Antenna test system

• US 8,077,098 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Snow, Jeffrey M., Schumm, Michael, Shaff, William L., Carlson, Terry, Baker, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US12/121,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 343/703, 342/165, 342/169, 342/360, 342/173, 342/174, 342/172, 342/171, 342/372, 324/640, 324/637, 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/67.14, 455/226.1, 455/67.1, 455/67.2, 455/67.4, 455/101
• US Class Current: 343/703
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas

Abstract

A method and system are provided for testing antenna systems using position determination, orientation determination, test pattern analysis using a variety of factors and equipment including positions and orientation of antenna(s) under test at specific points and signal processing systems.

Claims

1. An antenna test system, comprising:

a first section adapted to determine and output coordinate location data for at least a first portion of said antenna test system;

a second section adapted to determine and output orientation data for at least a second portion of said antenna test system, said orientation data comprising multi-axis orientation data;

a third section adapted for determining and storing a plurality of signal measurement data comprising amplitude data associated with an electromagnetic field produced by at least one antenna under test at a plurality of respective test control points;

a fourth section adapted to receive said coordinate location data for said first portion, said orientation data for said second portion, said plurality of signal measurement data and producing a plurality of output data comprising compensated position data associated with at least one portion of said antenna test system comprising said third section, test location data comprising said coordinate location data, said signal measurement data and said multi-axis orientation data, wherein said compensated position data is determined using at least one said multi-axis orientation data and at least one offset data comprising relationship data associated with at least two portions of said antenna test system comprising said first and second portions of said antenna test unit;

a fifth section adapted to output at least one spatial representation related to said at least one antenna under test based on said output data, wherein said spatial representation comprises said amplitude data of an electromagnetic field emitted by or received by said at least one antenna under test at one or more measurement locations comprising each said compensated position data point.

2. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said first section further comprises a position sensor adapted to determine and output the coordinate location data for said at least one antenna under test.

3. The antenna test system according to claim 2, wherein said position sensor comprises a GPS position sensor.

4. The antenna test system as in claim 3, wherein said GPS position sensor further comprises an RTK position sensor.

5. The antenna test system as in claim 4, further comprising an RTK base station for generating an RTK correction signal.

6. The antenna test system as in claim 3, wherein said GPS position sensor further comprises an RTK position sensor, said antenna test system further comprises a sixth section adapted to determine and output coordinate location data for location separate from said first portion of said antenna test system, wherein said first section and sixth section cooperate to generate a correction signal for increasing accuracy of said first section'"'"'s coordinate location data for at least a first portion of said antenna test system.

7. The antenna test system as in claim 6, further comprising an RTK base station for generating an RTK correction signal.

8. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said second section second sensor comprises an orientation sensor adapted to determine and output multi-axis orientation data for said at least one antenna under test.

9. The antenna test system according to claim 8, wherein said orientation sensor further comprises an inertial navigation unit.

10. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said third section comprises a test pattern analyzer.

11. The antenna test system according to claim 10, wherein said computer runs antenna test software that compensates the coordinate location data based on the multi-axis orientation data.

12. The antenna test system according to claim 11, wherein said computer presents a graphical user interface that displays an emission pattern for said antenna under test.

13. The antenna test system according to claim 12, wherein said graphical user interface provides a representation of said antenna under test and is adapted for multi-axis manipulation and simulation of said antenna under test in said graphical user interface.

14. A system as in claim 11, wherein said compensated position data is further determined using a user defined offset determined by using a plurality of coordinate data and at least one measurement of the difference between at least one coordinate locations of said second section and said at least one antenna under test.

15. A system as in claim 14 wherein said user defined offset is determined in part by mathematical computations using a rotation matrix comprising coordinate locations of said second section and said at least one antenna under test.

16. The antenna test system according to claim 1, wherein said fourth section comprises a computer adapted for determining and storing a plurality of datasets.

17. The antenna test system according to claim 16, wherein each of said datasets includes amplitude of a test signal to/from said at least one antenna under test, coordinate location of the antenna under test, and multi-axis orientation data for the antenna under test and a time stamp.

18. The antenna test system according to claim 17, further comprising a test pattern generator coupled to a probe mounted on a rover, for generating said test signal to the at least one antenna under test.

19. The antenna test system according to claim 17, further comprising a test pattern generator coupled to said at least one antenna under test and mounted on a rover, and a stationery probe for receiving said test signal from the at least one antenna under test.

20. The antenna test system according to claim 17, further comprising a moving probe for generating said test signal to a stationery said antenna under test.

21. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a transmit test station connected to an antenna under test for generating test signals and transmitting said test signals over the antenna under test.

22. The antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said orientation data comprises yaw, pitch and roll data.

23. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one gyro for generating at least one said orientation data.

24. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising at least one accelerometer for generating at least one said orientation data.

25. The antenna test system as in claim 24, wherein said accelerometer is adapted to function substantially within six degrees of freedom:

+/−

x, y or z axis.

26. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface for inputting and storing test location related data, number of samples, at least one user input offset data associated with test location data, measurement flag data comprising GPS flag data, test frequency range data, signal generator data, transmitter movement data, receiver movement data, mobile test station in use flag data, action list data, object parameter data comprising data related to a structure said antenna under test is mounted to, antenna under test data comprising transmitter related data and receiver related data.

27. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a handheld computing device comprising a transmitter/receiver and a graphical user interface for controlling at least one portion of said antenna test system.

28. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a sixth portion adapted to transmit encrypted signals between at least one portion of said antenna system and another portion of said antenna system.

29. The antenna test system as in claim 1, wherein said offset data comprises at least one of the following group:

equipment identifier data, reference point data, dimension data associated with two or more components in said antenna test system, height data, signal refraction data, signal reflection data or component characteristic data.

30. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface adapted to permit a user to input configuration data and execute stored processing sequences for producing said output data, wherein said configuration data comprises offset data comprising relationships between at least two portions of said antenna test system.

31. The antenna test system as in claim 1, further comprising a mobile mounting structure adapted to mount at least said first through fourth sections and to permit said mobile mounting structure to be selectively positioned through a predetermined intended path or control points in order to measure an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by said antenna under test.

32. An antenna test system comprising:

a transmit test station comprising a transmit test station computer, a test pattern generator, a signal generator coupled to said test pattern generator, network hardware for communicating with external systems, and an antenna under test which is coupled to said test pattern generator;

a fixed site global positioning indicator (GPS) and real time kinetic (RTK) base station comprising a first GPS and RTK system and antenna that is adapted to produce a first coordinate location data, and a first communication device;

a mobile platform comprising a position sensor, an inertial navigation unit, an electromagnetic spectrum probe, a computer and display unit, and network hardware for communicating with external systems, wherein said position sensor comprises a second GPS and RTK system and antenna adapted to produce a second coordinate location data based in part on said first coordinate location data, and a second communication device for communicating with said first communication device in said fixed site global positioning indicator (GPS) and real time kinetic (RTK) base station, and an inertial navigation unit adapted to produce multi-axis orientation data, wherein said first and second GPS and RTK systems cooperate to provide real-time corrections to said second coordinate data produced by said second GPS and RTK system; and

a receive station comprising;

a receive base station computer;

a test pattern analyzer coupled to said receive base station computer, a signal generator, and said electromagnetic spectrum probe and adapted to measure a plurality of signal measurement data taken at test control points as designated by a user input associated with an electromagnetic field produced by said antenna under test comprising amplitude data;

a network hardware coupled to said receive base station computer for communicating with external systems; and

a plurality of processing sequences stored in a data storage media in said receive base station computer;

wherein said plurality of processing sequences are adapted to receive said second coordinate location data from said first GPS and RTK system and said plurality of signal measurement data taken at test control points as designated by a user input and producing a plurality of output data comprising compensated position data associated with a location of said electromagnetic spectrum probe at said test control points, test location data comprising said second coordinate location data, said signal measurement data, and said multi-axis orientation data, wherein said compensated position data is determined using at least one said multi-axis orientation data and at least one offset data comprising relative position relationship data associated with at least two portions of said antenna test system comprising said second GPS and RTK system and said electromagnetic probe location;

wherein said plurality of processing sequences further comprise processing sequences adapted to output at least one spatial representation related to at least said electromagnetic field produced by said antenna under test measured by at least one said electromagnetic spectrum probe stored within said output data, wherein said spatial representation comprises said amplitude data of at least said electromagnetic field produced by said antenna under test at one or more measurement locations comprising each said compensated position data point;

wherein said network hardware components are adapted to communicate with at least one of the other network hardware components.

33. An antenna test system as in claim 32, wherein said at least one spatial representation related to at least said electromagnetic field is displayed or output on an output device.