ANTENNA CALIBRATION

• US 20100245158A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• 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 8,004,456 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 calibrating an antenna array comprising the steps of: (i) loading a set of correction coefficients for all or a portion of the antenna array; (ii) outputting a known test signal from all or a portion of the antenna array using said correction coefficients; (iii) measuring the performance of all or a portion of the antenna array using a plurality of calibration antennas; and (iv) generating a new set of correction coefficients to correct the performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an antenna array comprising the steps of:

(i) loading a set of correction coefficients for all or a portion of the antenna array;

(ii) outputting a known test signal from all or a portion of the antenna array using said correction coefficients;

(iii) measuring the performance of all or a portion of the antenna array using a plurality of calibration antennas; and

(iv) generating a new set of correction coefficients to correct the performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

2. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 1, wherein step (iii) comprises measuring the gain and phase performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

3. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of calibration antennas are mounted around the face of the antenna array.

4. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 1, wherein step (iv) comprises generating a new set of correction coefficients to correct the gain and phase performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

5. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 4, wherein the initial set of correction coefficients is generated on manufacturing the antenna array.

7. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of calibration antennas are mounted around the face of the antenna array.

8. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 2, wherein step (iv) comprises generating a new set of correction coefficients to correct the gain and phase performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

9. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 3, wherein step (iv) comprises generating a new set of correction coefficients to correct the gain and phase performance of all or a portion of the antenna array.

10. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 7, the initial set of correction coefficients is generated on manufacturing the antenna array.

11. A method of calibrating an antenna array according to claim 8, the initial set of correction coefficients is generated on manufacturing the antenna array.

6. (canceled)