Antenna apparatus

• US 6,778,147 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kohno, Ryuji, Sanada, Yukitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, DON KITSUN
• Application Number:
  US10/351,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20030227408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 343/850, 343/853, 343/703, 343/174, 343/165, 343/372, 370/248, 370/249
• US Class Current: 343/853
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4008 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

To realize an antenna apparatus capable of measuring a calibration factor accurately and further, capable of estimating an arrival direction of a received signal by composing a calibration circuit by using a directional coupler. The antenna system includes L-number of branch units, a calibration circuit and an operating unit. Each directional coupler composing the calibration circuit is structured symmetrically. Measuring the received signals Y_{ti, i−1} and Y_{ti, i+1} of i−1th and i+1th receivers, respectively, when an ith transmitter transmits a signal, on the basis of the first branch unit, the operating unit calculates a calibration factor at the ith branch unit as H_i=T₁R_i/(T_iR₁)=Y_t12Y_t23−Y_ti−1,i/Y_t21Y_t32−Y_ti,i−1.

Claims

1. An antenna apparatus, comprising:

a first branch unit including a first antenna element, a first transmitter, and a first directional coupler for outputting a received signal from said first antenna element to an output terminal during the reception, outputting a transmitting signal from said first transmitter to said first antenna element during a transmission, and providing feedback of the transmitting signal from said first transmitter to said output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate;

a second branch unit including a second antenna element, a second transmitter, and a second directional Coupler for outputting a received signal from said second antenna element to an output terminal during a reception, outputting a transmitting signal from said second transmitter to said second antenna element during the transmission, and providing feedback of a transmitting signal from said second transmitter to said output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate;

a third directional coupler for outputting an inputted signal of a first input terminal to a first output terminal during the reception, Coupling said inputted signal to a second output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate, outputting an inputted signal of a second input terminal to a second output terminal, and coupling said inputted signal to a first output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate, wherein said first and said second input terminals are connected to directional couplers at said first branch unit and said second branch unit, respectively, and said first and said Second output terminals are connected to said first and said second receivers, respectively; and

operating means for obtaining a calibration factor for calibrating said second branch unit in accordance with a first received signal for calibrating, which is coupled to said second receiver by said first and third directional couplers when said first transmitter transmits the signal and a second received signal for calibrating, which is coupled to said first receiver by said second and third directional couplers when said second transmitter transmits the signal.

2. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating means obtains a calibration factor to be applied to said second branch unit in accordance with a ratio between said first received signal and said second received signal using said first branch unit as a reference.

3. The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in said third directional coupler, an attenuation rate in a case that the inputted signal of said first input terminal is sent to said second output terminal and an attenuation rate in a case that the inputted signal of said second input terminal is sent to said first output terminal are equally formed.

4. An antenna apparatus, comprising:

L-number branch units (wherein L=2 and L is an integer) having antenna elements, directional couplers and transmitters, wherein said directional couplers output the received signal from said antenna element to an output terminal during the reception, output the transmitting signal from said transmitter to said antenna element during a transmission, and provide feedback of the transmitting signal from said transmitter to said output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate;

a plurality of directional couplers at a second layer, each of which is provided for each pair of said L-number branch units, wherein a first input terminal is connected to said directional coupler at an ith branch unit (wherein l=i =L and i is an odd number), a second input terminal is connected to said directional coupler at an (i+l)th branch unit, an inputted signal from said first input terminal is sent to a first output terminal, an inputted signal from said second input terminal is coupled to a first output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate, and said inputted signal from said second input terminal is sent to said second output terminal, and said inputted signal from said first input terminal is coupled to said second output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate;

a plurality of directional couplers at a third layer, each of which is provided for a respective directional coupler at the second layer, wherein first and second input terminals are connected to a first output terminal or a second output terminal of the adjoining directional coupler at said second layer, and said first and second output terminals are connected to a receiver; and

operating means for obtaining a calibration factor for said each branch unit in accordance with received signals of (i−

l)th and (i+l)th receivers when a transmitter at said ith branch unit transmits a signal.

5. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, said directional coupler at the third layer outputs the inputted signal of said first input terminal to said first output terminal, and couples said inputted signal to said second output terminal with a predetermined attenuation rate, outputs the inputted signal of said second input terminal to said second output terminal, and couples said inputted signal to said first output terminal with said predetermined attenuation rate.

6. The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, the received signal at said i-1th receiver is defined as T_iR_i−

l when the transmitter at said ith branch unit transmits a signal, and the received signal at said ith receiver is defined as T<sub>i−

l</sub>R_i when the transmitter at said (i−

l)th branch unit transmits a signal, and said operating means calculates a calibration factor H_i at said ith branch unit on the basis of the first branch unit by the following equation;