Comb linear amplifier combiner (CLAC)

An apparatus for amplifying a wideband signal for transmission by a single antenna, the apparatus comprising:

• a comb filter receiving the wideband signal for filtering, the comb filter having a single input port and N output ports, wherein each output port is connected to the input port via a respective one of N first bandpass filters, wherein the desired RF signal is passed through the N first bandpass filters and wherein each of the N first bandpass filters has a different center frequency than the others of the N first bandpass filters, and wherein each of the N first bandpass filters has a frequency response that is substantially exclusive of the frequency components passed by the other ones of the N first bandpass filters;
• a comb linear amplifier, the comb linear amplifier comprising N power amplifiers, wherein each one of the N power amplifiers is a linear power amplifier and wherein each one of the N power amplifiers is connected to receive input from a different, respective output port of the comb filter and produce output at one of N outputs of the comb amplifier;
• a filter bank, the filter bank comprising N second bandpass filters that each have an output, wherein each one of the N second bandpass filters has a center frequency substantially the same as a respective one of the N first bandpass filters and being connected to receive input from a respective one of the N outputs of the comb amplifier, and wherein each of the N second bandpass filters has a frequency response that is substantially exclusive of the frequency components passed by the other ones of the N second bandpass filters;
• a combining node formed by connecting the output of each of the N second bandpass filters together as a single node to provide low loss combining;
• and
• the single antenna, connected to the combining node so as to receive the wideband signal from the filter bank for transmission thereby.

An apparatus for amplifying a wideband signal for transmission while suppressing intermodulation products in the wideband signal, the apparatus comprising:

• a comb filter receiving the wideband signal for filtering, the comb filter having a single input port and N output ports, wherein each output port is connected to the input port via a respective one of N first bandpass filters, wherein the desired RF signal is passed through the N first bandpass filters and wherein each of the N first bandpass filters has a different center frequency than the others of the N first bandpass filters, and wherein each of the N first bandpass filters has a frequency response that is substantially exclusive of the frequency components passed by the other ones of the N first bandpass filters so that intermodulation products in the wideband signal are suppressed;
• a comb linear amplifier, the comb linear amplifier comprising N power amplifiers, wherein each one of the N power amplifiers is a linear power amplifier and wherein each one of the N power amplifiers is connected to receive input from a different, respective output port of the comb filter and produce output at one of N outputs of the comb amplifier;
• a filter bank, the filter bank comprising N second bandpass filters that each have an output, wherein each one of the N second bandpass filters has a center frequency substantially the same as a respective one of the N first bandpass filters and being connected to receive input from a respective one of the N outputs of the comb amplifier, and wherein each of the N second bandpass filters has a frequency response that is substantially exclusive of the frequency components passed by the other ones of the N second bandpass filters so that intermodulation products in the wideband signal are suppressed;
• a combining node formed by connecting the output of each of the N second bandpass filters together as a single node to provide low loss combining;
• and
• a single wideband antenna connected to the combining node, wherein the wideband signal is coupled to the single wide band antenna for transmission thereby.