ANTENNA TEST SYSTEM

• US 20090284425A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: SNOW, JEFFREY M., Baker, Carl, Carlson, Terry, Schumm, Michael, Shaff, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/703
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas

Abstract

A method and system are provided for testing antenna systems using position determination, orientation determination, test pattern analysis using a variety of factors and equipment including positions and orientation of antenna(s) under test at specific points and signal processing systems.

Claims

1. An antenna test system, comprising:

a first section adapted to determine and output coordinate location data for at least one portion of said antenna test system, and

a second section adapted to determine and output orientation data for at least one portion of said test system, said orientation data comprising multi-axis orientation data; and

a third section adapted for determining and storing a plurality of signal measurement data comprising amplitude data associated with at least one antenna under test;

a fourth section adapted to receive said coordinate location data, said orientation data and said plurality of signal measurement data and producing a plurality of output data comprising compensated position data associated with at least one portion of said antenna test system, test location data comprising said coordinate location data, said signal measurement data and said multi-axis orientation data, wherein said compensated position data is determined using at least one said multi-axis orientation data and at least one offset data comprising relationship data associated with at least two portions of said antenna test system; and

a fifth section adapted to output at least one spatial representation related to said at least one antenna under test based on said output data.

2. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said first section further comprises a position sensor adapted to determine and output the coordinate location data for said at least one antenna under test.

3. The antenna test system according to claim 2, wherein said position sensor comprises a GPS position sensor.

4. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said second sensor comprises an orientation sensor adapted to determine and output multi-axis orientation data for said at least one antenna under test.

5. The antenna test system according to claim 4, wherein said orientation sensor further comprises an inertial navigation unit.

6. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said third section comprises a test pattern analyzer.

7. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said fourth section comprises a computer adapted for determining and storing a plurality of datasets.

8. The antenna test system according to claim 7, wherein each of said datasets includes amplitude of a test signal to/from said at least one antenna under test, coordinate location of the antenna under test, and multi-axis orientation data for the antenna under test and a time stamp.

9. The antenna test system according to claim 8, further comprising a test pattern generator coupled to a probe mounted on a rover, for generating said test signal to the at least one antenna under test.

10. The antenna test system according to claim 8, further comprising a test pattern generator coupled to said at least one antenna under test and mounted on a rover, and a stationery probe for receiving said test signal from the at least one antenna under test.

11. The antenna test system according to claim 8, further comprising a moving probe for generating said test signal to a stationery antenna under test.

12. The antenna test system according to claim 6, wherein said computer runs antenna test software that compensates the coordinate location data based on the multi-axis orientation data.

13. The antenna test system according to claim 12, wherein said computer presents a graphical user interface that displays an emission pattern for said antenna under test.

14. The antenna test system according to claim 13, wherein said graphical user interface provides a representation of said antenna under test and is adapted for multi-axis manipulation and simulation of said antenna under test in said graphical user interface.

15. A system as in claim 12, wherein said compensated position data is further determined using a user defined offset determined by using a plurality of coordinate data and at least one measurement of the difference between at least one coordinate locations of said second section and said at least one antenna under test.

16. A system as in claim 15 wherein said user defined offset is determined in part by mathematical computations using a rotation matrix comprising coordinate locations of said second section and said at least one antenna under test.

17. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a transmit test station connected to an antenna under test for generating test signals and transmitting said test signals over the antenna under test;

18. The antenna test system as in claim 3, wherein said GPS position sensor further comprises an RTK position sensor.

19. The antenna test system as in claim 18, further comprising an RTK base station for generating an RTK correction signal.

20. The antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said orientation data comprises yaw, pitch and roll data.

21. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one gyro for generating at least one said orientation data.

22. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one accelerometer for generating at least one said orientation data.

23. The antenna test system as in claim 22, wherein said accelerometer is adapted to function substantially within six degrees of freedom:

+/−

x, y or z axis.

24. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface for inputting and storing test location related data, number of samples, at least one user input offset data associated with test location data, measurement flag data comprising GPS flag data, test frequency range data, signal generator data, transmitter movement data, receiver movement data, mobile test station in use flag data, action list data, object parameter data comprising data related to a structure said antenna under test is mounted to, antenna under test data comprising transmitter related data and receiver related data.

25. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a handheld computing device comprising a transmitter/receiver and a graphical user interface for controlling at least one portion of said antenna test system.

26. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a sixth portion adapted to transmit encrypted signals between at least one portion of said antenna system and another portion of said antenna system.

27. The antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said offset data comprises at least one of the following group:

equipment identifier data, reference point data, dimension data associated with two or more components in said antenna test system, height data, signal refraction data, signal reflection data or component characteristic data.

28. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface adapted to permit a user to input configuration data and execute stored processing sequences for producing said output data, wherein said configuration data comprises offset data comprising relationships between at least two portions of said antenna test system.

29. The antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said compensated position data comprises transmitter antenna position data.

39. An antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said representation includes an emission pattern representation of said at least one antenna under test comprising a plurality of signal characteristics.

40. An antenna test system as in claim 25, wherein said handheld computing device further comprises a graphical user interface which is adapted to display directional data representing navigational information for positioning at least one portion of said antenna test system at predetermined locations stored in said antenna test system.

30. An antenna test system, comprising:

an antenna under test; and

a rover test station further comprising a wheeled platform bearing an RTK position sensor for generating coordinate location data, an inertial navigation unit adapted to function as a multi-axis orientation sensor for generating multi-axis orientation data, a wireless network hub for wireless communication with a transmit test station, and a power source for powering said RTK position sensor, inertial navigation unit and wireless network hub.

31. The antenna test system as in claim 30, further comprising an transmit receive station comprising antenna test software adapted to provide a graphical user interface on a display that allows an operator to define test scenarios and equipment configurations.

32. A method for antenna testing, comprising the steps of:

connecting a transmit test station to an antenna under test for generating test signals and transmitting said test signals over the antenna under test;

positioning a rover test station proximate said antenna under test, said rover test station comprising an RF probe for reception of the test signals transmitted by the antenna under test, a GPS position sensor for generating coordinate location data, and an multi-axis orientation sensor for generating multi-axis orientation data;

collecting time-stamped amplitude data from said RF probe together with coordinate location and multi-axis orientation data over a plurality of positions of said RF Probe;

transmitting said time-stamped data to a transmit receive station for analyzing said collective data.

33. The method for antenna testing according to claim 32, wherein rover test station proximate said antenna under test further comprises an RTK position sensor.

34. The method for antenna testing according to claim 32, further comprising a step of positioning an RTK base station for generating an RTK correction signal.

35. The method for antenna testing according to claim 32, wherein said multi-axis orientation sensor further comprises an inertial navigation unit.

36. The method for antenna testing according to claim 32, wherein said step of transmitting said time-stamped data to a transmit receive station comprises transmitting a wireless transmission.

37. The method for antenna testing according to claim 36, wherein said step of transmitting a wireless transmission comprises operating a wireless network transmission.

38. The method for antenna testing according to claim 37, further comprising a step of running a RF test software at said transmit receive station for generating a graphical user interface on a display that allows an operator to define test scenarios and equipment configurations.

41. A method for testing an RF antenna system, comprising the steps of:

positioning an RF probe relative to an antenna under test;

positioning an GPS/RTK position sensor and multi-axis orientation sensor relative to one of said RF probe or antenna under test;

generating test signals from one of said RF probe or antenna under test and receiving said test signals at the other of said RF probe or antenna under test;

moving the GPS/RTK position sensor, multi-axis orientation sensor, and the associated RF probe or antenna under test;

sampling an emission pattern and storing data samples there from together with associated position data from said GPS/RTK position sensor, and orientation data from said multi-axis orientation sensor; and

analyzing said sampled emission pattern and associated position data and orientation data.