ANTENNA CALIBRATION

• US 20100220003A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Scott, Michael Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,990,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/174
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to antenna calibration for active phased array antennas. Specifically, the present invention relates to a built in apparatus for autonomous antenna calibration

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of self-calibration of a plurality of calibration antennas comprising the steps of: (i) selecting two calibration antennas to be calibrated that have a common area in range of both calibration antennas; (ii) selecting at least one radiating element within range of the two calibration antennas; (iii) transmitted a known test signal from the one or more selected radiating elements; (iv) measuring a received signal at each of the two calibration antennas; (v) comparing the received signals at each of the two calibration antennas; and (vi) determining a correction coefficient for each calibration antenna based on the received signals at the said calibration antennas.

Claims

1. A method of self-calibration of a plurality of calibration antennas comprising the steps of:

(i) selecting two calibration antennas to be calibrated that have a common area in range of both calibration antennas;

(ii) selecting at least one radiating element within range of the two calibration antennas;

(iii) transmitting a known test signal from the one or more selected radiating elements;

(iv) measuring a received signal at each of the two calibration antennas;

(v) comparing the received signals at each of the two calibration antennas; and

(vi) determining a correction coefficient for each calibration antenna based on the received signals at the said calibration antennas.

2. A method of self-calibration according to claim 1, wherein the calibration antennas are mounted around an antenna array.

3. A method of self-calibration according to claim 1, wherein steps (i) to (v) are repeated for each pair of the calibration antennas with common areas in range.

4. A method of self-calibration according to claim 2, wherein steps (i) to (v) are repeated for each pair of the calibration antennas with common areas in range.