Active antenna, base station, method for refreshing amplitudes and phases, and method for processing signals

• US 8,391,377 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chen, Jianjun, Xu, Ming, Zhang, Yi, He, Pinghua, Zhu, Yuanrong, He, Zhubiao, Wu, Jianfeng, Zhu, Yuntao
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US13/026,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20110134972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/224, 375/226, 375259-260, 375/285, 375/296, 375/346, 375/371, 375/377
• US Class Current: 375/259
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/34 by electrical means active lenses or reflecting arrays H01Q3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/11 for calibration
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/21 for calibration; for correcting measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining

Abstract

An active antenna, a base station, a method for refreshing the amplitude and phase, and a signal processing method are disclosed to simplify the structure of a phase shifter and guarantee the reliability of the phase shifter. The active antenna or the base station includes an antenna dipole array, a transceiver array, a digital processing unit (DPU), and a transceiving calibration unit. During signal reception, the transceiver demodulates a radio frequency (RF) signal of the antenna dipole into an IQ analog signal, and outputs the IQ analog signal to the DPU; the DPU converts the demodulated IQ analog signal into an IQ digital signal, and performs digital beam forming (DBF) on the IQ digital signal according to the transceiving calibration unit; during signal transmission, the transceiver modulates the IQ analog signal of the DPU into an RF signal, and outputs the RF signal to the antenna dipole; the DPU converts a signal of a base band unit (BBU) into an IQ digital signal in serial/parallel (S/P) mode, and performs DBF on the IQ digital signal according to the transceiving calibration unit.

Claims

1. An active antenna, comprising an antenna dipole array, a transceiver array, and a digital processing unit (DPU), wherein:

the antenna dipole array comprises an antenna dipole adapted to perform conversion between an electromagnetic wave signal and a radio frequency (RF) signal;

the transceiver array comprises a transceiver adapted to;

during signal reception, demodulate the RF signal of the antenna dipole into a first IQ (in-phase and quadrature) analog signal through down-conversion, and output the first IQ analog signal to the DPU;

during signal transmission, modulate a second IQ analog signal of the DPU into a second RF signal through up-conversion, and output the second RF signal to the antenna dipole; and

the DPU is adapted to;

during signal reception, convert the first IQ analog signal into a first IQ digital signal, and perform digital beam forming (DBF) on the first IQ digital signal;

during signal transmission, convert a signal of a base band unit (BBU) into a second IQ digital signal through serial/parallel (S/P) conversion, perform crest factor reduction (CFR) on the second IQ digital signal, and perform DBF on the second IQ digital signal that undergoes the CFR processing.

2. The active antenna of claim 1, wherein the DPU comprises:

a receiving calibration algorithm module, adapted to;

generate a receiving calibration IQ digital signal;

when the receiving calibration IQ digital signal is converted into a receiving calibration IQ analog signal, the receiving calibration IQ analog signal enters a transceiving calibration unit and is modulated into a receiving calibration RF signal through up-conversion, the receiving calibration RF signal enters a selected receiving channel of the transceiver array and is demodulated into an IQ analog calibration signal through down-conversion, and the IQ analog calibration signal is converted into an IQ digital calibration signal, the receiving calibration algorithm module is configured to compare the converted IQ digital calibration signal with the generated receiving calibration IQ digital signal, obtain an amplitude and a phase of the selected receiving channel, and refresh the amplitude and phase of the selected receiving channel;

when refreshing amplitudes and phases of all receiving channels, obtain a receiving amplitude and a phase value according to the amplitudes and phases of all the receiving channels, compare the receiving amplitude and the phase value with the amplitude and phase of each receiving channel, and obtain a receiving calibration factor of the amplitude and phase of each receiving channel;

a receiving DBF algorithm module, adapted to configure the receiving calibration factor on a DBF receiving module in each receiving channel;

the DBF receiving module, adapted to perform DBF on the IQ digital calibration signal converted from the down-converted IQ analog calibration signal;

a transmission calibration algorithm module, adapted to;

collect the second IQ digital signal that undergoes the DBF processing;

when the second IQ digital signal that undergoes the DBF processing is converted into the second IQ analog signal, the second IQ analog signal enters a selected transmission channel of the transceiver array and is modulated into the second RF signal through up-conversion, whereupon the second RF signal is collected by the transceiving calibration unit and demodulated into a transmit IQ analog signal through down-conversion, the transmit IQ analog signal is converted into a transmit IQ digital signal, the transmission calibration algorithm module is further configured to compare the converted transmit IQ digital signal with the collected second IQ digital signal that undergoes the DBF processing, obtain an amplitude and a phase of the selected transmission channel, and refresh the amplitude and phase of the selected transmission channel;

when refreshing amplitudes and phases of all transmission channels, obtain a transmission amplitude and a phase value according to the amplitudes and phases of all the transmission channels, compare the transmission amplitude and the phase value with the amplitude and phase of each transmission channel, and obtain a transmission calibration factor of the amplitude and phase of each transmission channel;

a transmission DBF algorithm module, adapted to configure the transmission calibration factor on a DBF transmitting module in each transmission channel; and

the DBF transmitting module, adapted to perform DBF on the second IQ digital signal that undergoes CFR processing.

3. The active antenna of claim 2, wherein the transceiving calibration unit comprises:

a receiving calibration channel, connected to the receiving calibration algorithm module at one end through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the DPU and connected to a switch matrix at the other end and adapted to modulate the receiving calibration IQ analog signal into the receiving calibration RF signal through up-conversion when the receiving calibration IQ digital signal generated by the receiving calibration algorithm module is converted into the receiving calibration IQ analog signal through the DAC;

a transmission calibration channel, connected to the transmission calibration algorithm module at one end through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the DPU and connected to the switch matrix at the other end and adapted to demodulate through down-conversion the second RF signal of the transmission channel in the transceiver array into the transmit IQ analog signal; and

the switch matrix, connected to the transmission calibration channel and the receiving calibration channel at one end and coupled with front ends of the receiving channel and transmission channel in the transceiver array at the other end through a coupler and adapted to switch the receiving channel and the transmission channel in the transceiver array on a time division basis.

4. The active antenna of claim 2, wherein the transceiving calibration unit comprises a combiner, a duplexer, a receiving calibration channel, and a transmission calibration channel, wherein:

the receiving calibration channel is connected to the receiving calibration algorithm module at one end through a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the DPU and connected to the duplexer at the other end and adapted to modulate the receiving calibration IQ analog signal into the receiving calibration RF signal through up-conversion when the receiving calibration IQ digital signal generated by the receiving calibration algorithm module is converted into the receiving calibration IQ analog signal through the DAC;

the transmission calibration channel is connected to the transmission calibration algorithm module at one end through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the DPU and connected to the duplexer at the other end and adapted to demodulate through down-conversion the second RF signal of the transmission channel in the transceiver array into the transmit IQ analog signal; and

the combiner is connected to the duplexer at one end and coupled with front ends of the receiving channel and transmission channel in the transceiver array through a coupler and adapted to calibrate the receiving channel and transmission channel in the transceiver array at the same time.

5. The active antenna of claim 1, wherein all receiving channels in the transceiver array share a same receiving local oscillation signal and all transmission channels in the transceiver array share a same transmission local oscillation signal.

6. The active antenna of claim 2, wherein the DBF receiving module and the DBF transmitting module in the DPU are mode-based or carrier-based and adapted to form radiation patterns in different modes or carriers.

7. The active antenna of claim 1, further comprising a power combiner/splitter network connected to at least two antenna dipoles in the antenna dipole array and at least one transceiver in the transceiver array, wherein:

during signal reception, the power combiner/splitter network combines weak signals received by the at least two antenna dipoles into one signal and transmits the signal to the at least one transceiver in the transceiver array;

during signal transmission, the power combiner/splitter network transmits the second RF signal of at least one transceiver in the transceiver array to the at least two antenna dipoles.

8. The active antenna of claim 1, further comprising a base band unit (BBU) connected to the DPU.

9. The active antenna of claim 1, wherein the antenna dipole is integrated with the receiving channel and transmission channel of the transceiver array connected to the antenna dipole and the receiving channel and transmission channel in the DPU connected to the receiving channel and transmission channel of the transceiver.

10. A method for refreshing an amplitude and a phase of a receiving channel, comprising:

selecting a receiving channel;

converting a receiving calibration IQ (in-phase and quadrature) digital signal into an IQ analog signal that enters a receiving calibration channel, and modulating the IQ analog signal into a receiving calibration radio frequency (RF) signal through up-conversion;

coupling the receiving calibration RF signal into the selected receiving channel, and demodulating the receiving calibration RF signal into an IQ analog signal through down-conversion;

converting the IQ analog signal into an IQ digital signal, comparing the IQ digital signal with the receiving calibration IQ digital signal, and obtaining an amplitude and a phase of the selected receiving channel; and

refreshing the amplitude and phase of the selected receiving channel according to the amplitude and phase.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

when refreshing amplitudes and phases of all receiving channels, obtaining a receiving amplitude and a phase value according to the amplitudes and phases of all the receiving channels, comparing the receiving amplitude and phase with the amplitude and phase of each receiving channel, and obtaining a receiving calibration factor of the amplitude and phase of each receiving channel; and

configuring the receiving calibration factor on a digital beam forming (DBF) receiving module in each receiving channel.

12. A method for refreshing an amplitude and a phase of a transmission channel, comprising:

selecting a transmission channel;

collecting an IQ (in-phase and quadrature) digital signal;

converting the IQ digital signal into an IQ analog signal that enters the selected transmission channel, and modulating the IQ analog signal into a radio frequency (RF) signal;

coupling the RF signal into a transmission calibration channel, and demodulating the RF signal into an IQ analog signal through down-conversion;

converting the IQ analog signal into an IQ digital signal, comparing the collected IQ digital signal with the converted IQ digital signal, and obtaining an amplitude and a phase of the selected transmission channel; and

refreshing the amplitude and phase of the selected transmission channel according to the amplitude and phase of the selected transmission channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

when refreshing amplitudes and phases of all transmission channels, obtaining a transmission amplitude and a phase value according to the amplitudes and phases of all the transmission channels, comparing the transmission amplitude and phase value with the amplitude and phase of each transmission channel, and obtaining a transmission calibration factor of the amplitude and phase of each transmission channel; and

configuring the transmission calibration factor on a digital beam forming (DBF) transmitting module in each transmission channel.

14. A mode-based or carrier-based processing method for receiving signals, comprising:

converting IQ (in-phase and quadrature) analog signals of M receiving channels into M IQ digital signals, and splitting each IQ digital signal into N single-mode receiving signals or N single-carrier receiving signals through N mode-based or carrier-based numerical control oscillators (NCOs);

performing digital beam forming (DBF) on each N single-mode receiving signals or each N single-carrier receiving signals in the M receiving channels;

combining single-mode receiving signals in the M receiving channels in each N single-mode receive signals or single-carrier receiving signals in the M receiving channels in each N single-carrier receiving signals through a combiner, processing the combined signal through a filter processing module, and obtaining N IQ digital signals; and

combining the N IQ digital signals into a signal through the combiner, and transmitting the signal to a base band unit (BBU), wherein M is 3 to 20 and N is 1 to 8.

15. A mode-based or carrier-based processing method for transmitting signals, comprising:

converting a transmission signal through serial/parallel (S/P) conversion, and obtaining N IQ digital signals, processing each IQ (in-phase and quadrature) digital signal of the N IQ digital signals through a mode-based or carrier-based numerical control oscillator (NCO), and obtaining each single-mode transmission IQ digital signal of the N IQ digital signals or each single-carrier transmission IQ digital signal of the N IQ digital signals;

processing each single-mode transmission IQ digital signal of the N IQ digital signals or each single-carrier transmission IQ digital signal of the N IQ digital signals through M digital beam forming modules (DBFs), and obtaining M mode-based or carrier-based IQ digital signals;

combining N single-mode transmission IQ digital signals in each M transmission channels or N single-carrier transmission IQ digital signals in each M transmission channels into a signal through a combiner, and obtaining M mode-based or carrier-based mixture transmission signals; and

performing crest factor reduction (CFR) and digital pre-distortion (DPD) on the M mode-based or carrier-based mixture transmission signals, converting the M mode-based or carrier-based mixture transmission signals into IQ analog signals, and outputting the IQ analog signals to each transmission channel of a transceiver, wherein M is 3 to 20 and N is 1 to 8.