Method and apparatus for remotely calibrating a phased array system used for satellite communication using a unitary transform encoder

• US 5,677,696 A
• Filed: 07/07/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SES AMERICOM, Inc. (SES SA)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nevin, Robert Leland, Silverstein, Seth David, Engeler, William Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/499,796
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 342/165, 342/173, 342/174, 342/194, 342/375, 342/442, 342/360
• US Class Current: 342/360
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for remotely calibrating a system having a plurality of N elements, such as a phased array system, is provided. The method includes generating coherent signals, such as a calibration signal and a reference signal having a predetermined spectral relationship between one another. The calibration signal which is applied to each respective one of the plurality of N elements can be orthogonally encoded using a unitary transform encoder that uses a predetermined transform matrix, such as a Hadamard transform matrix or a two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform matrix, to generate a set of orthogonally encoded signals. The set of orthogonally encoded signals and the reference signal are transmitted to a remote location. The transmitted set of orthogonally encoded signals is coherently detected at the remote location. The coherently detected set of orthogonally encoded signals is then decoded using the inverse of the predetermined encoding matrix to generate a set of decoded signals. The set of decoded signals is then processed for generating calibration data for each element of the phased array system.

Claims

1. A method for remotely calibrating a system having a plurality of N elements, N being a positive integer number, said method comprising the steps of;

coherently generating a calibration signal and a reference signal having a predetermined spectral relationship between one another;

applying to each respective one of said plurality of N elements the calibration signal;

providing an encoder for encoding the calibration signal applied to each respective one of said plurality of N elements to generate a set of encoded signals, said encoder comprising a unitary transform encoder based upon entries of a predetermined unitary transform matrix T;

transmitting the set of encoded signals and the reference signal to a remote location;

coherently detecting the transmitted set of encoded signals at the remote location;

decoding the coherently detected set of encoded signals to generate a set of decoded signals; and

processing the set of decoded signals for generating calibration data for each element of said system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said system comprises a phased array system and each of said N elements in said phased array system includes a plurality of p delay circuits.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined unitary transform matrix T comprises a unitary transform matrix selected from the group consisting of Hadamard and two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform matrixes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said unitary transform matrix T comprises a matrix having at least a size N×

N.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said binary matrix comprises a Hadamard matrix.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of encoded signals generated by said unitary transform encoder comprises a set of orthogonally encoded signals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said coherently detecting step comprises measuring, with respect to said reference signal, respective in-phase and quadrature components for the set of orthogonally encoded signals being received at the remote location.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said decoding step comprises:

computing the product of each respective measured in-phase and quadrature components with the inverse matrix T^-1 of matrix T.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said measuring step comprises measuring, with respect to said reference signal, phase and amplitude of the set of orthogonally encoded signals being received at the remote location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting a total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein N of the total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals comprise respective transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals wherein each delay circuit in each element of the phased array system is switched-out.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein Np of the total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals comprise respective transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals wherein a λ

th delay circuit in each element of the phased array system is sequentially switched-in for λ

=1, 2, . . . p-1, p.

13. Apparatus for remotely calibrating a system having a plurality of N elements, N being a positive integer number, said apparatus comprising:

a coherent signal generator for generating a calibration signal and a reference signal having a predetermined spectral relationship between one another;

means for applying to each respective one of said plurality of N elements the calibration signal;

an encoder for encoding the calibration signal applied to each respective one of said plurality of N elements to generate a set of encoded signals, said encoder comprising a unitary transform encoder based upon entries of a predetermined unitary transform matrix T;

means for transmitting the set of encoded signals and the reference signal to a remote location;

a coherent detector for detecting the transmitted set of encoded signals at the remote location;

means for decoding the coherently detected set of encoded signals to generate a set of decoded signals; and

a signal processor for processing the set of decoded signals for generating calibration data for each element of said system.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said system comprises a phased array system and each of said N elements in said phased array system includes a plurality of p delay circuits.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said predetermined unitary transform matrix T comprises a unitary transform matrix selected from the group consisting of Hadamard and two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform matrixes.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said unitary transform matrix T comprises a binary matrix having at least a size N×

N.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said binary matrix comprises a Hadamard matrix.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the set of encoded signals generated by said unitary transform encoder comprises a set of orthogonally encoded signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said coherent detector comprises means for measuring, with respect to said reference signal, respective in-phase and quadrature components for the set of orthogonally encoded signals being received at the remote location.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for decoding comprises:

means for computing the product of each respective measured in-phase and quadrature components with the inverse matrix T^-1 of matrix T.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said means for measuring respective in-phase and quadrature components for the set of orthogonally encoded signals comprises means for measuring, with respect to said reference signal, phase and amplitude of the set of orthogonally encoded signals being received at the remote location.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for transmitting in operation transmits a total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein N of the total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals comprise respective transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals wherein each delay circuit in each element of the phased array system is switched-out.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein Np of the total of N(p+1) transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals comprise respective transmissions of orthogonally encoded signals wherein a λ

th delay circuit in each element of the phased array system is sequentially switched-in for λ

=1, 2, . . . p-1, p.