Low power distributed transmitter

A low power transmitter comprises:

• a signal generator operably coupled to generate a signal to represent data based on a first aspect of a transmission protocol, wherein the signal generator includes:
• a symbol generator operably coupled to produce symbols that represent the data in a frequency domain based on the first aspect of the transmission protocol;
• a frequency-to-time conversion module operably coupled to convert the symbols into a time domain signal;
• and
• a filtering module operably coupled to filter the time domain signal to produce the signal, wherein the transmission protocol includes at least one of:
• orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and discrete multi-tone (DMT);
• a signal partitioning module operably coupled to partition the signal based on peak-to-average ratio of the signal to produce a plurality of signal partitions, wherein the signal partitioning module including:
• a signal slicing module operably coupled to produce the plurality of signal partitions based on magnitude of the signal, wherein the signal slicing module slices the signal at a first level to produce a first signal partition of the plurality of signal partitions, and wherein the signal slicing module slices the signal between the first level and a second level to produce a second signal partition of the plurality Of signal partitions;
• a first up-converting mixing module operably coupled to mix the first signal partition with a first reference frequency to produce a first mixed signal partition;
• a second up-converting mixing module operably coupled to mix the second signal partition with a second reference frequency to produce a second mixed signal partition;
• a signal processing module operably coupled to process each of the plurality of signal partitions based on a second aspect of the transmission protocol to produce a plurality of processed signal partitions, wherein the signal processing module including:
• a summing module operably coupled to sum the first and second mixed signal partitions to produce a summed partitioned signal;
• a digital to analog converter operably coupled to convert the summed partitioned signal into an analog signal;
• an RF up-conversion section operably coupled to convert the analog signal into an RF signal;
• a first down-conversion mixing module operably coupled to mix the RF signal with the first reference frequency to produce a first processed signal partition of the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• and
• a second down-conversion mixing module operably coupled to mix the RF signal with the second reference frequency to produce a second processed signal partition of the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each of the plurality of the amplifiers amplifies a corresponding one of the plurality of processed signal partitions to produce a plurality of amplified signal partitions;
• and
• a transmitting module operably coupled to transmit the plurality of amplified signal partitions as a composite amplified signal.

A low power transmitter comprises:

• a signal generator operably coupled to generate a signal to represent data based on a first aspect of a transmission protocol, wherein the signal generator including:
• a symbol generator operably coupled to produce symbols that represent the data in a frequency domain based on the first aspect of the transmission protocol;
• a signal partitioning module operably coupled to partition the signal based on peak-to-average ratio of the signal to produce a plurality of signal partitions, wherein the signal partitioning module including:
• a channel separator operably coupled to divide channels of the symbols into a plurality of sub-channels of symbols for each of the channels;
• a signal processing module operably coupled to process each of the plurality of signal partitions based on a second aspect of the transmission protocol to produce a plurality of process signal partitions, wherein the signal processing module including:
• a plurality of frequency-to-time conversion modules that correspondingly convert the symbols of each of the plurality of sub-channels into a plurality of time domain signal partitions;
• a plurality of filtering modules that correspondingly filter the plurality of time domain signal partitions to produce a plurality of filtered signal partitions;
• a plurality of digital to analog converters that correspondingly convert the plurality of filtered signal partitions into a plurality of analog signals;
• and
• a plurality of RF up-conversion sections that correspondingly convert the plurality of analog signals into a plurality of RF signals as the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• a plurality of amplifiers, wherein each of the plurality of the amplifiers amplifies a corresponding one of the plurality of processed signal partitions to produce a plurality of amplified signal partitions;
• and
• a transmitting module operably coupled to transmit the plurality of amplified signal partitions as a composite amplified signal.

A low power transmitter comprises:

• a signal generator operably coupled to generate a signal to represent data based on an aspect of a transmission protocol;
• a digital to analog converter operably coupled to convert the signal into an analog signal;
• a radio frequency (RF) up-conversion section operably coupled to up-convert frequency of the analog signal to produce an RF signal;
• a plurality of amplifiers operably coupled to amplify the RF signal based on gating signals;
• and
• a gating signal module operably coupled to produce the gating signals based on magnitude of at least one of the signal, the analog signal, and the RF signal such that the gating signal module enables one or more of the plurality of amplifiers to amplify the RF signal, wherein the gating signal module includes:
• a comparator module operably coupled to compare the signal or the analog signal with at least one magnitude threshold to produce at least one indication of magnitude of the signal;
• and
• a biasing circuit that biases the plurality of amplifiers based on the at least one indication of the magnitude of the signal.

A method for low power transmissions, the method comprises:

• generating a signal to represent data based on a first aspect of a transmission protocol;
• partitioning the signal based on peak-to-average ratio of the signal to produce a plurality of signal partitions, wherein the partitioning includes:
• slicing the signal at a first level to produce a first signal partition of the plurality of signal partitions;
• slicing the signal between the first level and a second level to produce a second signal partition of the plurality of signal partitions;
• processing each of the plurality of signal partitions based on a second aspect of the transmission protocol to produce a plurality of processed signal partitions, wherein the processing includes:
• converting the first signal partition into a first analog signal;
• converting the second signal partition into a second analog signal;
• up-converting the first analog signal into a first RF signal;
• and
• up-converting the second analog signal into a second RF signal;
• and
• providing the plurality of processed signal partitions to a plurality of amplifiers such that each of the plurality of the amplifiers amplifies a corresponding one of the plurality of processed signal partitions.

A method for low power transmissions, the method comprises:

• generating a signal to represent data based on a first aspect of a transmission protocol;
• partitioning the signal based on peak-to-average ratio of the signal to produce a plurality of signal partitions, wherein the partitioning includes:
• slicing the signal at a first level to produce a first signal partition of the plurality of signal partitions;
• slicing the signal between the first level and a second level to produce a second signal partition of the plurality of signal partitions;
• up-conversion mixing the first signal partition with a first reference frequency to produce a first mixed signal partition;
• up-conversion mixing the second signal partition with a second reference frequency to produce a second mixed signal partition;
• processing each of the plurality of signal partitions based on a second aspect of the transmission protocol to produce a plurality of processed signal partitions, wherein the processing includes:
• summing the first and second mixed signal partitions to produce a summed partioned signal;
• converting the summed partitioned signal into an analog signal;
• RF up-converting the analog signal into an RF signal;
• down-conversion mixing the RF signal with the first reference, frequency to produce a first processed signal partition of the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• and
• down-conversion mixing the RF signal with the second reference frequency to produce a second processed signal partition of the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• and
• providing the plurality of processed signal partitions to a plurality of amplifiers such that each of the plurality of the amplifiers amplifies a corresponding one of the plurality of processed signal partitions.

A method for low power transmissions, the method comprises:

• generating a signal to represent data based on a first aspect of a transmission protocol, wherein the generating includes:
• producing symbols that represent the data in a frequency domain based on the first aspect of the transmission protocol;
• partitioning the signal based on peak-to-average ratio of the signal to produce a plurality of signal partitions, wherein the partitioning includes:
• dividing channels of the symbols into a plurality of sub-channels of symbols for each of the channels;
• processing each of the plurality of signal partitions based on a second aspect of the transmission protocol to produce a plurality of processed signal partitions, wherein the processing includes:
• correspondingly converting the symbols of each of the plurality of sub-channels into a plurality of time domain signal partitions;
• correspondingly filtering the plurality of time domain signal partitions to produce a plurality of filtered signal partitions;
• correspondingly converting the plurality of filtered signal partitions into a plurality of analog signals;
• and
• correspondingly converting the plurality of analog signals into a plurality of RF signals as the plurality of processed signal partitions;
• and
• providing the plurality of processed signal partitions to a plurality of amplifiers such that each of the plurality of the amplifiers amplifies a corresponding one of the plurality of processed signal partitions.

A low power transmitter comprises:

• a signal generator operably coupled to generate a signal to represent data based on an aspect of a transmission protocol;
• a digital to analog converter operably coupled to convert the signal into an analog signal;
• a radio frequency (RF) up-conversion section operably coupled to up-convert frequency of the analog signal to produce an RF signal;
• a plurality of amplifiers operably coupled to amplify the RF signal based on gating signals;
• and
• a gating signal module operably coupled to produce the gating signals based on magnitude of at least one of:
• the signal, the analog signal, and the RF signal such that the gating signal module enables one or more of the plurality of amplifiers to amplify the RF signal, wherein the gating signal module includes:
• a digital comparator module operably coupled to compare the signal with at least one magnitude threshold to produce at least one indication of magnitude of the signal;
• and
• a disabling circuit operably coupled to at least some of the plurality of amplifiers, wherein the disabling circuit disables the at least some of the plurality of amplifiers when the indication of magnitude is below the at least one magnitude threshold and enables at least one of the at least some of the plurality of amplifiers when the indication of magnitude is above the at least one magnitude threshold.

A low power transmitter comprises:

• a signal generator operably coupled to generate a signal to represent data based on an aspect of a transmission protocol;
• a digital to analog converter operably coupled to convert the signal into an analog signal;
• a radio frequency (RF) up-conversion section operably coupled to up-convert frequency of the analog signal to produce an RF signal;
• a plurality of amplifiers operably coupled to amplify the RF signal based on gating signals;
• and
• a gating signal module operably coupled to produce the gating signals based on magnitude of at least one of:
• the signal, the analog signal, and the RF signal such that the gating signal module enables one or more of the plurality of amplifiers to amplify the RF signal, wherein the gating signal module includes:
• an analog comparator module operably coupled to compare the analog signal with at least one magnitude threshold to produce at least one indication of magnitude of the signal;
• and
• a disabling circuit operably coupled to at least some of the plurality of amplifiers, wherein the disabling circuit disables the at least some of the plurality of amplifiers when the indication of magnitude is below the at least one magnitude threshold and enables at least one of the at least some of the plurality of amplifiers when the indication of magnitude is above the at least one magnitude threshold.