Low IMD amplification method and apparatus

A signal amplification method comprising:

• encoding a multi-frequency input signal into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency,
• amplifying said encoded signals, and in the amplification process generating and adding undesired intermodulation distortion (IMD) components to signal components of said encoded signals, and
• decoding the amplified signal and IMD components in a manner complementary to said encoding to differentiate the amplified signal components from the IMD components, wherein said decoded amplified signal components are separated from said decoded IMD components by coherently combining the amplified signal components and incoherently combining the decoded IMD components, with the amplified signal components representing both said encoding and decoding but the IMD components representing only said decoding.

A signal amplification method, comprising:

• encoding a multi-frequency input signal into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency,
• amplifying said encoded signals, and in the amplification process generating and adding undesired intermodulation distortion (IMD) components to signal components of said encoded signals, and
• decoding the amplified signal and IMD components in a manner complementary to said encoding to differentiate the amplifled signal components from the IMD components, wherein said decoded amplified signal components are separated from said decoded IMD components by transmitting said decoded amplified signal components and at least a portion of the decoded IMD components at different angles from a phased array, with the amplified signal components representing both said encoding and decoding but the IMD components representing only said decoding.

A signal amplification method comprising:

• encoding a multi-frequency input signal into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency, wherein said input signal is encoded by dividing it into multiple divided signals, applying different respective time delays to said divided signals, and combining said divided signals with each other to obtain said encoded signals,
• amplifying said encoded signals, and in the amplification process generating and adding undesired intermodulation distortion (IMD) components to signal components of said encoded signals, and
• decoding the amplified signal and IMP components in a manner complementary to said encoding to differentiate the amplified signal components from the IMD components, with the amplified signal components representing both said encoding and decoding but the IMD components representing only said decoding.

A low intermodulation distortion (IMD) signal amplification system, comprising:

• a signal encoder arranged to encode a multi-frequency composite input sional into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency,
• an amplifier circuit connected to amplify said encoded signals, said amplifier circuit introducing IMD components to signal components of said encoded signals, and
• a signal decoder arranged to decode the amplified signal components and the IMD components in a manner complementary to said encoding to differentiate the amplified signal components from the IMD components, with the amplified signal components representing both said encoding and decoding but the IMD components representing only said decoding, said signal decoder including a signal separator connected to separate the decoded amplified signal components from at least some of the decoded IMD components based upon said differentiation.

A low intermodulation distortion (IMD) signal amplification system, comprising:

• a signal encoder arranged to encode a multi-frequency composite input signal into multiple encoded signals that vary from each other in their power amplitudes as a function of frequency, said signal encoder comprising a signal divider that divides said input signal into multiple divided signals, a time delay portion that applies different respective time delays to said divided signals, and a combiner network that combines said divided signals with each other to obtain said encoded signals,
• an amplifier circuit connected to amplify said encoded signals, said amplifier circuit introducing IMD components to signal components of said encoded signals, and
• a signal decoder arranged to decode the amplified signal components and the IMD components in a manner complementary to said encoding to differentiate the amplified signal components from the IMD components, with the amplified signal components representing both said encoding and decoding but the IMD components representing only said decoding.