Switching amplifier
AssigneeApogee Technology, Inc.
InventorJohn R. Howatt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A switching amplifier system which in one embodiment includes switching circuitry responsive to a tri-state command signal for providing a power output from a power supply which has amplitude levels, time durations, and polarities corresponding to the tri-state command signal for supply to a load via a suitable filter. A further embodiment includes a linear amplifier, the switching circuitry responding to a fourth state command signal for actuating the linear amplifier to respond directly to an input signal when the amplitude of the input signal is below a selected level.
Claims17
An amplifier system comprising
- a switching power amplifier including
- means responsive to an input signal for providing a tri-state command signal having discrete amplitudes as a function of time, which amplitudes represent a positive state, a negative state, or a zero state;
- power supply means capable of supplying a power output signal having a specified polarity;
- switching means connected to said power supply means and responsive to said tri-state command signals for providing a power output signal having discrete amplitude levels, time durations and polarities in response to tri-state command signals representing positive and negative states and for providing a short circuited output at a specified voltage potential in response to a tri-state command signal representing a zero state;
- and
- filter means responsive to said power output signal for providing a filtered power output signal to a load, said filtered power output signal being a substantial replica of said input signal.
An amplifier system comprising a switching power amplifier including
- means responsive to an input signal for providing a tri-state command signal having discrete amplitudes as a function of time, which amplitudes represent a positive state, a negative state, or a zero state;
- power supply means capable of supplying a power output signal having a specified polarity;
- switching means connected to said power supply means and responsive to said tri-state command signal for providing a power output signal having discrete amplitude levels, the time durations and polarities of which correspond to the state of said tri-state command signal;
- filter means responsive to said power output signal for providing a filtered power output signal to a load, said filtered power output signal being a substantial replica of said input signal;
- means for detecting the amplitude of said input signal;
- and
- means for providing a fourth state command signal when the amplitude of said input signal is below a selected level and for providing said tri-state command signal only when the amplitude of said input signal is above said selected level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.