Coherent detection architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems using direct sequence spread spectrum transmission of reference and calibration signals

• US 5,809,063 A
• Filed: 10/25/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ashe, Jeffrey Michael, Xu, Guanghan, Nevin, Robert Leland, Silverstein, Seth David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Khai
• Application Number:
  US08/738,196
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 375/206, 375/200, 375/220, 375/228, 342/174, 342/360, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/3.2
• US Class Current: 375/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/90 using synthetic aperture techniques , e.g. synthetic aperture radar [SAR] techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/235 Calibration of receiver components
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/288 Coherent receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/14 of the whole transmission and reception path, e.g. self-test loop-back
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]

Abstract

An architecture that provides for coherent detection of the relative amplitude and phase of a calibration signal used in the remote calibration of an active transmitting or receiving phased array system employs two coherent signals, one being a reference signal and the other being the calibration signal that contains the relative amplitude and phase information desired in the calibration process. Direct sequence spread spectrum techniques are used to transmit the two coherent signals. Continuous time binary antipodal waveform signals are generated and used to transmit the reference and calibration signals. Relevant amplitude and phase information needed for the calibration can be extracted while compensating for non-synchronized oscillators and the effects of Doppler shifts due to relative motion of the transmitting and receiving platforms. The detection architecture is effective for satellite-based phased array systems, including geostationary, medium and low earth orbit communication satellites, and space-based synthetic aperture radar reconnaissance satellites.

Claims

1. A transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems using direct sequence spread spectrum transmission of reference and calibration signals comprising:

first and second binary antipodal waveform generators for synchronously generating first and second orthogonal signals P₁ (t) and P₂ (t), respectively;

up converting means for generating first and second up converted signals;

first transmitting means for applying amplitude and phase values to said first up converted signal and transmitting a calibration signal S₁ (t);

second transmitting means for receiving the second up converted signal and transmitting a reference signal S₂ (t);

a receiving antenna for receiving coherent calibration and reference signals from said first and second transmitting means;

down converting means for generating the in-phase and quadrature components of the received coherent calibration and reference signals;

third and fourth binary antipodal waveform generators for generating orthogonal delayed replica signals P₁ (t-τ

) and P₂ (t-τ

), respectively;

processing means for generating estimates of the amplitudes and phases of said reference and calibration signals in the form of first and second values B₁ and B₂, respectively; and

an estimator for receiving said first and second values B₁ and B₂ and producing amplitude and phase estimates of the received calibration signal for calibration decoding.

2. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 1 wherein said first transmitting means comprises:

calibration encoding means for receiving the first up converted signal and generating a plurality of phased signals in synchronism with said first and second binary antipodal waveform generators; and

a phased array antenna for receiving output signals from said calibration encoding means and transmitting a signal having as the resultant pattern said calibration signal S₁ (t).

3. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said phased array antenna comprises said second transmitting means for said reference signal.

4. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 2 wherein said second transmitting means comprises a separate antenna.

5. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 1 wherein both the calibration signals S₁ (t) and reference signals S₂ (t) are of the same frequency and said estimator is adapted to detect relative amplitude and phase while compensating for non-synchronized oscillators and Doppler shifts by taking a ratio of said first and second values B₁ and B₂.

6. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 1 wherein said up converting means comprises first oscillator means for generating an up conversion local oscillator signal S_s (t) and mixer means for receiving said first and second signals P₁ (t) and P₂ (t) and said local oscillator signal S_s (t) and generating said first and second up converted signals, respectively, and wherein said down converting means comprises second local oscillator means for generating a down conversion signal S_g (t) having a defined frequency and phase, and a synchronous demodulator for receiving the signal from the second local oscillator means for down-converting the received coherent calibration and reference signals.

7. The transmission/receiving architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 1 wherein said processing means for generating estimates of the amplitudes and phases of said reference and calibration signals comprises:

integrator means for integrating said first and second in-phase and quadrature calibration and reference signals, respectively, and generating said first and second values B₁ and B₂, respectively.

8. A coherent detection architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems using direct sequence spread spectrum transmission of reference and calibration signals comprising:

a generation/transmission subsystem comprising;

a first binary antipodal waveform generator for generating a baseband signal P₁ (t);

a second binary antipodal waveform generator synchronized to the first binary antipodal generator for generating a baseband signal P₂ (t) orthogonal to said baseband signal P₁ (t);

up converting means for generating first and second up converted signals;

a first transmitting antenna for accepting a signal from said first mixer and emitting a signal S₁ (t) as a calibration signal;

means for applying amplitude and phase values to the calibration signal; and

a second transmitting antenna for accepting a signal from said second mixer and emitting a signal S₂ (t) as a reference signal; and

a reception/detection subsystem comprising;

an antenna for receiving the transmitted calibration and reference signals S₁ (t) and S₂ (t);

down converting means for generating the in-phase and quadrature components of the received coherent calibration and reference signals;

a first binary antipodal waveform generator for generating a baseband delayed replica signal P₁ (t-τ

));

a second binary antipodal waveform generator synchronized to the first binary antipodal waveform generator for generating a baseband delayed replica signal P₂ (t-τ

));

a second demodulator for heterodyning the baseband reference and calibration signals from the first synchronous demodulator and low pass filter to produce in-phase and quadrature baseband reference output signals;

a third demodulator for heterodyning the baseband reference and calibration signals from the first synchronous demodulator and low pass filter to produce in-phase and quadrature baseband calibration output signals;

a first complex integrator for integrating the in-phase and quadrature baseband reference output signals over each of multiple repetitions of the delayed replica signals and producing a complex value B₁ ;

a second complex integrator for integrating the in-phase and quadrature baseband calibration output signals over each of multiple repetitions of the delayed replica signals and producing a complex value B₂ ; and

an amplitude and phase estimator operating on the complex values B₁ and B₂ for producing relative amplitude and phase estimates of the received calibration signal for calibration decoding.

9. The coherent detection architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 8 including:

calibration encoding means for receiving the first up converted signal from said first mixer and bandpass filter and generating a plurality of phased signals synchronous with said first and second binary antipodal waveform generators, wherein said first transmitting antenna comprises a phased array antenna for receiving output signals from said calibration encoding means and transmitting said calibration signal S₁ (t).

10. The coherent detection architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 8 wherein both the calibration signals S₁ (t) and reference signals S₂ (t) are of the same frequency and said estimator is adapted to detect relative amplitude and phase while compensating for non-synchronized oscillators and Doppler shifts by taking a ratio of said complex values B₁ and B₂.

11. The coherent detection architecture for remote calibration of coherent systems of claim 8 wherein said up converting means comprises a first local oscillator for generating an up conversion signal with defined frequency and phase, a first mixer and bandpass filter for heterodyning the up conversion signal with the P₁ (t) baseband signal, and a second mixer and bandpass filter for heterodyning the up conversion signal with the P₂ (t) baseband signal;

and wherein said down converting means comprises a second local oscillator for generating a down conversion signal having a defined frequency and phase, and a first synchronous demodulator and low pass filter for heterodyning the down conversion signal with the received signals to produce in-phase and quadrature baseband reference and calibration signals.