Patent ID: 8004368

Claim:
A digital amplitude modulator for modulating the amplitude of an input carrier signal based on input digital data and generating a corresponding output signal, the digital amplitude modulator including: a first variable gain amplifier for receiving the input carrier signal and generating a corresponding first amplified carrier signal; a second variable gain amplifier for receiving the input digital data and generating corresponding digital amplitude control data; a plurality of selectively activatable amplifier stages, each one receiving a replica of the first amplified carrier signal and generating a corresponding second amplified carrier signal when activated, the output signal corresponding to a combination of the second amplified carrier signals generated by the activated amplifier stages; a driving circuit configured to receive the digital amplitude control data and activate a corresponding set of selected amplifier stages based on the digital amplitude control data, and a power controller unit configured to adjust the power delivered by the digital amplitude modulator by setting a first amplifying gain of the first variable gain amplifier and a second amplifying gain of the second variable gain amplifier.