H01Q3/267

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY CALIBRATING A PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA
20230006754 · 2023-01-05 ·

Systems and methods for calibrating a phase array antenna (“PAA”) are provided. The system includes a PAA having a plurality of array elements and a remote calibration terminal. The PAA is connected to a processor unit. The PAA includes a reference beamforming network (“BFN”) for generating a reference beam and a calibration BFN for generating a calibration beam. The PAA applies a plurality of scrambled orthogonal codes to the calibration BFN to generate the calibration beam. The remote calibration terminal is configured to analyze the reference beam and the calibration beam to determine a calibration error for the PAA, the calibration error including a phase error and an amplitude error for each of the plurality of array elements of the PAA. The remote calibration terminal may be configured to measure a beam pointing error (“BPE”) of the PAA and/or a coupling between array elements.

SATELLITE RECEIVER AND SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

A satellite receiver includes: demultiplexing units each demultiplexing, into subchannel signals of a predetermined band, a digital reception signal obtained by converting a calibration signal received by a corresponding one of receiving antenna elements into a digital signal; excitation coefficient multiplication units multiplying the subchannel signals by an excitation coefficient; a complex adder adding the subchannel signals multiplied by the excitation coefficient together for each subchannel signal of the same band; a correlation detection unit calculating, with the use of one demultiplexing unit as a reference demultiplexing unit, a cross-correlation value for each subchannel signal output from each demultiplexing unit different from the reference demultiplexing unit with respect to a subchannel signal of a same band output from the reference demultiplexing unit; and an excitation coefficient generation unit generating a corrected excitation coefficient based on a cross-correlation value and an excitation coefficient created in advance.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NEAR-FIELD TESTING OF A PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA

A near-field test system for a phased array antenna includes a probe, a beam forming network, and a computing system. The probe is disposed at a fixed position in a near-field of the phased array antenna and transmits a test beam toward a fixed location on the phased array. The beam forming network is coupled to the phased array and includes a plurality of phase shifters and a beam summer. The phase shifters steer received beams for each antenna element of the phased array to form a planar wave front. The beam summer is coupled to the phase shifters and combines power of the received beams. The computing system is coupled to the beam forming network and scales combined power of the received beams and generates a virtual spectrum for the phased array antenna from scaled power of the received beams.

Coupling device and antenna
11705614 · 2023-07-18 · ·

A coupling device includes a plurality of couplers, a first coupled output port and a second coupled output port, wherein the plurality of couplers comprise a first coupler and a second coupler that are adjacent one another, and each of the first coupler and the second coupler comprises a main line and a subline, and for each of the first coupler and the second coupler: the subline includes a first section, a second section, and a third section, wherein the second section of the subline of the first coupler has a common segment with the first section of the subline of the second coupler.

OVER THE AIR CALIBRATION OF AN ADVANCED ANTENNA SYSTEM

There is provided mechanisms for OTA calibration of an AAS. The AAS comprises N antenna branches, each of which comprises a respective subarray. The subarray of each antenna branch gives rise to a subarray antenna pattern extending over an angular interval. A method is performed by a test equipment. The method comprises obtaining measurement values for each of the antenna branches. At least one measurement value is obtained per each antenna branch. The method comprises determining one calibration factor value per antenna branch using the measurement values and taking the subarray antenna patterns into account. The method comprises applying the determined calibration factor values to the N antenna branches, thereby calibrating the AAS.

ANTENNA ASSEMBLY AND BASE STATION ANTENNA
20230019212 · 2023-01-19 ·

The present invention relates to an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly comprises a feed board, a backplane, and a calibration board. A plurality of radiating elements are mounted on the feed board and extend forwardly from the feed board. The feed board is mounted on a first major surface of the backplane, and the calibration board is mounted on a second major surface of the backplane opposite the first major surface. The antenna assembly further includes a conductive structure, which extends through openings in at least two of the feed board, the backplane and the calibration board so as to electrically connect a first transmission line on the calibration board with a second transmission line on the feed board. The antenna assembly according to embodiments of the present invention can also achieve high integration and miniaturization of the overall antenna construction. Further, the present invention relates to a base station antenna comprises an antenna assembly.

FIELD-ASSEMBLED MODULAR PHASED ARRAY SATCOM TERMINAL

A field-assembled satellite communications terminal has a plurality of discrete, modular aperture blocks. Each aperture block contains an electrically steered antenna aperture, and a plurality of interconnection ports for power and data communications between the plurality of aperture blocks. The plurality of interconnection ports are removably connectable by the end user in the field, The terminal further has a signal processing system for receiving, processing, and generating signals to and from the apertures. The aperture blocks are connected to each other in the field and self-configure to form an electrically-steered antenna,

APPARATUS, METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR CALIBRATING AN ARRAY OF DUAL-POLARIZED ANTENNA ELEMENTS

An apparatus including an array of dual-polarized antenna elements. Each antenna element includes a pair of orthogonal polarization feeds, and a coupler configured to couple, in the near field, the orthogonal polarizations. The apparatus also including control circuitry configured to control, for each polarization, for each antenna element, a power adjustment and a phase adjustment applied to signals of the respective polarization feeds. The apparatus further includes measurement circuitry configured to measure, for each polarization, for each antenna element via its respective coupler, a power and/or a phase of a signal transmitted from the respective array. The apparatus also includes calibration circuitry configured to adjust, for each polarization, for each antenna element, the power adjustment and/or the phase adjustment applied to signals of the respective polarization feeds in dependence upon the measurement, for each polarization, of power and/or phase of the signal transmitted from the respective antenna element.

PHASED ARRAY ANTENNA APPARATUS AND METHOD
20230216212 · 2023-07-06 ·

The present invention provides phased array antenna apparatus (200) for operation in frequencies above six gigahertz. The apparatus (200) comprises: a plurality of sub-arrays (208) together configured to form a phased array antenna, each sub-array (208) comprising at least four antenna elements (220), each antenna element (220) for receiving an input signal from the sub-array (220) and comprising: an antenna (230) for transmission of the input signal; and a signal modification component (222) to adjust a phase of the input signal during propagation to the antenna (230); and a plurality of power amplifiers (212), wherein each sub-array (208) is provided with a one of the plurality of power amplifiers (212), wherein each sub-array (208) is arranged to be provided with an amplified input signal, and each antenna element (220) of the sub-array (208) is configured to be provided with the amplified input signal of the respective sub-array (208) as the input signal to the antenna element (220), and wherein the power amplifier (212) for each sub-array (208) is configured to receive a phased array input signal for amplification and to output the respective amplified input signal to the respective sub-array (208). The power amplifier (212) for each sub-array (208) may be physically separate and distinct from each sub-array (208).

MISALIGNMENT COMPENSATION METHOD AND APPARATUS

electronica communication device includes a first array antenna module including first antenna elements, a second array antenna module including second antenna elements and disposed adjacent to the first array antenna module, and a controller which detects misalignment between the first array antenna module and the second array antenna module based on communication between a first test group of the first antenna elements and a second test group of the second antenna elements.