Calibration apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for calibrating a multi-beam satellite system comprising a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the apparatus comprisinga calibration processor for determining the phase and amplitude shift of a test path of the plurality of signal paths relative to a reference path of the plurality of signal paths from a first signal extracted from the test path and a second signal extracted from the reference path, the first and second extracted signals corresponding to a calibration tone,said calibration processor configured to either correlate the first signal with the second signal or correlate the first and second signals with a third signal corresponding to said calibration tone in order to compare the phase and amplitude shifts for the test path and the reference path, andthe calibration processor further configured to determine the phase and amplitude shift of the test path relative to the reference path for at least two calibration tones of at least two different frequencies to allow a phase and amplitude offset of the test path for a signal of any frequency within an operational frequency range of the multi-beam satellite system to be calculated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided an apparatus for calibrating a multi-beam satellite system comprising a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the apparatus comprising a calibration processor for determining the phase and amplitude shift of a test path relative to a reference path, the calibration processor being configured to determine the phase and amplitude shifts of the test path relative to the reference path for at least two calibration tones of at least two different frequencies to allow a phase and amplitude offset of the test path for a signal of any frequency within an operational frequency range of the multi-beam satellite system to be calculated.
10 Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for calibrating a multi-beam satellite system comprising a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the apparatus comprising
a calibration processor for determining the phase and amplitude shift of a test path of the plurality of signal paths relative to a reference path of the plurality of signal paths from a first signal extracted from the test path and a second signal extracted from the reference path, the first and second extracted signals corresponding to a calibration tone, said calibration processor configured to either correlate the first signal with the second signal or correlate the first and second signals with a third signal corresponding to said calibration tone in order to compare the phase and amplitude shifts for the test path and the reference path, and the calibration processor further configured to determine the phase and amplitude shift of the test path relative to the reference path for at least two calibration tones of at least two different frequencies to allow a phase and amplitude offset of the test path for a signal of any frequency within an operational frequency range of the multi-beam satellite system to be calculated.
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13. A method of calibrating a multi-beam satellite system having a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the method comprising
extracting a first signal from a test path of the plurality of signal paths and a second signal from a reference path of the plurality of signal paths, the first and second signals corresponding to a calibration tone; - and
determining from the extracted signals the phase and amplitude shift of the test path relative to the reference path by either correlating the first signal with the second signal or correlating the first and second signals with a third signal corresponding to the calibration tone, wherein the extracting and determining steps are carried out for at least two calibration tones of different frequencies to allow a phase and amplitude offset of the test path for a signal of any frequency within an operational frequency range of the multi-beam satellite system to be calculated from the determined phase and amplitude shifts. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for calibrating a multi-beam satellite system having a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
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extracting a first signal from a test path of the plurality of signal paths and a second signal from a reference path of the plurality of signal paths, the first and second signals corresponding to a calibration tone; and determining from the extracted signals the phase and amplitude shift of the test path relative to the reference path by either correlating the first signal with the second signal or correlating the first and second signals with a third signal corresponding to the calibration tone, wherein the extracting and determining steps are carried out for at least two calibration tones of different frequencies to allow a phase and amplitude offset of the test path for a signal of any frequency within an operational frequency range of the multi-beam satellite system to be calculated from the determined phase and amplitude shifts.
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23. Apparatus for calibrating a multi-beam satellite system comprising a beam forming network providing a plurality of signal paths, the apparatus comprising
a digital signal processor for frequency translating signals; a calibration processor for determining the phase and amplitude shift of a test path of a plurality of signal paths relative to a reference path of the plurality of signal paths from a first signal extracted from the test path and a second signal extracted from the reference path, the first and second signals comprising a calibration tone, said tone translated from a first frequency to a second frequency by the digital signal processor, the calibration processor is configured to either correlate the first signal with the second signal or correlate the first and second signals with a third signal corresponding to the calibration tone, said calibration processor configured to determine the phase and amplitude shifts of the test path relative to the reference path for at least two calibration tones of different frequencies and the digital signal processor is configured to apply a correction, based on the determined relative phase and amplitude shifts for the at least two calibration tones, to the test path.
Specification