Patent ID: 9515623
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: H03F,H03M

Claim Text:
1. An amplifier comprising: a number, N, of switch-mode power amplifier (SMPA) branches, wherein N is greater than one, and wherein each SMPA branch includes two drive signal inputs, so that the amplifier has a total of 2*N drive signal inputs, and one SMPA branch output, so that the amplifier has a total of N SMPA branch outputs, and wherein, in response to receiving a first combination of drive signals at the two drive signal inputs, each SMPA branch is configured to produce, at the SMPA branch output, an SMPA branch output signal at a first voltage level, and in response to receiving a different second combination of drive signals at the two drive signal inputs, each SMPA branch is configured to produce, at the SMPA branch output, the SMPA branch output signal at a different second voltage level; and a module with a radio frequency (RF) signal input and 2*N drive signal outputs, wherein each of the 2*N drive signal outputs is coupled to one of the 2*N drive signal inputs, and the module is configured to receive an input RF signal at an RF signal input, to sample the input RF signal, resulting in a sequence of samples, and to provide, at the 2*N drive signal outputs, drive signals to each of the N SMPA branches, wherein the states of the drive signals at any given time depend on a magnitude of a sample in the sequence of samples.