Apparatus for correcting phase of phased array antenna and method thereof

• US 7,994,980 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
• Inventors: Hwang, Woon-Bong, Son, Seong-Ho, Jeon, Soon-Ik, Eom, Soon-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US12/136,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 342/165, 342/169, 342/174, 342/368, 342/371, 342/372
• US Class Current: 342/372
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

Provided are an apparatus for correcting a phase of a phased array antenna and a method thereof. The apparatus for correcting a phase of a phased array antenna for receiving a radio signal, includes a phased array antenna for receiving radio signals from a reference antenna and combining power of the received radio signals, a power dividing unit for dividing the combined power of the received radio signals, a voltage detecting unit for detecting voltage values of the divided radio signals, and a phase controlling unit for estimating a phase error that makes the detected voltage value maximum and controlling a phase of each radiation element of the phased array antenna using the estimated phase error.

Claims

1. An apparatus for correcting a phase of a phased array antenna for receiving a radio signal, comprising:

a phased array antenna for receiving radio signals from a reference antenna, the phased array antenna including a plurality of radiation elements and combining power of the received radio signals;

a power dividing means for dividing the combined power of the received radio signals;

a voltage detecting means for detecting voltage values of the divided radio signals; and

a phase controlling means for estimating an estimated phase error of each of the plurality of radiation elements that makes the detected voltage value maximum and controlling a phase of each respective radiation element of the phased array antenna using the estimated phase error.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phase controlling means performs operations for

correcting a phase error of the phased array antenna for receiving by randomly generating objects having phase information,

detecting a total voltage value of signals received at the corrected phased array antenna,

determining whether convergence condition is satisfied by the total voltage value,

deciding the phase information as a final phase correction value if the convergence condition is satisfied, and

repeating the operations from said correcting the phase error by generating an object having new phase information using previously detected voltage values if the convergence condition is not satisfied.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein if the convergence condition is not satisfied, the phase controlling means repeats the operations from said correcting the phase error by selecting predetermined voltages in descending order from a largest voltage value from previously detected voltage values and generating an object having new phase information by crossbreeding the selected voltage values.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the phase controlling means determines that the convergence condition is satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is in a predetermined error range, and the phase controlling means determines that the convergence condition is not satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is not in a predetermined error range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phased array antenna for receiving includes:

a plurality of radiation elements for receiving a radio signal from the reference antenna;

a plurality of phase shifters for shifting each of phases of received radio signals from the plurality of radiation elements in response to the phase controlling means; and

a power combining means for combining power of each of the phase-shifted radio signals from the plurality of phase shifters.

6. An apparatus for correcting a phase of a phased array antenna for transmitting a radio signal, comprising:

a phased array antenna for transmitting radio signals, the phased array antenna including a plurality of radiation elements;

a reference antenna for receiving the radio signal transmitted from the phased array antenna for transmitting;

a voltage detecting means for detecting voltage values of the radio signal received at the reference antenna; and

a phase controlling means for estimating an estimated phase error of each of the plurality of radiation elements that makes the detected voltage value maximum and controlling a phase of each respective radiation element of the phased array antenna using the estimated phase error.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the phase controlling means performs operations for

correcting a phase error of the phased array antenna for transmitting by randomly generating objects having phase information,

detecting a voltage value of a signal received through the reference antenna and transmitted from the corrected phased array antenna for transmitting,

determining whether convergence condition is satisfied by the detected voltage value,

deciding the phase information as a final phase correction value if the convergence condition is satisfied, and

repeating the operations from said correcting a phase error by generating an object having new phase information using previously detected voltage values if the convergence condition is not satisfied.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein if the convergence condition is not satisfied, the phase controlling means repeats the operations from said correcting the phase error by selecting predetermined voltages in descending order from a largest voltage value from previously detected voltage values and generating an object having new phase information by crossbreeding the selected voltage values.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the phase controlling means determines that the convergence condition is satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is in a predetermined error range, and the phase controlling means determines that the convergence condition is not satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is not in a predetermined error range.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the phased array antenna for transmitting includes:

a power dividing means for receiving a transmission signal and dividing the transmission signal by a plurality of powers;

a plurality of phase shifters for shifting each of phases of the transmission signals from the plurality of power dividing means in response to the phase controlling means; and

a plurality of radiation elements for radiating the plurality of phase-shifted transmitted signals from the plurality of phase shifters.

11. A method for correcting a phase of a phased array antenna, comprising:

generating objects having phase information used for correcting the phase of the phased array antenna;

correcting a phase error of the phased array antenna according to each of the phase information of the generated objects;

detecting a voltage value of a signal passing through the corrected phase array antenna and determining whether a predetermined convergence condition is satisfied by the detected voltage value or not;

deciding the phase information as a final phase correction value of the phased array antenna if the predetermined convergence condition is satisfied; and

generating an object having new phase information using previously detected voltage values if the predetermined convergence condition is not satisfied and performing said correcting a phase error.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in said generating an object having new phase information, predetermined voltages are selected from previously detected voltage values in descending order from a largest voltage value, an object having new phase information is generated by crossbreeding the selected voltage values, and said correcting a phase error is performed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining whether a predetermined convergence condition is satisfied includes:

determining that the convergence condition is satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is in a predetermined error range; and

determining that the convergence condition is not satisfied if a difference between a current voltage value and a previous voltage value is not in a predetermined error range.