Phased array antenna and its phase calibration method
First Claim
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1. A phased array antenna, comprising:
- an oscillator that generates radio waves;
a plurality of antenna elements that radiates radio waves;
a phase shifter that is connected to each of the plurality of antenna elements and changes a phase of radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements;
a distributor that distributes radio waves generated by the oscillator to the plurality of antenna elements via the phase shifter;
a receiving unit that receives radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements; and
a control processor that performs a calibration process toselect, from the plurality of antenna elements, a reference antenna element to be a reference of a phase calibration for the phased array antenna and a target antenna element to be a target of the phase calibration with respect to the reference antenna element to allow the radio waves generated by the oscillator to be provided for the reference antenna element and the target antenna element via the distributor,obtain, as a received power variation pattern, a received power of radio waves received at the receiving unit, while a phase of the phase shifter connected to the reference antenna element is fixed and a phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element is changed within a range of 0°
to 360°
by a predetermined phase amount of a necessary accuracy, the received power variation pattern being graphically represented by the received power and the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element,extract, from the obtained received power variation pattern, the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element at which the received power becomes a local minimal value, andadd the extracted phase to 180°
to set its resultant value to a calibration value for the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element.
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Abstract
A phase array antenna includes an oscillator, a plurality of antenna elements, a phase shifter, a distributor, a receiving unit, and a control processor. The control processor performs a calibration process to select, from the antenna elements, a reference and target antenna elements to allow the radio waves generated by the oscillator to be provided for the reference and target antenna elements via the distributor, obtain a pattern of a change in a received power of radio waves received at the receiving unit, when a phase of the phase shifter for the reference antenna element is fixed and a phase of the phase shifter for the target antenna element is changed, extract, from the pattern obtained, the phase of the phase shifter for the target antenna element at which the received power becomes a local minimal value, and add the phase extracted to 180° to set its resultant value to a calibration value for the phase of the phase shifter for the target antenna element.
37 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A phased array antenna, comprising:
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an oscillator that generates radio waves; a plurality of antenna elements that radiates radio waves; a phase shifter that is connected to each of the plurality of antenna elements and changes a phase of radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements; a distributor that distributes radio waves generated by the oscillator to the plurality of antenna elements via the phase shifter; a receiving unit that receives radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements; and a control processor that performs a calibration process to select, from the plurality of antenna elements, a reference antenna element to be a reference of a phase calibration for the phased array antenna and a target antenna element to be a target of the phase calibration with respect to the reference antenna element to allow the radio waves generated by the oscillator to be provided for the reference antenna element and the target antenna element via the distributor, obtain, as a received power variation pattern, a received power of radio waves received at the receiving unit, while a phase of the phase shifter connected to the reference antenna element is fixed and a phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element is changed within a range of 0°
to 360°
by a predetermined phase amount of a necessary accuracy, the received power variation pattern being graphically represented by the received power and the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element,extract, from the obtained received power variation pattern, the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element at which the received power becomes a local minimal value, and add the extracted phase to 180°
to set its resultant value to a calibration value for the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A phase calibration method for a phased array antenna that comprises an oscillator that generates radio waves, a plurality of antenna elements that radiates radio waves, phase shifter that is connected to each of the plurality of antenna elements and changes a phase of radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements, distributor that distributes radio waves generated by the oscillator to the plurality of antenna elements via the phase shifter, receiving unit that receives radio waves radiated by the plurality of antenna elements, and a control processor that performs a calibration process for the phased array antenna, the phase calibration method comprising:
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at the control processor, selecting, from the plurality of antenna elements, a reference antenna element to be a reference of a phase calibration for the phased array antenna and a target antenna element to be a target of the phase calibration with respect to the reference antenna element to allow the radio waves generated by the oscillator to be provided for the reference antenna element and the target antenna element via the distributor; obtaining, as a received power variation pattern, a received power of the radio waves received at the receiving unit, while a phase of the phase shifter connected to the reference antenna element is fixed and a phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element is changed within a range of 0°
to 360°
by a predetermined phase amount of a necessary accuracy, the received power variation pattern being graphically represented by the received power and the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element;extracting, from the obtained received power variation pattern, the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element at which the received power becomes a local minimal value; and adding the extracted phase to 180°
to set its resultant value to a calibration value for the phase of the phase shifter connected to the target antenna element. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeDENSO Corporation
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Original AssigneeDENSO Corporation
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InventorsOokawa, Kunihiko
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Primary Examiner(s)BYTHROW, PETER M
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Application NumberUS13/314,354Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,167 DaysField of Search342165-175US Class Current342/174CPC Class CodesG01S 7/40 Means for monitoring or cal...G01S 7/4004 of parts of a radar systemH01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or che...H01Q 3/36 with variable phase-shifters
