Patent ID: 8923370

Claim:
A digital radio module having a modular architecture for use in a multi-band multi-standard radio communication apparatus that is operable over a wide frequency range, the digital radio module comprising: one or more digital transmitter sub modules, each digital transmitter sub module comprising a plurality of digital transmitter chains; one or more digital receiver sub modules, each digital receiver sub module comprising a plurality of digital receiver chains; wherein each of the digital transmitter sub modules and digital receiver sub modules comprises a respective control unit for individually configuring each digital transmitter sub module and digital receiver sub module such that the digital radio module is configured to transmit and/or receive multiple different carrier frequency signals in one or more different modes of operation, wherein each transmitter chain comprises a digital transmitter that is configured convert a respective digital base band signal directly into a digital radio frequency signal; and wherein each digital transmitter sub module comprises: a digital combining unit coupled to receive the output of each digital transmitter chain, and configured to combine the digital radio frequency signal received from each digital transmitter chain into a digital radio frequency signal comprising multiple radio frequency bands; and a digital to analog converter coupled to receive the digital radio frequency signal comprising multiple radio frequency bands, and configured to convert the digital radio frequency signal into an analog radio frequency signal comprising multiple radio frequency bands, wherein each digital transmitter sub module further comprises a digital pre-distortion unit coupled between the digital combining unit and the digital to analog converter, and configured to modify the digital radio frequency signal comprising multiple radio frequency bands prior to conversion by the digital to analog converter.