Hybrid power control for a power amplifier
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorsGeorge R. Sarkees, Lee V. Nagle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hybrid power control system (102) that selectively applies voltage-based gain control and current-based gain control and method (300) of controlling a power amplifier (104) gain are presented. A voltage-based gain control signal (120) is applied to control the gain of the power amplifier when a level output power is indicated by a power contour signal (132). Whether the power amplifier is saturated is identified. A current-based gain control signal (122) is applied to control the gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is saturated and a decrease in output power is indicated by the power contour signal.
Claims20
A method of controlling a gain of a power amplifier, the method comprising:
- applying a voltage-based gain control signal to control the gain of the power amplifier when a level output power of the power amplifier is indicated by a power contour signal;
- identifying whether the power amplifier is saturated;
- and
- applying a current-based gain control signal to control the gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is saturated and a decrease in output power is indicated by the power contour signal.
A method of controlling a gain of a power amplifier, the method comprising:
- generating a voltage-based gain control signal;
- generating a current-based gain control signal;
- identifying whether the power amplifier is saturated;
- applying the voltage-based gain control signal to control the gain of the power amplifier when an increase in output power or a level output power of the power amplifier is indicated by a power contour signal;
- and
- applying the current-based gain control signal to control the gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is saturated and a decrease in output power is indicated by the power contour signal.
A hybrid power control system comprising:
- a voltage-based gain control circuit that generates a voltage-based gain control signal;
- a current-based gain control circuit that generates a current-based gain control signal;
- a saturation detection circuit that identifies whether a power amplifier is saturated;
- and
- a switch that applies the voltage-based gain control signal to control a gain of the power amplifier when an increase in output power of the power amplifier is indicated by a power contour signal and applies the current-based gain control signal to control the gain of the power amplifier when the power amplifier is saturated and a decrease in output power is indicated by the power contour signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.