Patents

US 8766724 B2: Apparatus and method for sensing and converting radio frequency to direct current

Granted
2014-07-01
Filed
2011-12-02 application 13310593
Type
Utility · 18 claims
Elsewhere
Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗

Abstract

The apparatus and method thereof accurately sense and convert a radio frequency (RF) current signal to direct current (DC) independent of process variation and temperature, and without requiring high speed, high voltage amplifiers for its operation. The apparatus comprises an AC coupled circuit that couples the RF signal from the main device to a sense device with an N:M ratio, a low pass filter system that extracts the DC content of the RF current signal, and a negative feedback loop that forces the DC content of the main device and the sensed device to be equal. Exemplary embodiments include a current sensor that provides feedback to protect an RF power amplifier from over-current condition, and a RF power detection and control in a RF power amplifier (PA) that multiplies the sensed output current by the sensed output voltage to be used as a feedback to control the PA's bias.

Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg140701.xml).

Assignees

AssigneeTypePlaceAlso on furp.orgSource
RF Micro Devices (Cayman Islands), Ltd. 10 patentsForeign company or organizationGeorge Town, KYPVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10

Inventors

InventorPlacePatentsPerson pageSource
Daniel HoPalo Alto, CA6PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10
Malcolm James SmithSan Jose, CA18PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10

CPC categories

SubclassCategoryFirst groupSource
H03FAmplifiersH03F3/193PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10

Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).

Assignments and security interests

RecordedWhatFromToReel/frameSource
2016-06-14Name change
Change of name
TRIQUINT INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. signed 2016-05-02QORVO INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. AVENUE 1, #04-0138991/899ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25
2016-05-06Assignment
Assignment of assignor's interest
RF MICRO DEVICES (CAYMAN ISLANDS), LTD. signed 2016-05-02TRIQUINT INTERNATIONAL PTE. LTD. AVENUE 1, #04-0138485/869ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25
2012-11-29Assignment
Assignment of assignor's interest
AMALFI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. signed 2012-11-08RF MICRO DEVICES (CAYMAN ISLANDS), LTD. GREENSBORO, NC29375/148ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25
2012-06-27Assignment
Assignment of assignor's interest
HO, DANIEL signed 2011-11-22
SMITH, MALCOLM signed 2011-11-23
AMALFI SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. LOS GATOS, CA28454/621ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25

Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.

USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.