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US 6,720,831 B2Granted
Power amplifier protection circuit
AssigneeRF Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorsDavid Dening, Kathleen Muhonen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power amplifier circuit comprises a sensing circuit and a processing circuit adapted to detect voltage peaks in an output of a power amplifier. If the voltage peak is above a predetermined threshold level, the processing circuit acts to reduce bias provided to the power amplifier, thereby reducing the output levels.
Claims12
A power amplifier circuit comprising:
- a power amplifier;
- a sensing circuit adapted to detect voltage peaks emitted by said power amplifier, said voltage peaks exceeding a predetermined threshold;
- and
- a processing circuit adapted to receive an input from said sense circuit and adjust a bias supplied to said power amplifier to reduce said voltage peaks to a level below said predetermined threshold, wherein said processing circuit comprises a current mirror.
1 more element
A method of controlling a power amplifier comprising:
- sensing an output of said power amplifier with a sensing circuit;
- and
- reducing bias supplied to said power amplifier in relation to said output to reduce said output when said output exceeds a predetermined threshold,
- wherein reducing bias supplied to said power amplifier comprises mirroring a current from said sensing circuit across a current mirror.
1 more element
A power amplifier circuit comprising:
- a power amplifier comprising an input and an output;
- a sensing circuit coupled to said output and detecting peaks in said output, said sensing circuit generating a control signal when a peak above a predetermined threshold is detected;
- and
- a processing circuit receiving said control signal and adjusting a bias signal supplied to said power amplifier to reduce peaks in said output to a level below said predetermined threshold, wherein said processing circuit comprises a current mirror.
1 more element
A power amplifier circuit comprising:
- a power amplifier comprising an input and an output;
- a transistor coupled to said output and sensing voltage peaks above a predetermined threshold in said output;
- and
- a current mirror coupled to said transistor and said input, said current mirror adjusting bias supplied to said input based on voltage peaks detected by said transistor.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.