ANTENNA ARRAY CALIBRATION FOR WIRELESS CHARGING

• US 20160087338A1
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RF Micro Devices Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khlat, Nadim
• Granted Patent: US 9,837,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas

Abstract

Antenna array calibration for wireless charging is disclosed. In one aspect, an initial calibration sequence is performed each time a wireless charging station is powered on. The initial calibration sequence utilizes a reference antenna element, which is an antenna element randomly selected from a plurality of antenna elements in the wireless charging station, to determine relative receiver phase errors between the reference antenna element and each of the other antenna elements in an antenna array. In another aspect, a training sequence is performed after completing the initial calibration sequence to determine total relative phase errors between the reference antenna element and each of the other antenna elements in the antenna array. Adjustments can then be made to match respective total relative phase errors among the plurality of antenna elements to achieve phase coherency among the plurality of antenna elements for improved wireless charging power efficiency.

Claims

1. A wireless charging station, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements each comprising;

a receiver and a transmitter coupled to an antenna; and

a phase shift circuitry coupled to the transmitter and configured to adjust respective transmitter phase of the transmitter;

a calibration antenna element comprising a calibration receiver and a calibration transmitter; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of antenna elements and the calibration antenna element, the controller configured to;

select a reference antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements wherein unselected ones of the plurality of antenna elements are non-reference antenna elements;

transmit a first calibration signal from a transmitter of the reference antenna element;

measure phase a_x of the first calibration signal at a receiver of the reference antenna element;

measure phase b_x of the first calibration signal at the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

transmit a second calibration signal from a transmitter of a non-reference antenna element;

measure phase a_y of the second calibration signal at a receiver of the non-reference antennaelement;

measure phase b_y of the second calibration signal at the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element;

transmit a third calibration signal from the calibration transmitter of the calibration antenna element;

measure phase c_x of the third calibration signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element;

measure phase c_y of the third calibration signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

determine relative receiver phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element based on the phase a_x, the phase b_x, the phase c_x, the phase a_y, the phase b_y, and the phase c_y.

2. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein:

each of the plurality of antenna elements further comprises a register; and

the controller is further configured to store the relative receiver phase error in the register of the reference antenna element and the register of the non-reference antenna element.

3. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:

configure the plurality of antenna elements to receive a wireless training signal from a training device;

measure phase t_x of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the reference antenna element based on the phase t_x; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

measure phase t_y of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element based on the phase t_y; and

determine total relative phase error between the transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element and the transmitter phase of the reference antenna element.

4. The wireless charging station of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to match the total relative phase error among the plurality of antenna elements.

5. The wireless charging station of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to:

instruct the plurality of antenna elements to transmit a plurality of wireless signals to a receiving device, respectively;

receive a first power measurement from the receiving device indicating a first total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

instruct at least one of the plurality of antenna elements to increase power level of at least one wireless signal by a predetermined amount;

receive a second power measurement from the receiving device indicating a second total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase coherent if the second power measurement increases from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount; and

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase incoherent if the second power measurement does not increase from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount.

6. The wireless charging station of claim 5 wherein the controller is further configured to receive the first power measurement and the second power measurement via a wireless link in one of the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands.

7. The wireless charging station claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the total relative phase error between the transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element and the transmitter phase of the reference antenna element by:

calculating a first sum of the phase t_y, the phase b_y, and the phase c_x;

calculating a second sum of the phase t_x, the phase b_x, and the phase c_y; and

subtracting the second sum from the first sum.

8. The wireless charging station of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase t_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element;

a multipath phase shift (P_X) experienced by the wireless training signal when traveling from a transmitter of the training device to the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the transmitter and a receiver in the training device.

9. The wireless charging station of claim 3 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase t_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

a multipath phase shift (P_Y) experienced by the wireless training signal when traveling from a transmitter of the training device to the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the transmitter and a receiver in the training device.

10. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase a_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_X) associated with the transmitter of the reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (λ

) associated with coupling the receiver of the reference antenna element to the transmitter of the reference antenna element to receive the first calibration signal.

11. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase b_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_X) associated with the transmitter of the reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (P_X) associated with a signal path between the transmitter of the reference antenna element and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element.

12. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase c_x by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_X) associated with the receiver of the reference antenna element;

a phase shift (P_X) associated with a signal path between the transmitter of the reference antenna element and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the calibration transmitter and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element.

13. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase a_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_Y) associated with the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element;

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (λ

) associated with coupling the receiver of the non-reference antenna element to the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element to receive the second calibration signal.

14. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase b_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (T_Y) associated with the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element; and

a phase shift (P_Y) associated with a signal path between the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element.

15. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to measure the phase c_y by calculating a sum of:

a phase shift (R_Y) associated with the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

a phase shift (P_Y) associated with a signal path between the transmitter of the non-reference antenna element and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element; and

a phase differential (Δ

) between the transmitter and the calibration receiver of the calibration antenna element.

16. The wireless charging station of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to determine the relative receiver phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element by:

calculating a first sum of the phase a_y, the phase b_x, and the phase c_y;

calculating a second sum of the phase a_x, the phase b_y, and the phase c_x; and

subtracting the second sum from the first sum and then dividing by two.

17. A wireless charging station, comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements each comprising;

a receiver and a transmitter coupled to an antenna that is communicatively coupled to a calibration device; and

a phase shift circuitry coupled to the transmitter and configured to adjust respective transmitter phase of the transmitter; and

a controller coupled to the plurality of antenna elements and configured to;

select a reference antenna element from the plurality of antenna elements wherein unselected ones of the plurality of antenna elements are non-reference antenna elements;

transmit a first calibration signal from a transmitter of the reference antenna element;

measure phase a_x of the first calibration signal at a receiver of the reference antenna element;

receive from the calibration device a phase b_x of the first calibration signal measured at a receiver of the calibration device; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

transmit a second calibration signal from a transmitter of a non-reference antenna element;

measure phase a_y of the second calibration signal at a receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

receive from the calibration device a phase b_y of the second calibration signal measured at the receiver of the calibration device;

receive a third calibration signal from the calibration device;

measure phase c_x of the third calibration signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element;

measure phase c_y of the third calibration signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element; and

determine relative receiver phase error between the non-reference antenna element and the reference antenna element based on the phase a_x, the phase b_x, the phase c_x, the phase a_y, the phase b_y, and the phase c_y.

18. The wireless charging station of claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to receive the phase b_x and the phase b_y from the calibration device via a wireless link in one of the industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands.

19. The wireless charging station of claim 17 wherein the controller is further configured to:

configure the plurality of antenna elements to receive a wireless training signal from a training device;

measure phase t_x of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the reference antenna element based on the phase t_x; and

for each of the non-reference antenna elements;

measure phase t_y of the wireless training signal at the receiver of the non-reference antenna element;

estimate transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element based on the phase t_y; and

determine total relative phase error between the transmitter phase of the non-reference antenna element and the transmitter phase of the reference antenna element.

20. The wireless charging station of claim 19 wherein the controller is further configured to:

instruct the plurality of antenna elements to transmit a plurality of wireless signals to a receiving device, respectively;

receive a first power measurement from the receiving device indicating a first total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

instruct at least one of the plurality of antenna elements to increase power level of at least one wireless signal by a predetermined amount;

receive a second power measurement from the receiving device indicating a second total power received by the receiving device from the plurality of wireless signals;

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase coherent if the second power measurement increases from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount; and

determine that the plurality of antenna elements is phase incoherent if the second power measurement does not increase from the first power measurement by the predetermined amount.