Patent ID: 7378903

Claim:
An amplifier system for receiving an input signal and generating therefrom an amplified output signal, the amplifier system comprising: A. an input stage configured to receive the input signal and provide a level-shifted signal that has an average signal level that is shifted in regards a level shift value; and B. an amplifier stage configured to receive the level-shifted input signal from the input stage and generate therefrom the amplified output signal, the level shift value being selected to minimize a DC offset in the amplified output signal at least when the amplifier system is initially powered on and further including a level shift value generator module configured to generate the level shift value; in which the level shift value comprises a series of digits, from a most significant digit position to a least significant digit position, the level shift value generator module being configured to determine digit values for the respective digit positions in a series of iterations, wherein A. the input stage comprises: i. a level shift value store configured to store the level shift value, the level shift value store comprising a series of digit stores each configured to store one of the digit values, ii. a level shift signal generator configured to generate a level shift signal having a level reflective of the level shift value, and iii. a signal combiner module configured to combine the level shift signal and the input signal thereby to generate the level-shifted signal; B. the level shift value generator module comprises: i. a level shift signal generator controller module configured to enable the level shift generator to generate a level shift signal having a selected incremental level; ii. a digit value generator module configured to generate a value for a digit as a function of a relation between the level of the amplified output signal and a selected reference level, the value being stored in a selected digit store in the level shift value store; and iii. a level shift value generation control module configured to control the level shift signal generator and the digit value generator module through a series of iterations during a level shift value generation operation to facilitate generation of the successive digits of the level shift value.