System and method for adaptive power modulation for power amplifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853600-B1
Application number	US-201615194051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A method includes determining one or more characteristics of a system that uses a power amplifier. The method also includes determining, based on the one or more determined characteristics, a switching speed and a supply voltage for the power amplifier. The method further includes modulating a power supply of the power amplifier according to the determined switching speed and supply voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining one or more characteristics of a system that uses a power amplifier;
determining, based on the one or more determined characteristics, a switching speed and a supply voltage for the power amplifier; and
modulating a power supply of the power amplifier according to the determined switching speed and supply voltage.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the switching speed and the supply voltage comprises selecting the switching speed and the supply voltage from a look-up table based on the one or more determined characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the power amplifier is configured to amplify a baseband signal, and
a first one of the one or more characteristics is related to the baseband signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a second one of the one or more characteristics includes a size, weight, and power (SWaP) characteristic of the system.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein modulating the power supply comprises dynamically modulating the power supply according to a changing amplitude of the baseband signal.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the baseband signal is divided into in-phase and quadrature components before amplification by the power amplifier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of: carrier frequency, peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), bandwidth of a signal in space (SiS), short-term and long-term baseband signal waveform characteristics, power requirements, cooling requirements, frequency planning, in-band spurs and out-of-band adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) requirements, or voltage switcher characteristics.

8. A system comprising:
a power amplifier comprising a power supply; and
a power supply modulator configured to:
determine one or more characteristics of the system;
determine, based on the one or more determined characteristics, a switching speed and a supply voltage for the power amplifier; and
modulate the power supply of the power amplifier according to the determined switching speed and supply voltage.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the power supply modulator is configured to determine the switching speed and the supply voltage by selecting the switching speed and the supply voltage from a look-up table based on the one or more determined characteristics.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein:
the power amplifier is configured to amplify a baseband signal, and
a first one of the one or more characteristics is related to the baseband signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein a second one of the one or more characteristics includes a size, weight, and power (SWaP) characteristic of the system.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the power supply modulator is configured to modulate the power supply by dynamically modulating the power supply according to a changing amplitude of the baseband signal.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the baseband signal is divided into in-phase and quadrature components before amplification by the power amplifier.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is at least one of a communication, radar or electronic warfare system.

15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of: carrier frequency, peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), bandwidth of a signal in space (SiS), short-term and long-term baseband signal waveform characteristics, power requirements, cooling requirements, frequency planning, in-band spurs and out-of-band adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) requirements, or voltage switcher characteristics.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to:
determine one or more characteristics of a system that uses a power amplifier;
determine, based on the one or more determined characteristics, a switching speed and a supply voltage for the power amplifier; and
modulate a power supply of the power amplifier according to the determined switching speed and supply voltage.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processing device to determine the switching speed and the supply voltage comprise:
instructions that cause the at least one processing device to select the switching speed and the supply voltage from a look-up table based on the one or more determined characteristics.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the power amplifier is configured to amplify a baseband signal, and
a first one of the one or more characteristics is related to the baseband signal.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein a second one of the one or more characteristics includes a size, weight, and power (SWaP) characteristic of the system.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions that cause the at least one processing device to modulate the power supply comprise:
instructions that cause the at least one processing device to dynamically modulate the power supply according to a changing amplitude of the baseband signal.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Jha Uma S

Classifications

• H03F1/0216 Primary

  Continuous control · CPC title

• H03F3/189

  High-frequency amplifiers, e.g. radio frequency amplifiers · CPC title

• H03F2200/105

  A non-specified detector of the power of a signal being used in an amplifying circuit · CPC title

• H03F1/3241

  using predistortion circuits (H03F1/3211, H03F1/3217 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03F2200/451

  the amplifier being a radio frequency amplifier · CPC title