Patents by Inventor Michael David Leffel

Michael David Leffel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7729668
    Abstract: A predistorter for reducing spurious emissions in an amplified signal including a first path configured to generated memory-less distortion correction and one or more second paths configured to generate memory distortion correction. The paths contain one or more dynamically controllable delay circuits that are configured such that the memory-less and memory distortion correction remains independent irrespective of frequency of use of the predistorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Andrew LLC
    Inventor: Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 7109792
    Abstract: Frequency-independent and frequency-dependent pre-distortion is implemented using look-up tables to retrieve pre-distortion parameters. To compensate for changes in amplifier operating characteristics over time, fixed pre-distortion tables can be used by appropriately offsetting the index values used to retrieve the pre-distortion parameters. The overall amplifier gain as well as the biases applied to one or more amplifier stages are also preferably controlled. In addition, the frequency-independent and/or frequency-dependent pre-distortion tables can be updated either periodically or as needed, by mapping a measure (e.g., average input signal power) to one or more parameters using equations (e.g., piecewise linear curves), where the parameters are applied to one or more polynomials to update the tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Andrew Corporation
    Inventor: Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 6859101
    Abstract: The insertion phase or delay of an amplifier can be controlled by comparing signals from the amplifier path with signals from a corresponding reference path without requiring the overall signal delay through the reference path to nominally match the overall signal delay through the amplifier path. Amplifier and reference path signals can be combined to form a combined signal whose power is detected using a narrow-band, frequency-selective power detector. For given phase and delay offsets between the amplifier and reference paths, cancellation (i.e., perfectly destructive interference) will occur at a series of different frequencies. By operating the power detector at one of these cancellation frequencies, a variable phase or delay adjuster in the amplifier path can be controlled to minimize the detected power level in order to achieve a desired level of insertion phase for the amplifier, without having to implement an expensive delay element in the reference path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Andrew Corporation
    Inventor: Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 6819173
    Abstract: A transmitter that includes a feed forward amplifier amplifies an input signal to produce an amplified signal that includes a distortion component. The transmitter determines an error signal based on the input signal and the amplified signal and amplifies the error signal to produce an amplified error signal that includes an error signal distortion component. The transmitter combines the amplified error signal with the amplified signal to produce an output signal that includes the error signal distortion component and a portion of the amplified signal distortion component. The transmitter determines a distortion component of an attenuated version of the output signal and an energy of the determined distortion component. Based on the determined energy, the transmitter produces a control signal designed to minimize the energy of the distortion component of the attenuated output signal and thereby minimize distortion in the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Vincent Louis, Michael David Leffel
  • Publication number: 20040196922
    Abstract: A predistorter for reducing spurious emissions in an amplified signal including a first path configured to generated memory-less distortion correction and one or more second paths configured to generate memory distortion correction. The paths contain one or more dynamically controllable delay circuits that are configured such that the memory-less and memory distortion correction remains independent irrespective of frequency of use of the predistorter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2003
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: Andrew Corporation
    Inventor: Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 6744316
    Abstract: A transmitter includes a feed forward amplifier that includes main signal path having a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, a feed forward correction circuit, and a control circuit. An amplification of an input signal by the RF power amplifier produces an amplified signal that includes a distortion component. The feed forward correction circuit produces an error signal, which error signal is used to drive an error amplifier to produce an amplified error signal. In order to minimize a distortion component introduced to the amplified error signal by the error amplifier, the control circuit controls a peak power of the error signal based on a detected energy of an attenuated version of the error signal or based on the distortion component introduced to the amplified error signal by the error amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Vincent Louis, Michael David Leffel
  • Publication number: 20020155821
    Abstract: A transmitter that includes a feed forward amplifier amplifies an input signal to produce an amplified signal that includes a distortion component. The transmitter determines an error signal based on the input signal and the amplified signal and amplifies the error signal to produce an amplified error signal that includes an error signal distortion component. The transmitter combines the amplified error signal with the amplified signal to produce an output signal that includes the error signal distortion component and a portion of the amplified signal distortion component. The transmitter determines a distortion component of an attenuated version of the output signal and an energy of the determined distortion component. Based on the determined energy, the transmitter produces a control signal designed to minimize the energy of the distortion component of the attenuated output signal and thereby minimize distortion in the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Edward Vincent Louis, Michael David Leffel
  • Publication number: 20020153952
    Abstract: A transmitter includes a feed forward amplifier that includes main signal path having a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier, a feed forward correction circuit, and a control circuit. An amplification of an input signal by the RF power amplifier produces an amplified signal that includes a distortion component. The feed forward correction circuit produces an error signal, which error signal is used to drive an error amplifier to produce an amplified error signal. In order to minimize a distortion component introduced to the amplified error signal by the error amplifier, the control circuit controls a peak power of the error signal based on a detected energy of an attenuated version of the error signal or based on the distortion component introduced to the amplified error signal by the error amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Edward Vincent Louis, Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 6255903
    Abstract: A linear power amplifier having one or more feedforward correction loops automatically reconfigures itself for single loop operation based on a power reduction condition. The power reduction condition may be a function of the input power of the linear power amplifier, a current draw of stages within the linear power amplifier, power consumption levels of feedforward error correction amplifiers, the time of day, or any other suitable condition. The linear power amplifier includes a main amplifier circuit (12) and at least a first feedforward error correction circuit (14). A control circuit (16) removes or reduces power from the power amplifier (26) in the main amplifier circuit (12) and reconfigures the feedforward error correction circuit (14) to serve as a temporary main amplifier circuit. This may be done, for example, at predetermined points where the linear power amplifier does not require the feedforward error correction circuit to obtain a desired level of linearity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Motorola
    Inventor: Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 5867060
    Abstract: A power delivery system (500) including a power splitter (502), a plurality of power amplifier modules (508) responsive to the power splitter (502), a power combiner (504), and a gateway controller (506) is provided. Each of the plurality of power amplifier modules (508) include an input switch (520), a variable attenuator (524), an RF power amplifier (526) responsive to the variable attenuator (524) and the input switch (520), an output switch (530) responsive to the RF power amplifier (526), and an alarm detector (532) for indicating an alarm condition of the RF power amplifier (526). The power combiner (504) is responsive to the plurality of power amplifier modules (508), and the gateway controller (506) is in communication with each of the plurality of power amplifier modules (508). The plurality of power amplifier modules controlled in accordance to whether a sleep criteria has been met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Grover Charles Burkett, Jr., Bradley Warren Holdridge, Michael David Leffel
  • Patent number: 5831479
    Abstract: A power delivery system (500) including a power splitter (502), a plurality of power amplifier modules (508) responsive to the power splitter (502), a power combiner (504), and a gateway controller (506) is provided. Each of the plurality of power amplifier modules (508) include an input switch (520), a variable attenuator (524), an RF power amplifier (526) responsive to the variable attenuator (524) and the input switch (520), an output switch (530) responsive to the RF power amplifier (526), and an alarm detector (532) for indicating an alarm condition of the RF power amplifier (526). The power combiner (504) is responsive to the plurality of power amplifier modules (508), and the gateway controller (506) is in communication with each of the plurality of power amplifier modules (508).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael David Leffel, Edward Vincent Louis, Douglas Edward Miller, Mark G. Obermann, Timothy Mark Avicola