Waste energy control and management in power amplifiers

A system for communicating using a first station with a first plurality of second stations using a phased array antenna comprising:

• signal generation means for generating a first plurality of signals for transmission to respective second stations using radio-wave modulation;
• combining means for producing a second plurality of combined signals being complex-weighted sums of said first plurality of signals, the number of said second plurality of signals being equal to a number of antenna array elements disposed along a first dimension of said phased array antenna;
• drive signal generation means for producing from each of said second plurality of signals a third plurality of signals associated with different groups of elements disposed along a second dimension of said phased array antenna;
• amplifying apparatus for amplifying said third plurality of signals using respective transmit power amplifiers adapted efficiently to transmit constant amplitude signals;
• and
• said phased array antenna connected to said amplifying apparatus such that wanted signals are radiated in desired directions and unwanted signals are dissipated in other directions.

A satellite communications system for communicating from at least one ground station via at least one orbiting satellite to a plurality of mobile stations, comprising:

• signal generation means in said orbiting satellite for producing a plurality of constant amplitude signals in dependence on signals desired to be communicated to said mobile stations;
• power amplifier means connected to said signal generation means for amplifying said constant amplitude signals to produce desired and undesired signals;
• and
• antenna means coupled to said power amplifier means such that said desired signals are radiated in the direction of said mobile stations and the undesired signals produced by said signal generation means and power amplifier means are radiated out of said orbiting satellite in other directions.