1. An apparatus comprising an RF power amplifier, an envelope tracking power supply, and supply control circuitry; and configured to operate in one of a normal operation mode and a calibration mode, such that during the calibration mode:
the RF power amplifier is configured to receive and amplify an RF input signal to provide an RF transmit signal using an envelope power supply signal; and
the supply control circuitry is configured to control the envelope tracking power supply to cause a sharp transition of the envelope power supply signal when a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal transitions through a setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal, wherein a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the sharp transition is greater than a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the normal operation mode.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a transition time of the sharp transition is less than about one-twentieth divided by a normal operation mode bandwidth of the envelope power supply signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a transition time of the sharp transition is less than about one-tenth divided by a normal operation mode bandwidth of the envelope power supply signal.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from the setpoint to a target magnitude of the envelope power supply signal when the setpoint transitions from above the setpoint threshold to below the setpoint threshold.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from the target magnitude to the setpoint when the setpoint transitions from below the setpoint threshold to above the setpoint threshold.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the target magnitude is less than about 500 millivolts.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the sharp transition is from a target magnitude of the envelope power supply signal to the setpoint when the setpoint transitions from below the setpoint threshold to above the setpoint threshold.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the target magnitude is less than about 500 millivolts.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal is greater than about sixty percent of an amplitude of the envelope power supply signal.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal is delayed from the RF input signal by a positive delay.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the positive delay is based on a maximum positive sensitivity peak.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal is delayed from the RF input signal by a negative delay.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the negative delay is based on a maximum negative sensitivity peak.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an RF feedback circuit configured to provide an RF feedback signal based on the RF transmit signal, wherein during the calibration mode, the RF feedback signal is representative of a delay mismatch between the envelope power supply signal and the RF input signal.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein delay calibration data is based on the RF feedback signal.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the normal operation mode, the RF power amplifier is configured to receive and amplify the RF input signal to provide the RF transmit signal using the envelope power supply signal.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the normal operation mode, RF system control circuitry uses delay calibration data to approximately align an envelope of the RF transmit signal with the envelope power supply signal.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the envelope power supply signal is based on an envelope power supply control signal.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein system control circuitry is configured to provide the envelope power supply control signal.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal has a calibration envelope peak, such that during the calibration mode, the envelope power supply signal has a maximum value of the calibration envelope peak.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein during the normal operation mode, the envelope power supply signal has a normal envelope peak, such that during the calibration mode, the maximum value of the calibration envelope peak is about equal to a maximum value of the normal envelope peak.
22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the maximum value of the calibration envelope peak is equal to about 4.5 volts.
23. A method comprising:
providing an RF power amplifier, an envelope tracking power supply, and supply control circuitry;
operating in one of a normal operation mode and a calibration mode;
receiving and amplifying an RF input signal to provide an RF transmit signal using an envelope power supply signal; and
during the calibration mode, controlling the envelope tracking power supply to cause a sharp transition of the envelope power supply signal when a setpoint of the envelope power supply signal transitions through a setpoint threshold of the envelope power supply signal, wherein a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the sharp transition is greater than a maximum rate of change of the envelope power supply signal during the normal operation mode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An ice-maker tray comprising:
a plurality of compartments, wherein each compartment each has a form of a segment of a body of rotation,
wherein the body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a plurality of partition walls segmenting an interior of the semi-cylindrical base into the plurality of compartments,
wherein the compartments are arranged in at least one row,
wherein a wall of the semi-cylindrical base includes a portion that extends above an upper edge of the plurality of partition walls separating the compartments of the row from one another such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion of the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward, and
wherein the wall is formed at a longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at least a part of the transverse sides thereof.
2. The ice-maker tray according to claim 1, wherein the body of rotation is a cylinder.
3. The ice-maker tray according to claim 1, wherein the body of rotation segments of all compartments have parallel axes of rotation.
4. The ice-maker tray according to claim 1, wherein the wall protrudes at least 5 millimeters above the upper edge of the partition walls.
5. The ice-maker tray according to claim 1, wherein the number of rows is one.
6. The ice-maker tray according to claim 1, further comprising an electric heating device.
7. An ice-maker tray comprising:
a plurality of compartments, wherein each compartment each has a form of a segment of a body of rotation,
wherein the body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a plurality of partition walls segmenting an interior of the semi-cylindrical base into a plurality of compartments,
wherein the compartments are arranged in at least one row,
wherein a wall of the semi-cylindrical base includes a portion that extends above an upper edge of the plurality of partition walls separating the compartments of the row from one another such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion of the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward, and
wherein the wall is formed at a longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at least a part of the transverse sides thereof; and
an electric heating device,
wherein the electric heating device is a heating rod inserted between heat exchange ribs protruding from the tray.
8. An ice-maker comprising:
a frame; and
a tray including a plurality of compartments with openings, wherein each compartment each has the form of a segment of a body of rotation, the tray being pivotable about an axis in the frame of the ice maker between an upright setting, in which the openings of the compartments face upwardly, and an emptying setting, in which the openings of the compartments face downwardly,
wherein the body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a plurality of partition walls segmenting an interior of the semi-cylindrical base into the plurality of compartments,
wherein the compartments are arranged in at least one row,
wherein a wall of the semi-cylindrical base includes a portion that extends above an upper edge of the plurality of partition walls separating the compartments of the row from one another such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion of the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward, and
wherein the wall is formed at a longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at least a part of the transverse sides thereof.
9. The ice-maker according to claim 8, wherein the pivot axis of the tray is the centre axis of a smallest cylinder enclosing the tray.
10. The ice-maker according to claim 8, wherein the upper edges of the partition walls lie above the pivot axis in the upright and the tilted setting.
11. The ice-maker according to one of claim 8, wherein the tray is fixed in a tilted setting in which the partition walls are inclined towards the longitudinal side having the protruding wall.
12. A method for operating an ice maker comprising a frame and a tray including a plurality of compartments with openings, wherein each compartment each has the form of a segment of a semi-cylindrical body of rotation, the tray being pivotable about an axis in the frame of the ice maker between an inclined state in which the opening of the compartment faces at an angle upward for filing with water, an upright setting, in which the openings of the compartments face upwardly, and an emptying setting, in which the openings of the compartments face downwardly, wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a transverse wall at each end of the semi-cylindrical base forming a continuous semi-cylindrical compartment within the semi-cylindrical base; and a plurality of partition walls segmenting a portion of an interior of the semi-cylindrical base into a plurality of semi-cylindrical sub-compartments the plurality of compartments,
the plurality of partition walls including coplanar upper edges, the semi-cylindrical base including a portion that extends above the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls, the transverse wall including a first portion having a first upper edge that is coplanar with the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls, and the transverse wall including a second portion having a second upper edge that is angled with respect to the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls and that extends above the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls,
the method comprising:
pivoting the tray about an axis, which is parallel to the axis of the body of rotation segments of the compartment, into the inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward for filing the compartments with water;
filling the compartments with water such that the water flows past the plurality of partition walls via the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments;
pivoting the tray about the axis into the upright setting, in which the openings of the compartments face upwardly and the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls extend substantially horizontally, such that the plurality of partition walls separate the water into separate compartments without flowing over the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls;
freezing the water into pieces of ice within the compartments of the tray;
allowing a surface of the pieces of ice to thaw; and
pivoting the tray about the axis into a setting in which the openings of the compartments face downwardly to empty the pieces of ice from within the compartments.
13. An ice-maker tray comprising:
a semi-cylindrical body of rotation,
wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a plurality of partition walls segmenting an interior of the semi-cylindrical base into a plurality of compartments,
wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged in at least one row,
wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes a wall having a portion extending above an upper edge of each of the plurality of partition walls separating the plurality of compartments of the at least one row from each other such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion of the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward,
wherein the wall is formed at a longitudinal side of the at least one row of the plurality of compartments, and
wherein at least a part of the wall is formed at transverse sides of each end compartment of the plurality of compartments.
14. The ice-maker tray of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of compartments has a parallel axis of rotation.
15. The ice-maker tray of claim 13, wherein the wall protrudes at least 5 millimeters above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls.
16. The ice-maker tray of claim 13, further comprising:
an electric heating device.
17. An ice-maker tray comprising:
a semi-cylindrical body of rotation,
wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a plurality of partition walls segmenting an interior of the semi-cylindrical body of rotation into a plurality of compartments,
wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged in at least one row,
wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes a wall having a portion extending above an upper edge of each of the plurality of partition walls separating the plurality of compartments of the at least one row from each other such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion of the wall extending above the upper edge of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward,
wherein the wall is formed at a longitudinal side of the at least one row of the plurality of compartments, and
wherein at least a part of the wall is formed at transverse sides of each end compartment of the plurality of compartments;
an electric heating device; and
heat exchange ribs protruding from an underside of the body of rotation,
wherein the electric heating device is a heating rod inserted between the heat exchange ribs.
18. An ice-maker tray comprising:
a semi-cylindrical body of rotation,
wherein the semi-cylindrical body of rotation includes:
a semi-cylindrical base having a continuous outer circumferential surface and a transverse wall at each end of the semi-cylindrical base forming a continuous semi-cylindrical compartment within the semi-cylindrical base;
a plurality of partition walls segmenting a portion of an interior of the semi-cylindrical compartment into a plurality of semi-cylindrical sub-compartments,
wherein the plurality of partition walls include coplanar upper edges,
wherein the semi-cylindrical base includes a portion that extends above the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls such that water filling the tray flows past the plurality of partition walls via the portion extending above the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls and into each of the plurality of compartments when the tray is pivoted into an inclined state in which the openings of the compartments face at an angle upward,
wherein the transverse wall includes a first portion having a first upper edge that is coplanar with the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls, and
wherein the transverse wall includes a second portion having a second upper edge that is angled with respect to the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls and that extends above the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls.
19. The ice-maker tray of claim 18, wherein the continuous outer circumferential surface includes:
a first planar surface that is parallel to the coplanar upper edges of the plurality of partition walls and the first upper edge of the transverse wall; and
a second planar surface that is parallel to the second upper edge of the transverse wall.