage having a first supply voltage input terminus as the second input terminus and operable to receive the second input signal as a second supply voltage; and
a final amplifier stage having a second supply voltage input terminus operable to receive the second supply voltage.

19. The power amplification device of claim 18 wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits consists of the first ripple correction circuit and the second ripple correction circuit.

20. A method of amplifying a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising:
amplifying the RF signal with a supply voltage having a ripple variation in a supply voltage level of the supply voltage that is modulated onto the RF signal in accordance with a conversion gain; and
producing, with a plurality of ripple rejection circuits, phase shifts and one or more amplitude shifts in the RF signal based on the supply voltage level of the supply voltage so as to reduce the conversion gain, wherein the plurality of ripple rejection circuits comprises a phase modulator conf

Assignees

• Rf Micro Devices Inc
• Qorvo Us Inc

Inventors

• Folkmann Andrew F

Classifications

• H03F3/21

  with semiconductor devices only {(H03F3/245 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H03F3/245

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H03F2200/411

  the output amplifying stage of an amplifier comprising two power stages · CPC title

• H03F3/19 Primary

  with semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H03G3/3042

  in modulators, frequency-changers, transmitters or power amplifiers · CPC title