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US 11,973,473 B2Granted
Phased array amplifier linearization
AssigneeAnalog Devices International Unlimited Company
InventorsAhmed I. Khalil, Patrick Pratt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods provide predistortion for a phased array. Radio frequency (RF) sample signals from phased array elements are provided along return paths and are combined by a hardware RF combiner. Phase shifters are adjusted such that the RF sample signals are phase-aligned when combined. Adaptive adjustment of predistortion for the amplifiers of the phased array can be based on a signal derived from the combined RF sample signals.
Claims20
A phased array communication system comprising:
- a plurality of transmit-side phase shifters configured to provide a plurality of transmit-side phase shifts to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transmit signals to generate a plurality of phase-shifted RF transmit signals;
- a plurality of power amplifiers configured to amplify the plurality of phase-shifted RF transmit signals to generate a plurality of amplified RF transmit signals;
- a plurality of return paths configured to carry a plurality of RF sample signals obtained from sampling the plurality of amplified RF transmit signals;
- a plurality of return-side phase shifters configured to provide a plurality of return-side phase shifts to the plurality of RF sample signals to generate a plurality of phase-shifted RF sample signals, wherein the plurality of return-side phase shifts are opposite in phase to the plurality of transmit-side phase shifts;
- an RF combiner configured to combine the plurality of phase-shifted RF sample signals to generate a combined RF sample signal;
- and
- a predistorter configured to adapt one or more predistortion coefficients for digital pre-distortion of the plurality of RF transmit signals based on the combined RF sample signal.
4 more elements
A method of linearization in a phased array communication system, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of transmit-side phase shifts to a plurality of radio frequency (RF) transmit signals to generate a plurality of phase-shifted RF transmit signals using a plurality of transmit-side phase shifters;
- amplifying the plurality of phase-shifted RF transmit signals to generate a plurality of amplified RF transmit signals using a plurality of power amplifiers;
- sampling the plurality of amplified RF transmit signals to obtain a plurality of RF sample signals for a plurality of return paths;
- providing a plurality of return-side phase shifts to the plurality of RF sample signals to generate a plurality of phase-shifted RF sample signals using a plurality of return-side phase shifters, wherein the plurality of return-side phase shifts are opposite in phase to the plurality of transmit-side phase shifts;
- combining the plurality of phase-shifted RF sample signals to generate a combined RF sample signal using an RF combiner;
- and
- adapting one or more predistortion coefficients for digital pre-distortion of the plurality of RF transmit signals based on the combined RF sample signal using a predistorter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.